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Sea Symbolism In The Awakening

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In 1899, the St Louis Daily Globe-Democrat referred to the sea in Kate Chopin's The Awakening as "a prayer for deliverance from the evils that beset [Edna]" (181). While this quote may suggest that the sea represents a source of freedom for the protagonist, Edna Pontellier, the reality is far more complex. This at first creates the idea that she sees it as a way out of her isolated life. However, As her connection to the sea deepens, the water is revealed to instead symbolize both temptation and danger, leading her toward complete isolation. Through the use of vivid imagery and symbolism, Chopin portrays the sea as a powerful force that disrupts Edna's personal desires as well as conflicts with the opposing views of the world around her. Despite …show more content…

Nearing the end of the story, the sea is described as “the abysses of solitude” in which Edna will wander (Chopin 115). This phrase is repeated right at the end of the book from much earlier on, which highlights how important the symbolism of solitude is concerning Edna’s character development over time. It is first seen as a perfect escape; as a way to leave her cage of expectations and ideals, then switches to a more uneasy feeling by the end that is able to pull Edna in. When Edna is sitting appreciating the view of the sea, it is described as having glistening moonlit water” and containing the “beating of [startled] bird’s wings” (Chopin 70). By using vivid descriptions of the environment, the passage conveys the sense that the sea is a powerful force that is able to lure individuals into a state of oblivion, as they are swept away from the expectations of their communities. The imagery of the beating of a bird's wings rising startled from the reeds, emphasizes the sense of danger and unpredictability of the sea and how it is both beautiful and dangerous. It is this power which leads Edna into isolation. Through its symbolism of solitude and entrapment, the sea in The Awakening serves as a powerful force that highlights the isolation of Edna, emphasizing the conflict between her desires and customs upheld by people around her of her

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However, Edna’s excitement concerning the ocean soon turns to dread, beginning with when she experiences “ a certain ungovernable dread” and “a quick vision of death” while swimming, leaving her paralyzed in fear for a moment (Chopin 47- 48). Ultimately, Edna returns to the sea one final time at the end of the novel, overcome with a sense of despair as a result of her societal duress. Again, Chopin writes: “The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace” (Chopin 189). Though the description is the exact same, the connotation of the sea from Edna’s perspective has completely shifted. Specifically, the sea represents an end to the despair that has plagued Edna throughout the novel.

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The ocean – a constant symbol in The Awakening – started Edna’s rebirth. When she relaxed on the beach on Grand Isle, the water constantly seduced the main character. Her liberating thoughts originated when Edna first visited the beach with Robert Lebrun, and she began to “realize her position in the universe… and recognize her relations as an individual to the world within and about her” (Chopin, 13). Along with Edna’s thoughts, a significant scene was Edna’s first swim in the ocean.

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Additionally, the protagonist claims that the touch of the sea is “sensuous” in its “soft, close embrace.” This further repeating of the ‘s’ sound also shows that the sea is alluring her into entering. The author creates the sea to seem calm and peaceful, making nobody know the true violent nature of it. This is an awakening because the protagonist enters the sea, which represents a baptism, and never leaves. She instead stays and recalls all her memories, but realizes she does not want to live them anymore, and rather live her own life.

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As Edna swims into the ocean, “the voice of the sea is seductive; never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude” (Chopin 12). The ocean is Edna’s only form of escape from the society that doesn’t allow her to experience freedom. Because she is living in such a male dominated world, swimming out to see is her final expression of autonomy, as her death is the one thing she feels she has complete control over. Therefore, the ending of The Awakening, is obscure in order to emphasize that Edna’s deathis not a result of her own desire to commit suicide, but as a response to the confromity of the world she is living

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Within the painting “Ophelia” by Sir John Everett Millais, the inherent tranquility of Ophelia in the water accurately parallels Edna’s own feelings towards the motif of the sea, and the detailed elements of nature in the image exhibits the concept of a women’s inherent relationship with nature that is further perceived in “The Awakening.” Consequently, this painting best accompanies Chopin’s message in her novel, which conveys that the significant relationship between women and nature intrinsically restrains women from truly ever having freedom and independence, and therefore pushes women to continuously search for a place to have individuality. Throughout the entire novel, the sea was a representation of individuality and freedom. It was

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Kate Chopin created a very complex character named Edna Pontellier in her novel The Awakening. Mrs. Pontellier is peculiar because her thoughts are consistently drury and she is insatiable. Chopin uses many different strategies to develop Mrs. Pontellier’s character such as imagery but the most prominent strategy is symbolism. Symbols featured in the story include birds, two lovers, a widow, and water. Whenever water appears in a story or novel it can often represent baptism, rebirth, and/or death.

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This daring, adventurous desire stemmed from her husband, Mr. Pontellier, and his overbearing, possessive nature. This rebirth occurs, and over time Edna feels like herself, able to make her own decisions. Feeling alone, the “space and solitude” of the ocean emphasizes how Edna is different from the others in her society and seems rebellious to her husband (55). The freedom that

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She begins withdrawing herself from societal norms and finally becomes more content with life. After Edna learns to swim “a feeling of exultation [overtakes] her, as if some power of significant import [is] given her to control the working of her body and her soul…She [wants] to swim far out, where no woman [has] swum before” (Chopin 37). Edna develops new confidence in what she wants in her life after slowly retracting from societal expectations. Edna obtains a new mindset on how she will accomplish her goals. She becomes more determined and cares less about what others think.

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Professor Abassi wrote in “The Masculine Sea and the Impossibility of Awakening in Chopin's The Awakening” that contrary to popular belief the sea represents male society and not freedom. However when she says that “I would give my life to my children, but I wouldn't give myself.” (64) makes me believe the sea is not representing men as she would rather die than give up who she is. If Edna was not willing to give up who she was for her children I don't think she would have given up who she is because of defeat but rather because she would rather not live as who she is than continue living as someone she doesn't know. By killing herself in the water I don't think she achieved liberation from her struggles, dying for her was just a last option.

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This is significant because the sea is where Edna first began to “awaken,” representing the freedom she longed for, and it is ultimately where Edna chooses to die. Moreover, irony plays a critical role in The Awakening. In chapter one, Mr.Pontellier tells Edna to send Robert “about his business”(3) when he bores her. This is ironic because Mr.Pontellier is the one who bores her, not Robert, and the thought never even occurs to him that he could be the one that bores Edna. This gives the audience a glimpse into how oblivious Mr.Pontellier really is toward his wife's thoughts and feelings.

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As Edna becomes more comfortable in the water, she also becomes more in touch with her own emotions. One particular night, Edna is able to swim farther into the ocean than she ever had before - the same night when she realizes her own distaste with her marriage and her role in society. Chopin writes that while Edna was in the water, “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 her soul (Chopin 27)”. This

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In the story, the only place where Edna could experience freedom and find her awakening was the sea. Thus, when she commits suicide one can see how the sea was the root for Edna finding her self-discovery. Through suicide individuals can see how it was the only escape for a woman who was living under oppression. Suicide not only shows that oppression was impossible to escape for a woman, but at the the same time it shows that suicide was the only way

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The Sea - On one hand the sea is a symbol of empowerment in The Awakening. In the sea, Edna learns to swim, and learns that she does in fact have control over her own body. However, on the other hand, it symbolizes her tragedy, for she drowns in the sea.

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