A Woman In Kate Chopin's The Awakening

While being a woman in modern times is difficult enough with all of our adversities, one can truly appreciate the strength of a woman in 1899. The Awakening by Kate Chopin is a short intimate novel about a woman named Edna who slowly registered her individuality. In the beginning of the novel Edna was glimpsed as a woman of her time, maintaining the societal appearance with her husband and children. However, later on in the novel she surpassed her time by defying the norm and taking the “unknown road” toward independence as a result of her awakenings. The course of Edna’s awakenings was very emotional, unexpected and unfamiliar. Leonce Pontillier is Edna’s husband and according to Edna’s peers Leonce is “the best husband in the world”. (page 7). Edna married Leonce

Alcée was introduced at horse races, a place Edna felt liberated (Page 73). Alcée has a playboy reputation in the streets of New Orleans. Even though Edna had no emotional connection with Alcée, she felt a compelling physical interest in him, an interest that lead to her sexual awakening. The author leaves the many physical pleasure of their “affair” to our imagination. The irony of the word affair is that she did not feel like she betraying her husband. She felt somewhat like a women who in the moment of passion is betrayed into an act of infidelity, and realizes the significance of the act without being wholly awakened from its glamour (Page 77). She felt convicted because she felt as if she betrayed the one she loved, Robert. “He did not say good night until she became supple to his gentle, seductive entreaties.” (Page 93). Throughout the course of their “affair”, Edna maintains authority and does not allow Alcée to control her or initiate encounters. During the completely sexual relationship of Edna and Alcée it is clear that Edna was attracted to the intimacy attached to