The Awakening Conflict Essay

It is common for people in everyday society to conform to society’s expectations while also questioning their true desires. In the novel, The Awakening, by Kate Chopin, the main protagonist Edna Pontellier is said to possess, "That outward existence which conforms, the inward life that questions." In other words, Edna outwardly conforms while questioning inwardly. Kate Chopin, uses this tension between outward conformity and inward questioning to build the meaning of the novel by examining Edna’s role as a wife, mother, and as nontraditional woman in the traditional Victorian period. Edna outwardly conforms to society’s expectations by marriage.

Stone relates the growth of the protagonist, Edna Ponteller, in Kate Chopin’s book The Awakening as the character descends into self-actualization, and begins an artistic journey. Stone claims Edna’s regression into childhood depicts, a budding artist rather than a hedonistic woman who holds no regard for her maternal responsibilities. Stone establishes several conditions impelling Edna into her life as an artist, nostalgia, learning to swim in the ocean, and her yearning for maternal nurturing. Stone also contrasts the merits and obstacles of Edna’s relationship to three people in The Awakening.

Often times, literary works can easily distinguish between a good character or an evil character. Other times, a character can be very complex, which makes it difficult to characterize the character as good or evil. This complex character complex is known as Moral Ambiguity. In other words, readers are discouraged from identifying a character as purely good or evil. One particular character that can be views as morally ambiguous is a woman named Edna Pontellier.

At the end of the novel when Philip “had come home and found his wife in her brothers arms” it signifies how the patriarchal family that he has created has been undermined. (P.196) Also, as it has happened in the kitchen a very public part of the house is quite important. The kitchen is the centre of domestic life where everybody comes together, and it is the only place in the house where Melanie would feel safe and warm. However Philip changes this mood and it becomes uncomfortable.

The Awakening is a novel written by Kate Chopin that follows a woman named Edna Pontellier on her journey to self-awareness. Edna lived a comfortable lifestyle with her husband and two children in Louisiana during the 19th century. Despite obtaining all aspects to a perfect life, Edna became dissatisfied after meeting Robert Lebrun in Grand Isle. Robert sparked a desire for unlawful lust as well as a yearning for independence in a society full of conformed standards. Edna was unable to handle the pressures associated with achieving personal freedom which ultimately led to her death.

In Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, Chopin explores the question “what must a woman forsake in order to be free and to what extent should women be allowed to be free”. Edna originally abides by her husband’s wishes; however, she uncovers the unknown freedom that men openly participate in. In order to achieve freedom, Edna must forsake society and its judgement, men, and friends. Although she attempts to do this, The Awakening evaluates the amount of freedom a woman should be granted by portraying women with differing amounts of freedom: Reisz who lives alone with complete freedom, Adele who abides to her husband’s every will without freedom, and Edna who struggles to achieve absolute freedom. This portrayal of society and women demonstrates the

Within the novel, The Awakening by Kate Chopin, Madame Ratignolle’s character possesses traits that emphasize, by contrast the characteristics and behavior of Edna Pontellier. Despite being close friends within the novel, Adele and Edna have contrasting views and behaviors that illuminate the theme of female freedom and the tradition of female submission and male domination. Madame Ratignolle and Edna Pontellier are close friends, but their views toward raising children differ fundamentally. Madame Ratignolle would sacrifice her identity to devote herself entirely to her children, household, and husband, whereas Edna would not. Besides their views towards raising children, how they raise their children also differs.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston shows the growth of Janie Crawford, a woman of African American and White mix; who searches for true love when she saw bee pollenating on a flower when she was in her teens. As the novel progresses Janie goes through three marriages. Those husbands have showed their power as the man of household in their own way. Either they would use hurtful words or use physical force to some extent. Janie had go to through “trial and error” with her marriages.

as b dl "The Awakening" is a phrase which symbolically describes what happens to the main character, Edna Pontellier, as she becomes an aware and conscious human being in the course of this book. What is she conscious of? Mostly the fact that her life has been constrained by her role in her family, and that there’s more to Edna than wife and mother extraordinaire. symbolism, metaphor 16- at a very early period she had apprehended instinctively the dual life- that outward existence which conforms, the inward life which questions.

The beginning of the feminist movement in the 1900’s, sparked much attention from those who lived at this time. The changes in attitude brought forth from the feminist movement made many men feel threatened and uncomfortable. In 1899, Kate Chopin published the feminist novel, The Awakening, which created much controversy. The protagonist of the story, Edna Pontellier, emerges from her own “awakening,” and gains her own independence from breaking away from society. However, her struggle with herself and society overtakes her and Edna’s sudden awakening ends in tragedy.