Opposing Forces In Kate Chopin's The Awakening

Megan Brochetti

Mrs. Schroeder

AP Literature and Composition

December 28, 2017

1991 Prompt

Kate Chopin, author of The Awakening, uses two contrasting places to represent opposing forces in her novel. The protagonist of the novel, Edna Pontellier, faces an internal struggle of attempting to balance her responsibilities as a woman in high society while pursuing her personal passions and desires. Throughout the novel, this conflict causes Edna to be pulled in two different directions, which are represented by the two major settings. The setting of Grand Isle, especially the sea itself, is used to symbolize Edna’s individuality and her growing sense of identity as an independent woman. On the other hand, the city of New Orleans embodies the

After spending time with some of the residents, Edna realizes “a characteristic which distinguished them and which impressed Mrs. Pontellier most forcibly was their entire absence of prudery.” While on the island, Edna witnesses a freedom of expression she had never experienced before. The intimate relationships Enda develops on the island, for instance her friendships with Madame Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz, help her come to many personal realizations that spark change within her. The relaxed atmosphere of Grand Isle fosters Edna’s awakening and offers her lots of leisure time to reflect on her life. This directly contrasts with the hectic domestic life that Edna and Leonce have back at their home on Esplanade Street in New Orleans. This house and lifestyle perfectly fits society’s expectations for what married life should be like. Here, Edna is faced with her domestic responsibilities like her marriage and children. At Grand Isle, the sea provided Edna with a sense of freedom and escape. While swimming, Edna was able to contemplate her life and realize her true passions and desires. It becomes evident that she no longer cares about abiding by the rules of society, and longs

While in the ocean, she experiences “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 soul.” Learning to swim teaches Edna to gain control over her own body and see herself as more than just a possession of her husband. One night, Edna becomes intoxicated with her newfound power and overestimates her skill by swimming too far out into the sea. The “vision of death” Edna experiences foreshadows the danger of her reckless decisions she makes that rebel against societal norms. The sea is also symbolic of Edna’s isolation from the rest of her community. While reflecting on her life, Edna reveals that “Even as a child, she had lived her own small life all within herself. At a very early period she had apprehended instinctively the dual life- the outward existence which conforms, the inward life that questions.” As a reaction to the oppression of gender roles that Edna grew up with, she developed an outward persona that conforms with societal expectations for women. While at Grand Isle, Edna begins the quest to find her true self, or “inner life” as she puts