Social Restrictions In The Awakening And Dead Poets Society

Social constraints were often inflicted upon women and children in an attempt to restrict them to the viewpoints of society. Social restraints are the external controls on an individual’s freedom maintained by society, and were most enforced during the 1890s and 1950s. Two examples of these social restrictions are shown in The Awakening by Kate Chopin and Dead Poets Society directed by Peter Weir. The Awakening takes place in 1890s Creole society in New Orleans and follows the main character, Edna Pontellier, as she breaks away from societal norms and restrictions. Edna learns to think for herself and breaks away from societal restrictions by leaving her husband, Leónce, moving to her own home, and having an affair. Through the help of her

In the movie Dead Poets Society, directed by Peter Weir, set in the 1950s at Welton Academy in Vermont, Neil Perry breaks away from the strict restrictions of his father and his boarding school by participating in the school play, becoming part of a secret society dedicated to poetry, and rejecting the social standards of the academy. Neil’s awakening in the movie flourished due to his teacher Mr. Keating; He taught Neil to always follow his heart and to push against the status quo. Toward the end of the movie, Neil expresses his true love for acting by performing in the school play, breaking his dad’s strict constraints, but he eventually succumbs to his dad’s rules. Neil Perry and Edna Pontellier both faced similar societal restrictions which lead them to have similar yet different awakenings. In the book The Awakening by Kate Chopin and in the movie Dead Poets Society directed by Peter Weir, Edna Pontellier and Neil Perry share comparable yet unique awakenings due to societal restrictions imposed on

Toward the end of The Colonel’s visit with Edna and her husband Leónce, he disagrees with the ways Leónce controls Edna and claims “[he] is too lenient by far” (Chopin 59). The Colonel expreses criticism of Leónce’s lack of control over his wife's behavior, and his failure to keep her in line with the expectations of society. His comment reflects the view of many people in the novel's society, who believe that women should be submissive to their husbands and conform to traditional gender roles. Due to this quote, The Colonel is seen as a hindrance to Edna’s awakening by forcing her into traditional gender norms and not allowing her to be herself. In the Dead Poets Society, Neil’s father expects him to become and successful doctor, but Neil’s passion is in acting and poetry. After his father learned of Neil’s intentions to be in the school play, he forced Neil to “quit the play” (Weir). The quote relates to the theme of awakening because it illustrates the struggle that many people face when they try to reconcile their own desires with the expectations of others. Neil's father represents the societal pressures and expectations that can stifle individuality