Edna's Discrimination In The Awakening

Edna was awakened. In The Awakening, Kate Chopin wrote about the awakening of Edna Pontellier, a woman lived in nineteenth century society. The word “awake” appeared many times in the book. “she could only realize that she herself—her present self—was in some way different from the other self”. (40, Chopin) The awakening helped Edna to discard the conventional concept, and sought for the real self. Edna was awakened from her family. After Edna’s husband had conflict with her, she stayed alone and felt “An indescribable oppression, which seemed to generate in some unfamiliar part of her consciousness, filled her whole being with a vague anguish.” (6, Chopin) The long-term suppression awakened her from the meaningless times she had spent, since she were under the control of her husband after marriage and forced to take care of children. By realizing that she should find her own happiness instead of clinging to outdated custom, she decided to get away from her husband. Therefore, she was not longer going to be the same woman as others who centered their lives on husband and children. In addition, she moved to the “pigeon” which was a small house

In the beginning, Edna could not swim, because she was afraid of water. In front of the sea, she is timid, because she lived in the constrained society. She was not awakened. After Edna met Robert, she was able to swim, and wanted to explore the place where women had never been. It showed Edna dared to break a path unbeaten before, and she was pursuing woman’s independence. She started to be awaken. When Edna swum too far, she felt she was dying. The roaring waves showed that the difficulties of challenging herself. Also, she was not ready of getting rid of traditional mind. She realized the awakening might not apply to her, because it was against to the society. Where to be awakened and where to be ended, therefore she chose to disappear forever in the