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Riya Patel

Prof. Greenlee

ENG 112

07 February 2023

The Awakening

The Awakening is a book by Kate Chopin that depicts the story of a woman named Edna

Pontellier. There are numerous themes present throughout this particular story. The family is on

vacation in Grand Isle, a resort nearby New Orleans. While Edna is on this trip with her husband

Leonce, who barely makes time for her, and controls her movements as she is a common

housewife. Since her husband doesn’t make time for her, she finds a guy named Robert, who

lives in the town and is known. She grows closer to him and lets him in her life story; during

this, she learns many things about herself and the freedom she always had but was never allowed

to apply to herself.

The novel explores a variety of issues and Edna's growth as a woman in self-discovering

her worth. Feminists and women's rights are covered in The Awakening. Edna Pontellier learns

more about her place in society and how other people view her as a woman as the book

progresses. “A feeling of exultation overtook her as if some power of significant import had been

given her to control the working of her body and her soul. She grew daring and reckless,

overestimating her strength. She wanted to swim far out, where no woman had swum

before”(Chapter 19). She defies social expectations by refusing to restrict herself to the private
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sphere as she once did after arriving in New Orleans with her family. Instead, she embraces her

newfound independence and freedom by going out whenever she wants to and painting more

frequently. “She saw no pictures of solitude, of hope, of longing, or of despair. But the very

passions themselves were aroused within her soul, swaying it, lashing it, as the waves daily beat

upon her splendid body”(chapter 9). Her passion for music and dancing grows as Mademoiselle

Reisz introduces her to the feelings of music. Edna starts painting like she's never painted before

once realizing how music can convey emotion. Unfortunately, although her new friends do live

their lives in distinct ways, society's rules also force them to live alone. People consider Reisz,

who is single and lives alone, to be strange. Few people connect with her, and even fewer enjoy

her music. Reisz only turns to her music for relief and passion. She separates herself from the

entire society by choosing to control her destiny.

Indirect references to marriage as confinement for any woman are made. The narrator

refers to Edna and Léonce's relationship as a "pure accident," implying that they met by mistake.

Edna begins to see Adèle, who is content in her marriage, as someone who is only content

because she doesn't know how to ask for more as she begins to understand who she is as a

person. While marriage is shown this way during this period, sex goes hand in hand. Edna

reminisces on her life as a result of Robert's attention. Edna initially refuses to have sex with her

husband as a result. Then, she is shown that love and sex are two entirely different things by her

unfulfilled love for Robert and her loveless relationship with Alcée. Just as sex and love have no

connection, describing marriage as a “pure accident” at last proves that love and marriage have

no connection in this relationship either.

As one of the main themes has to be where women have certain standards and social
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norms that they have to perform, while Edna discovers the other world, she starts making herself

a social butterfly. She is obligated to portray herself as the devoted mother of little ones who

yearn for her constant attention. As she enjoys being out and creating new friends of her own,

Edna makes herself more aware of her desires and what she wants in her life, and this time no

thoughts but acts straightforwardly.

Her liberation, however, is short-lived. She discovers that her public and private selves

cannot truly be united. She lives in a society that is too constricted by traditional societal rules to

tolerate long-term nonconformity. Edna realizes that the general world and herself are not ready

for her true self, which she has kept private.