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Social Norms In Kate Chopin's The Awakening

686 Words3 Pages

In Kate Chopin's The Awakening, Edna Pontellier rebels against social norms and break free from entrapment. Edna's story takes place in 1890s during a vacation in an upper-class society in Grand Isle, Louisiana. Women at the time were expected to get married and have children. Just like how society expects it to be, Edna is married to Leonce and they have two children. At Grand Isle also is Ratignolle family and Mademoiselle Reisz. Adele Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz are important characters, because they are two completely opposite extremes of how women should be in the society. Adele Ratignolle can be compared to the perfect housewife, she devotes her entire being to taking care of her five children and her husband. Chopin writes that …show more content…

One of the questions that I get asked most is "What do I want to be when I grow up?" When I was in kindergarten, I wanted to be a vet and go to Harvard, When I was in elementary school, I wanted to go to Columbia and be a doctor to cure cancer. When I was in middle school, I wanted to be an architect. When I began high school, I wanted to be a psychiatrist and study at Yale. But right now, if you ask me this question, I would tell you I really do not know what career or job I want to have or even what I want to major in. I really don't know what my future holds. Due to all the expectations, stresses, and time limits, I am unable to explore my interests and label my passions. The ideas of being a ballerina or going to an Ivy are destroyed by the harsh reality. My parents wants me to have a respected and high paying occupation like doctor or lawyer. Despite all that, I do know that I want to do, I want to create changes, inspire people, bring others happiness, be kind, be generous, be wise, be humble, make my parents proud, be respected, have respect, and be the best version of myself possible. But in the end, honestly, I just want to be happy, happy with life and everything life has to

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