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Perspective In Kate Chopin's The Awakening

317 Words2 Pages
Hulan (Hayley) Munkhtuya

The concept of perspective is a complex mixture between opinion, interpretation, and past experience. It varies greatly between individuals in modern times, yet the variance is made apparent when comparing past to present. The novel written by Kate Chopin, "The Awakening", follows the story of a young woman by the name of Edna Pontellier. It is a journey of escaping the conformity of society and realizing individuality. The novel was written in the Victorian Era, between 1897 and 1899; set in the year 1899 at Grand Isle, Louisiana. Comparing the novel being read by readers from different times reveals many differences in societal interpretation relating to familial and marital responsibility, as well as feminine identity.
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This passage within "The Awakening" created by Kate Chopin is a great example of the "awakening" of the character within the story. Some important parts of this excerpt would be the allusion seen as "perhaps more wisdom than the Holy Ghost is usually pleased to vouchsafe to any woman". This allusion is stating that even god himself is not okay with the thought of a woman having such advanced wisdom. This shows how much the women were oppressed that even God is thought to think less of women as well. The diction of the piece also contributes towards the idea of her advanced wisdom.

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When undergoing socially oppressive conditions, many individuals are hesitant to invoke changes in their lifestyle. Kate Chopin’s The Awakening exemplifies how an individual rejects societal restrictions through Edna Pontellier, a nineteenth century woman who is in a passionless marriage with her Creole husband. Being a part of an upper-middle class family, she vacations in Grand Isle, but primarily lives in New Orleans, Louisiana. Edna initially submits to the Creole expectations that limit her freedom, but realizes her current status in life is not enough for her and begins to implement changes in her lifestyle. She pursues independence in various ways and defies the typical housewife role she has been playing for her entire life.

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It is common for people in everyday society to conform to society’s expectations while also questioning their true desires. In the novel, The Awakening, by Kate Chopin, the main protagonist Edna Pontellier is said to possess, "That outward existence which conforms, the inward life that questions." In other words, Edna outwardly conforms while questioning inwardly. Kate Chopin, uses this tension between outward conformity and inward questioning to build the meaning of the novel by examining Edna’s role as a wife, mother, and as nontraditional woman in the traditional Victorian period. Edna outwardly conforms to society’s expectations by marriage.

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As people grow old they tend to realize the mistakes they have made in life and try to make up for them. These realizations are mostly internal; however, there could be some external manifestations. The Awakening, by Kate Chopin shows how Edna has a realization that having a family is not what she wanted in life. Chopin is able to create a feeling of suspense and excitement through this event by illustrating Edna’s inner thoughts, including her past, the way she starts to act towards others and demonstrating the steps she takes towards freeing herself up. A reflection of Edna's past is described in the novel in order to represent how she wants to go back to her old self.

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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.

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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.

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In Kate Chopin’ s novel, The Awakening, there are three identities inside of the female leading role, Edna Pontellier, being a wife, mother and own self. Edna was born in 19th century at the Vitoria period, a patriarchy society, women have low freedom to achieve personal goal. She married with Léonce Pontellier, a wealthy man with Creole descent. After having a child, her life is still unchangeable and as bored as before. Until she encountered Robert Leburn, Mademoiselle Reisz, and Alcée Arobin, her value of self-cognition has changed.

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Keir Nason AP English Literature and Composition Mrs. Schroeder January 3, 2018 Politics and literature are far from strange bedfellows. Social commentary and allegory have been tools in the literary toolbox since Ancient Greece, with Plato’s Allegory of The Cave being one of the earliest forms of the device. Science fiction is an entire genre that, at least to a degree, is based upon the premise of looking at the problems of today through the eyes of tomorrow. Oftentime, authors seek to tackle the issues of their time within their writing, and Kate Chopin was no different when she published her final work The Awakening in 1899. At the time of The Awakening’s release, many works strived to address the rights of women, with the Suffragette

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To the untrained eye, a story could be viewed one-dimensionally; a tale might only appeal to emotion while logic is left out in the cold. Equally, logic may be forgotten while emotion is heavily focused on. However, through the use of Critical Lenses, readers can begin to see greater depth in literature. As readers find connections through Critical Lenses, they become more educated on various topics, more aware of social, political, and even logical abstractions. Instead of failing to retain the intent and content of the material, they even can remember details of stories more vividly when truly examining literature rather than reading it once for entertainment (or chore).

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Awakening In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve experienced a sudden moment of realization, they become aware of themselves and their surroundings. This “awareness” led to their demise and created a door for sin. Likewise, the main character in the novel “The Awakening” experiences a sudden moment of awareness. Like many women of her time, she tried to follow the tracks laid out for her, trying to please the eyes of the people.

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The Awakening is a novel written by Kate Chopin that follows a woman named Edna Pontellier on her journey to self-awareness. Edna lived a comfortable lifestyle with her husband and two children in Louisiana during the 19th century. Despite obtaining all aspects to a perfect life, Edna became dissatisfied after meeting Robert Lebrun in Grand Isle. Robert sparked a desire for unlawful lust as well as a yearning for independence in a society full of conformed standards. Edna was unable to handle the pressures associated with achieving personal freedom which ultimately led to her death.

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The Awakening written by Kate Chopin, is a novella about a woman named Edna, who desires to be an independent woman and break free from the typical 1800’s mold of society. Allusions are used to show how the characters behave and are affected by their surroundings and emotions. Throughout the story, Chopin uses them to connect the characters to the plot and make each scenario recognizable to the reader. “The foamy wavelets curled up to her white feet, and coiled like serpents about her ankles. She walked out.

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Art: A Concise Way to Allude to Plot and Theme The year is 1899. Nine years previous, the United States has entered the Progressive Era and the National American Woman Suffrage Association is formed. The woman, however, have a long way to go as suffrage will not be granted for another long twenty-one years. The feminist movement picks up momentum but is still overshadowed by prevailing social norms.

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In the late 1800s, nearly all women were viewed as subservient, inferior, second class females that lived their lives in a patriarchal and chauvinist society. Women often had no voice, identity, or independence during that time period. Moreover, women dealt with the horrors of social norms and the gender opposition of societal norms. The primary focus and obligation for a woman to obtain during the 1800s was to serve her husband and to obey to anything he said. Since women were not getting the equality, freedom, or independence that they desired, Kate Chopin, an independent-minded female American novelist of the late 1800s expressed the horrors, oppressions, sadness, and oppositions that women of that time period went through.

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256 Words | 2 Pages

The rebirth of a soul allows a new beginning for Edna,having swam for her own in a for of baptism,her soul is awaken. Pg "Think of the time I have lost splashing about like a baby! reflects her awakening in which she had gained more knowledge about her self-identity and sexual emotions.(Pg31)No multitude of words could have been more significant than those moments of silence,or more pregnant with the first-felt throbbing desire,Edna sexual identity awakes,she feels the passion of woman when they are in love,is the first time Edna is in love. But such love can cause downfalls,throughout the novel her desire to be with Robert is trapped in her respective mother duties,which loved had caused her death. Her act to commit suicide and drown herself,reflects

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