Daniel Xu Mrs.

Mintz English Literature AP 9 February 2014 The Troubling Nature of Conformity The novel, The Awakening, was written by American author Kate Chopin between 1897 and 1899 while she was living in St. Louis, Missouri. Narrated in the third person point of view, the novel is focused on protagonist Edna Pontellier. Chopin explores the identity of women in a society where women are placed, in many ways, restricted by the strict rules and codes that the society has created. However, the novel does represent the positive change in women as they seek social equality and independence. The novel takes the reader through the life of Edna, from how she was raised, the loveless marriage that Edna is locked in, to the multiple affairs that she has as a result of her marriage, and eventually to her unfortunate death. Edna is married, and has two children, but she is a troubled. Her husband, Leonce Pontellier, is a loving and kind husband, but he is constantly preoccupied with his work. As a result of his frequent business trips and absence from the family, his relationship with Edna slowly begins to deteriorate. Ednas marriage and her social life often leads to a clash between her inner and outer world. She conforms outwardly to the rules of society by being married and having children, yet, she questions the life that she leads as she does not believe that she is truly happy, or independent. This clash leads to her awakening that she does indeed want to be free from her family and from

the rules of society. Throughout the novel, Chopin hints at the fact that Edna is mentally ill, and she showed symptoms of Bipolar Disorder and Seasonal Affective Disorder as a result of the conflict that existed in and around Edna. Bipolar disorder is a medical condition that causes changes in someones brain chemistry, affecting a persons mood, function, and energy. Edna is, undoubtedly, affected by the condition. Throughout the novel, Edna would have serious mood swings. She would often confine herself at home on rainy days, and would often have trouble painting because of her mood. When the weather was dark and cloudy Edna could not work. She needed the sun to mellow and temper her mood to the sticking point. She had reached a stage when she seemed to be no longer feeling her way, working, when in humor, with sureness and ease. (Chopin 103) This quote reinforces the idea that Edna is afflicted with bipolar disorder due to her mood swings. Edna seemed to have spontaneous bursts of depression that stemmed from unknown origins, and this quote certainly indicates Ednas disorder when some symptoms of bipolar disorder are taken into account. There are two stages of bipolar disorder. The first is marked by excessively high energy and liveliness, with symptoms such as euphoria, irritability, racing thoughts and high energy. The second stage is depression, with symptoms such as low energy, suicidal thoughts and tendencies, poor concentration, and a lack of interest in various activities or hobbies. Clearly, Edna fulfills many of the symptoms of bipolar disorder. The happiest time of her life was during the time she spent on the Grand Isle, where Robert awakens her sexuality and her autonomy,

which can be interpreted as a period of euphoria. She also showed bursts of impulse as with her purchase of the Pigeon House. Edna also picks up the hobby of art, which can be interpreted in many different ways. The most prominent symbolism behind her new found interest in art is the fact that she is her awakening into independence and freedom. Art is a form of communication; it is a blank canvas for the artist to explore her own emotions. For Edna, art is something that allows her to take her mind off the pressure society has placed upon her, and freely explores her own identity, not the identity that society has painted for her. Edna is talented as an artist, since she handled her brushes with a certain ease and freedom which came not from a long and close acquaintance with them but from a natural aptitude. (Chopin 16). On the other hand, her talent in art also represents danger inherent in artistic self-expression., as it is very easy for Edna to become lost in the process of expressing her buried emotions. (Carole Stone) Her natural talent in art symbolizes her ability to break free from social norms, expressing herself and being autonomous. Ednas multiple affairs, particularly with Arobin, is a clear indication of her loneliness and unusually low self-esteem, since she could not love nor fulfillment in her marriage with her husband. Edna first shows signs of an affair with Robert during her stay on the Grand Isles. Robert teachers her to swim, furthering her autonomy, and with his easy way of talking about himself, encourages her self-expression. (Stone) Her affair with Arobin functions as a rite of passage to sexual autonomy. (Stone), as this is the first time that she was physically engaged with a man other than her husband, and is another stage of her awakening and another facet of her newfound autonomy.

Finally, Ednas suicide exemplifies her serious depression after hearing of Roberts leave and can be also seen as the final stage of her awakening, losing her life. But she does not lose herself. (Stone) After witnessing Adeles pain during childbirth, Edna is awakened the true nature of childbirth, contradicting her previous misconception that childbirth (was) a moment of joy. (Stone) Even though Adele reminded Edna to think of the children, Edna found it difficult to conform to her conventional role as a mother to her new found autonomy and independence. (Chopin 115) This internal conflict played an important role in causing Ednas eventual suicide, since Edna cannot be both free from the restrictions society placed upon her as a mother, and continue her role as a mother at the same time. Critic Suzanne D. Green presented the argument that Edna drowns accidentally. which is untrue, as her death is a result of the different conflicts that occurred in her life as she awakens to the sense of true freedom. (Green) It is true that Edna could no longer survive as merely a wife and mother, and she did not find fulfillment in art or in casual affairs., so naturally, her only choice was to liberate herself in the ocean because of the freedom that it represent. (Green) Ultimately, Edna drowns herself because she cannot live as a conventional wife or mother any longer, (Stone) Edna also suffers from a second mental disorder, namely, the Seasonal Affective Disorder. The Seasonal Affective Disorder is a disorder whereby the individual experiences lethargy or depression when there is a shift in the weather condition around him. This is true in Ednas case, as she does periodically suffer from short bursts of mood swings as a result of the weather condition. On rainy or melancholy days Edna went out and sought the society of friends she had made at Grand Isle. Or else she stayed indoors and nursed a mood with which

she was becoming too familiar for her own comfort and peace of mind. It was not despair, but it seemed to her as if life were passing by, leaving its promise broken and unfulfilled. Yet there were other days when she listened, as lead on and deceived by fresh promises which her youth held out to her. (Chopin 78) From this quote, Edna is shown to be prone to mood swings on certain conditions of weather. Ever since she returned from the Grand Isles, Edna experiences periodic highs and lows in her mood, and has trouble painting or leaving the house on days that she felt the weather was inappropriate. Edna also fulfills many of the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder, including depression, loss of energy, social withdrawal and the loss of interest in usual activities. Social withdrawal is one of the more prominent symptoms that are shown in the novel, as Edna becomes socially withdrawn after her vacation at the Grand Isles. She eventually stops holding or attending social meeting all together. Again, the ocean is a symbol of liberation and freedom for Edna, and becomes her ultimate escape from convention and social pressure. She is compelled by the seductive voice of the sea to pursue the fulfilment of her inner self, even at the cost of her material possessions, her friends, and ultimately, her life. (Green) This quote holds truth on different levels. The ocean is a place of comfort and fulfillment for Edna. Her suicide is the final and most important indication of her being socially withdrawn, as she physically leaves humanity and all of her worldly possessions behind. To Edna, death is the only aspect of her life that she has complete control over, and it is the only way for her to escape the hardship of her reality.

Chopins presentation of Edna as a character is also reflective of her view and perspective on the psychological mindset and physical condition of women at the time. Edna represents the internal turmoil and unrest that accompanied every woman as they strive to understand free themselves away from the shackles that society has placed them in. Gender roles plays a huge part in the meaning of the novel, as the entire novel is supposed to serve as a basis for Chopin to communicate her views on the feminist women at the time. Through Edna, Chopin illustrates that women are oppressed within a patriarchal society that values and strictly enforces conventional views on the behavior of women. For example, Edna is considered to be another one of Leonces possessions, a trophy that he can use to flaunt his success at his friends and family. This is established as early as chapter one, when Leonce became annoyed at the fact that Edna was burnt beyond recognition, as a result of her stroll on the beach with Robert. (Chopin 7) The very fact that Leonce considers Edna as part of his property dehumanizes Edna as a person, and subsequently, represents the cultural dehumanization of women as a whole in American society at the time. In fact, Leonce is not to be blamed for his, according to modern standards, distorted view of his wife, as it was a cultural norm at a time for women to be considered property. Chopin also introduces the caged birds early on in the novel as another reminder of the helplessness and entrapment that Victorian women felt at the end of the 19th century. Madame Lebruns parrot serves as a reminder of Ednas limitations in society. She is caged in by her responsibilities and expectations, and is unable to communicate her true thoughts with those around her. The cage also symbolizes the indifference of men towards women, since the cage is

never unbending and ignorant of the feelings of women. A man would ostentatiously display his success and his objects worthy of admiration to his fellow companions, just like he would with his women. Ednas efforts to escape her children, her husbands, and her responsibilities are seen as futile even after she moves into the pigeon house. She only manages to physically separate herself from her role as a married woman, but not psychologically. Mademoiselle Reisz tells Edna that The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings. It is a sad spectacle to see the weakling bruised, exhausted, fluttering back to earth. This furthers Chopins symbolism of the bird, as Edna herself has struggled to soar above the tradition and prejudice, and with no avail. (Chopin 88) Even though Ednas drowning is representative of her ascendance into a world free of the responsibilities of her life, it is representative of her admittance to defeat as she has no way of synchronizing her yearn for independence for freedom with her role as a wife, a mother and a woman. The underlying notion that Edna has Bipolar Disorder and Seasonal Affective Disorder is a vivid reminder of the consequences of Ednas internal struggle and misalignment. Through Edna, Chopin illustrates the futile efforts of 19th century Victorian women as they struggle to gain sovereignty and autonomy during a time period where men dominated all aspects of society. Indeed, it is difficult for society to break free from the convention and norms that it has adhered to for so many centuries. Chopins presentation of Edna and her circumstances also parallels the status of the feminist at the time, since the movement only recently began to surface towards the

end of the 19th century and did not gain much momentum until later on in the end of the 20th century.