Introduction:

The topic of the seminar is understanding and analyzing the sacrifice theme of the

feminist heroine in Kate Chopin's novel "The Awakening" and Giuseppe Verdi's opera "La

Traviata." This requires us to think seriously and analyze how to formulate the sacrifice in

literature and its implications, as well as what is presented about the feminist heroine in the

different literary works such as novels, plays, or stories, and compare them with the results

and clarify the reasons and consequences of the presented sacrifice by the heroine in

investigating the primary texts by looking at the sacrifice.

I clarified, analyzed, understood, and explained the subject of sacrifice through

some questions that I relied on in order to clarify the reasons and analyze the secondary

aspects that affected the heroine, and linked some secondary issues to the main subject by

analyzing the different visions that led to the sacrifice, whether the result of this sacrifice

was happy or sad for the heroine. And how this result led to the clarification of the

situation of women in the nineteenth century.

Discussion:

1. Edna Pontellier's Awakening

In Kate Chopin's novel, The Awakening, mother and wife Edna and Pontellier

experience a life-changing Awakening in the late 1800's in New Orleans, Louisiana. Edna

and her husband, Léonce, are prominent members of the Creole community, though Edna

has no love for her marriage mate. Although it is not acceptable to have sex at this time

and culture, Edna loves a young man, Robert Lebrun, while on vacation on the Grand Isle.

Here, he begins his Awakening. When both approaches, a well-known female artist, Alcée

Arobin, enters her life. She had a physical relationship with him while he was married and

in love with Robert. Edna struggles with her emotions to get what she wants out of life.

Edna finds that the result is that she will never be able to have what she wants; it is
inaccessible. Edna Pontellier, the protagonist of the story, shows how difficult and exciting

it can be to wake up.

Chopin reflects on the rise of Edna Pontellier on the emotional and psychological

changes she experienced throughout the novel. This idea first manifested itself when Edna

spoke to Mrs. Ratignolle on the beach at Grande Isle. He realizes and says for the first time

that he will not give up on his family's happiness. Edna told Madam Ratignolle that she

would never sacrifice for the sake of her children or anyone else, saying, "I can sacrifice

the less important things, give my money, give my life for my children, but I will not give

up." (47). the way Edna finally puts her thoughts into words shows an important point in

her self-esteem and role in society. When she speaks, she thinks for a long time, and her

thoughts are strong and legitimate. Of course, she has a right to remain true to him, so her

conversation with Madame Ratignolle opens her mind to all the new possibilities of

becoming a selfish person in everything else. Her change continues when she will not let

others see her as Mr. Pontellier's property. Edna and Robert rekindled their love of summer

so much that Robert tried so hard to stop it because Edna was a married woman. In this

interview with Robert, Edna comments that "I am no longer one of the things Mr.

Pontellier should throw away or not." I give myself where I choose" (108). Edna is

confident in herself and her position as a person on earth. He explains to Robert that his

reason for avoiding their contact was as senseless as he was, and never was, of Mr.

Pontellier. This connection is a sign of the pride that Edna developed when Robert last saw

each other. He develops by sharing with others his new self-confidence and his sense of

self. Furthermore, Edna finally realizes that she cannot live her life the way she wanted to.

As Edna arrived at the Grand Isle, "She thought of Léonce and the children." They were a

part of his life. But they did not have to think that they could have him, mind, body, and

soul "(116). And the man she loves in the community in which she lives. His mind can
wrap around the fact that her desires are very speculative and do not meet the facts. She

has grown to be able to understand that she will never have what she desires.

Eventually, Edna underwent a remarkable change and was able to see her life

through new eyes. As the novel concludes, Edna realizes that her hopes are dashed. He

accepts that Robert is also never going to be together and is not willing to go on living a

life he does not deserve. He walks alone to return to the beginning of all his awakening: the

Grande Isle. When he arrives, he will swim and find himself far away. His ability to swim

back to shore is gone as his lack of energy to survive means he cannot. Although the

ending is left vague, it is possible that Edna is sinking into the water where she will not

have to be the person she is. This landmark conclusion helps shed light on the changes that

took place in Edna's life. He thinks realistically and believes that death is his only way out.

Feelings of loneliness and inadequacy still exist today, all over the world. College students

are always trying to plan their lives and find out what work they have to do, even though

there are often obstacles. Grades do not support the dream, nor do the funds fail to meet the

required education. Feelings of despair and hopelessness soon follow, as did Edna's.

Struggling to live the life that one desire is one of the greatest challenges he faces and is

felt all around. Whether it is Edna or someone else, change is difficult and can damage life

as one knows.

Sacrifice in the Awakening

In Kate Chopin's novel, The Resurrection, mother and wife Edna and Pontellier

experience a life-changing resurrection in the late 1800's in New Orleans, Louisiana. Edna

and her husband, Léonce, are prominent members of the Creole community, though Edna

has no love for her marriage mate. Although it is not acceptable to have sex at this time

and culture, Edna loves a young man, Robert Lebrun, while on vacation on the Grand Isle.

Here, he begins his resurrection. When both approach, a well-known female artist, Alcée
Arobin, enters her life. She had a physical relationship with him while he was married and

in love with Robert. Edna struggles with her emotions to get what she wants out of life.

Edna finds that the result is that she will never be able to have what she wants; it is

inaccessible. Edna Pontellier, the protagonist of the story, shows how difficult and exciting

it can be to wake up.

Chopin reflects on the rise of Edna Pontellier on the emotional and psychological

changes she experienced throughout the novel. This idea first manifested itself when Edna

spoke to Mrs. Ratignolle on the beach at Grande Isle. He realizes and says for the first time

that he will not give up on his family's happiness. Edna told Madam Ratignolle that she

would never sacrifice for the sake of her children or anyone else, saying, "I can sacrifice

the less important things, give my money, give my life for my children, but I will not give

up." (47). the way Edna finally puts her thoughts into words shows an important point in

her self-esteem and role in society. When she speaks, she thinks for a long time, and her

thoughts are strong and legitimate. Of course, she has a right to remain true to him, so her

conversation with Madame Ratignolle opens her mind to all the new possibilities of

becoming a selfish person in everything. Her change continues when she will not let others

see her as Mr. Pontellier's property. Edna and Robert rekindled their love of summer so

much that Robert tried so hard to stop it because Edna was a married woman. In this

interview with Robert, Edna comments that "I am no longer one of the things Mr.

Pontellier should throw away or not." I give myself where I choose" (108). Edna is

confident in herself and her position as a person on earth. He explains to Robert that his

reason for avoiding their contact was as senseless as he was, and never was, of Mr.

Pontellier. This connection is a sign of the pride that Edna developed when Robert last saw

each other. He develops by sharing with others his new self-confidence and his sense of

self. Furthermore, Edna finally realizes that she cannot live her life the way she wanted to.
As Edna arrived on the Grand Isle, "She thought of Léonce and the children." They were a

part of his life. But they did not have to think that they could have him, mind, body, and

soul "(116). And the man she loves in the community in which she lives. His mind can

wrap around the fact that her desires are very speculative and do not meet the facts. She

has grown to be able to understand that she will never have what she desires.

Eventually, Edna underwent a remarkable change and was able to see her life

through new eyes. As the novel concludes, Edna realizes that her hopes are dashed. He

accepts that Robert is also never going to be together and is not willing to go on living a

life he does not deserve. He walks alone to return to the beginning of all his awakening: the

Grande Isle. When he arrives, he will swim and find himself far away. His ability to swim

back to shore is gone as his lack of energy to survive means he cannot. Although the

ending is left vague, it is possible that Edna is sinking into the water where she will not

have to be the person she is. This landmark conclusion helps shed light on the changes that

took place in Edna's life. He thinks realistically and believes that death is his only way out.

Feelings of loneliness and inadequacy still exist today, all over the world. College students

are always trying to plan their lives and find out what work they have to do, even though

there are often obstacles. Grades do not support the dream, nor do the funds fail to meet the

required education. Feelings of despair and hopelessness soon follow, as did Edna's.

Struggling to live the life that one desires is one of the greatest challenges he faces and is

felt all around. Whether it is Edna or someone else, change is difficult and can damage life

as one knows.

Edna Pontellier's Sacrifice in the Awakening

In her book "The Awakening," Edna Pontellier sacrifices herself to be a mother-

woman. In her community and in her life, she is expected to be a caring wife, caring for the
children and her husband. However, Edna sacrifices her character, dreams, and freedom

because she is trying to get into it.

Edna Pontellier is a mother of two children in the south at a time when women are

expected to be obedient, like women and caregivers. Edna is married to Leoncé Pontellier,

who married her so that she could escape with her family and be free. He says that, at some

point in the novel, he loves the way Leonce puzzles him but doesn't really love him the

way he should and the way Leoncé loves him. In addition, Leoncé cares about his

reputation and what the community thinks about him. He wants Edna to act in a certain

way. In doing so, she asks Edna to give up her identity and her character so that she can try

to be this mother-woman and be what society expects her to be. In the text, Leonce

compares Edna with Adele, a public image of a perfect woman, saying that Edna should be

like her and not be like her. You think Edna is careless and selfish. In addition, there is a

point in the book when Leonce tells Edna that their son is ill and needs to go see him. Edna

tells him that there is no way it could be because he was fine the last time he looked at

them. Leonce continues to harass her about it, wanting her to look after him. When Edna

finally realized that she was alive and that Leonce was lying to show that she was a bad

mother and that she was selfish, this shows how Edna sacrificed her character so that she

not only obeyed her husband but also the public expectations of both mother and daughter.

One thing Edna sacrificed to keep her dreams alive. Edna dreams of being an artist.

In the text, we see how Edna loves art and how she aspires to be an artist. However, she

cannot because she is expected to be a mother-woman. Edna also dreams of having Robert

Lebrun. Robert is a young man who visits the Grand Isle in the summer to help his mother.

Edna and Edna are able to communicate with and understand each other because of their

similarities. He too falls in love with her and sometimes gets jealous. However, Edna

cannot be with him because he is married and has children with Leonce. Edna also gave up
these dreams, Leoncé and being an artist, to live up to public expectations. This reveals

how much pressure she was under from her husband and the people of the city, like Adele,

to qualify.

Finally, Edna gives up her freedom to do what is expected of her. We know that Edna

wants to be free, so she married Leonce to try to be free. Her freedom is something Edna

struggles with and longs for. He was always looking for ways to relax and express himself.

For example, his artwork with Robert was one of the ways he tried to express his feelings.

She always felt comfortable in those two ways. In the text, Edna talks about going to sea

with Robert and feeling comfortable. In his last act, after losing Robert, he returns to the

Grand Isle and the sea because those are the places where he feels at ease.

The things Edna sacrificed, her character, her dreams, and her freedom, all revealed that

she did not deserve to be a mother or mother because she did not really care about her

children, husband, or reputation.

What Is Edna Pontellier Sacrifice in the Awakening?

In "The Awakening", Robert Lebrun sacrifices his love and desire for Edna

Pontellier because he knows she will never be with him. This shows that although Robert

was in love with Edna, he knew what was right and understood why he could not be with

her. Robert gives up his love for a business trip to Mexico and at the end of the novel when

he decides he can't stay with Edna in her "pigeon-house."

When Robert goes to Mexico looking for business and wealth, he does not tell Edna that he

plans to leave after spending a day with her. This showed that he did not want Edna to

know because it would make it difficult for her to stay. Moreover, when Robert sent

Mademoiselle Reisz a letter from Mexico informing her of his plans to return,

Mademoiselle Reisz admitted to Edna that the only reason Robert left Mexico was because

he was in love with Edna and knew he could not be with her. Mademoiselle Reisz tells
Edna, "She loves you, you poor idiot." This showed that Robert ended his love for Edna by

moving to Mexico because he knew he wanted to be with her but it was wrong.

At the end of the novel, we see how Robert gave up his love and happiness for

Edna. After Edna joins Adele Ratignolle at the time of the birth of her baby, Edna returns

home to the "dove house" and finds out that Robert is gone but has left a note for her. The

note says, "Goodbye, because I love you..." Robert leaves Edna this note, saying he should

leave her because he loves her so much. He realizes what he has done and how he feels

about Edna, but that Edna is married and has a family; therefore, he cannot be with her.

Robert professes his love for Edna many times during the novel, first when he travels to

Mexico and realizes that although he and Edna feel the same way about each other and

want to be together, that will not happen because he is married to Lèonce Pontellier and

has a family that needs him. The love shown by many characters throughout the novel, the

love of Robert and Edna for each other, and Léonce's love for Edna are examples seen in

"The Awakening". Robert's devotion reflected his love for Edna so much that he knew she

had to leave before it got too difficult.

2. La Traviata

The theme and setting of La Traviata were opera novels in the mid-19th century.

The scale is small and capitalist, not heroic or noble. The heroine is a fallen woman who

benefits from sacrificial redemption—a view that was somewhat dangerous at the time,

though it was not rejected by explorers. Insisted that the opera be set up today (that is, in

the 1850's) with modern costumes. Opera companies would not comply, insisting on

telling the story in the early 18th century. (The first operation set in the period mentioned

by Verdi took place in 1906, after Verdi's death and soon after the planning can be called

modern.)
 In addition to other Italian opera composers of the time, Verdi composed music and

emphasized drama using techniques such as repetitive sentences (Violetta's "Ah, fors'è lui"

echoing Alfredo's declaration of love and continuing as a theme of love), instrumentation

(high violins accentuate Violetta's character from the snare onwards), coloratura decoration

depicting Violetta's agitation (thus forgiving what may seem like an empty beauty), and the

continuation of music (blurring the line between repetition and aria).

During Verdi's lifetime, La Traviata was one of the most popular operas in the

world, and it still is today. The story sounds fast, and the music is beautiful. In fact, the

needs of orchestras and singers do not make opera companies seem like they have more

money than they do.

The Sacrifice Theme in La Traviata

La Traviata is the story of a living Parisian courtesan who sacrificed a beloved man

to save the dignity of his family. Perhaps the most important theme in La Traviata is self-

sacrifice. Opera is a heartwarming story, not just because it is a story people do not believe

in, but because it is a story people want to believe in. It promotes the idea that it is possible

to attain the happiness of pure, orderly love. The story shows that it is possible—whether

the pain or the offense is caused—to correct mistakes by giving your best.

The theme of the sacrifice was exemplified when Alfredo's father, Giorgio

Germont, demanded that Violetta's relationship with his son be terminated because of his

family. Giorgio reveals that Violetta's relationship with Alfredo threatens his daughter's

engagement (Giorgio: Pura compliments the angel—"I have a pure daughter as an angel")

because of her reputation as a courtesan. Although he says he can't break up with Alfredo

because he loves her, Giorgio begs her. With growing sadness and understanding, she

finally agrees (Violetta, Giorgio: Dite alla giovine-"Say it to your child") and says
goodbye. Giorgio gives her a kiss on the forehead as a sign of thanks for being kind and

giving up herself. Then he leaves her alone to cry.

Violetta's sacrifice is not fully understood by Alfredo in Act Three, and as a result,

he behaves in a shameful way by deliberately treating her like a prostitute before a

convention. But at the end of the opera, when Vioetta died, and Alfredo got back

everything he and his family had lost, he felt terrible.

Looking at the sacrifice made by Violetta to distance herself from the person she

loved and whom she considered her salvation in order to reform herself, Giorgio Germont

comes and asks her to end her relationship with his son, for the sake of the family's

reputation not to be tainted by her presence among them. Then the opera moves to its end

in a scene of death for Violetta, and in a scene fullS of drama, Violetta re-reads a letter

from Alfredo's father in which he says that he told his son the truth about Violetta's

sacrifice and that Alfredo was on his way to see her and ask her forgiveness. Violetta is

sure it is too late and she will die before he arrives. You hear the sounds of the carnival.

Alfredo arrived and asked for Violetta's pardon. Ignoring Violetta's desperate situation,

they reaffirm their love and dream of leaving Paris for a new life. Germont arrived,

regretting his earlier treatment of Violetta. He asks for her mercy and declares that she is

like a daughter to him. But it is too late, and then Violetta falls as a lifeless corpse.

3. Conclusion

Through my analysis of the novel The Awakening and the opera La traviata, I analyze the
theme of sacrifice offered by the heroines of practical and literary women. I conclude from
this analysis that the feminism of the nineteenth century is oppressed in every way; that
Violetta is oppressed by being forced to dispense with the man she loves. Because her
reputation is not worthy of the Germont family, and all this on the pretext that they want to
marry off their daughter, who, according to their claim, is "like an angel." On the other
hand, we find that Edna Pontellier sacrificed her life, her loved ones, and her dreams for
the sake of her children and her husband.

Through my understanding of the sacrifices made in these two literary works, I found that
the female heroic characters tried to break away from the norm of society in the nineteenth
century. They tried to live their lives as they liked, not as they should live, and we find in
the end that the two characters tended to live as society wanted because they couldn't stand
this society.

The end of the novel Awakening had a tragic end with the escape of the only man Edna
loved. Edna's dream of living with whomever she desired came to an end when Robert fled
to Mexico for work, effectively ending Edna's dream of living with whomever she desired.
The end of La Traviata was also tragic, with the death of Violetta and the regrets of
Germont and his son Alfredo.

These two literary processes are similar in the redemption of each heroine in the novel and
the opera, as Edna found her salvation and freedom in swimming in the sea, and on the
other hand, Violetta reconciled with herself at the moment of death, wishing for life and
happiness for the woman whom Alfredo would marry.