During the 19th century in her novel, “The Awakening”, Chopin portrays the gender roles expectations decreed on married women. Edna which is the main character, meanwhile, she is a controversial character which portrayed as a conventional woman. She is married to Leonce Pontellier having two children. She is constantly being subjected to all the pressures of life such as living with her husband and taking care of her children. Later, at Grand Isle, she experiences dissatisfaction with her married life and her life as a whole. However, through the process of self-discovery, Edna could attain a sense of awakening through her attempts to be liberated from society's standards of how a woman should act. She wants to separate from social norms that bind her to motherhood which is discomposing to the nineteenth century.
The characters including Adele Ratignolle and Mademoiselle
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The sea symbolizes freedom as it represents ample new scopes for self-discovery and metamorphosis. On the other hand, the birds display freedom in other aspects, such as speech, lifestyle, and escaping from slavery. This is the main topic of the novel as it developed and discussed the situation of freedom, independence, enlightenment, social norm, feminism, emotional awareness and inequality during the nineteenth century. The criticism of this novel has an in-depth improvement to the geographical, historical and social setting of “The Awakening”. Critiques began agonizing how the story began, progressed and ended especially the controversial ending of the story gained numerous theories and principles that they apply in the real world or to the modern Edna in the world. The story has also gained a deeper meaning from its text, actions and language used by the characters. Some literary experts relate it to the psychological norm and at the same time, the current state of life during that time of the