Edna’s Freedom The lifestyle for women in the nineteenth century was, compared to the life of women today, an extremely suppressed lifestyle. “The Awakening”, written by Kate Chopin shows the reader this: Edna Pontellier was a Victorian woman in the late 19th century who was dissatisfied with her life. During a summer vacation to Grand Isle with her husband, she struggles with the oppressive society she lives in, and during this struggle she finds love from another man. The novel follows Edna in her struggle against the oppressive society she lives in, and her journey of self discovery. Edna makes great gains in her personal freedom throughout the novel. There are a few symbols, like the sea and the tall grass meadow, that reinforce the theme of Edna’s personal freedom. To begin with, Edna discovers her desire for personal freedom as she approaches the sea during her stay in Grand Isle. In the first quote nobody is speaking, it is a narration, this is when Edna first discovered how to swim. “Intoxicated with her newly conquered power, she swam out alone. She turned her face seaward to gather an impression of space and solitude,” (Page 31). This quote supports the theme of Edna’s personal freedom by showing Edna’s happiness and willingness to swim out on her own …show more content…
This quote is Edna recalling that memory to her friend Adele on the beach. “I could only see the stretch of green before me, and I felt as if I must walk on forever, without coming to the end of it. I don’t remember whether I was frightened or pleased. I must have been entertained.” (Page 18). This reinforces Edna’s natural want for freedom. Even when she was a child she was not afraid to be on her own, not afraid to be isolated in an unknown place, but interested and entertained by it. This was the second symbol of Edna’s personal