ipl-logo

The Awakening Feminism Analysis

1581 Words7 Pages

In the novel, The Awakening written by Kate Chopin serves the epitome of feminist equality. Kate Chopin delivers a taboo message of woman’s independence and the role of woman undermined during the 19th century. The novel was banned until the 20 century, it was released to be read by modern society. Kate Chopin ends Edna Pontellier life at the end of the novel, inadvertently bewildering the readers to perceive her death’s whether as failure to complete her convention or victory to break away from restrains of a society dominated by man. Edna’s gradual awakening is mainly influence by Adele Ratingnolle, Robert Lebrun and Mariequita. Edna Pontellier ends her life as the final awakening representing her victory to achieve strength and independence, …show more content…

Kate Chopin creates a contrast between the two characters, one who is a feminist, and other who is a anti-feminist. "In short Mrs. Pontellier was not a mother woman" (pg 51) while on the other hand “Adele Ratignolle is the epitome of a matronly figure" (pg 58). Adele motherly behavior show who the person Edna should strived to become. Because of the openly manner culture of the Creole community, Adele share her true experiences as a role of a mother. “They were women who idolized their children, worshipped their husbands, and esteemed it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels.” (pg 40) Edna finds the role of a mother being lackluster and only impeding her from awakening her inner consciousness. She realizes it would only bring her imprisonment and the lack of independence. She denies the role of a mother to carry out duties and responsibilities for her family rather pursue her dreams she longed for. While at Grand Isle while sitting on the front porch, Adele is sewing winter clothes for her children, although winter is far ahead. It shows her loving care toward her children. Adele even mentions to sew winter clothes for Edna’s children. Edna “could not see the use of

Show More
Related
799 Words | 4 Pages

Edna and Adele are friends who are different because of their the way they were brought up. Adele is a wife who always obeys her husband no mater what. Edna is a woman who strays from her husband and does not listen to her husband very often. Chopin uses Adele to emphasize the differences between her and Edna. Since Edna Pontellier is not a

Read More
1266 Words | 6 Pages

The most rewarding attributes of this experience for Edna would be the feeling of satisfaction of conquering something in a world where woman are seen as nothing; much like a child’s excitement at their newly gained knowledge. In Chopin’s own word she describes “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” (page27). Although she is not ashamed of who she is becoming there is still a need to hide which is greatly caused by her surroundings. This can be seen when Edna takes her turn reading a shared book that has been passed around the cottages. Reading this book left her wonderstruck

Read More
794 Words | 4 Pages

The awakening of Edna Pontellier has undergone the ability to accept the end result of the turmoil situations, whether it was a negative or positive, it revealed Edna’s heroism. Despite Edna Pontellier’s nature of her particular situation (time period of the late 1800s) she expressed a great sum of bravery and valor. Edna Pontellier was a hero of her own

Read More
825 Words | 4 Pages

Edna fully understands that society would brand her as a terrible woman, but she does not view herself as a bad person. There is an external and internal difference that Edna hopes to one day reconcile. Chopin, instead of creating tension within Edna, created tension within the society and Edna with her newfound independence does not mind how society classifies her. Decisively, it can be concluded that the tension between outward conformity and inward questioning builds the meaning of the novel by examining Edna’s role as a wife, mother, and as nontraditional woman in the traditional Victorian period.

Read More
467 Words | 2 Pages

Some of Edna’s most obvious decisions immediately question her weakness to handle pressure. Edna’s inability to show compassion and care for her children challenge this normalcy for a mother of the time period; Edna considered her children “like antagonists who had overcome her; who had overpowered and sought to drag her into the soul's slavery for the rest of her days” (Chopin 115). The children almost seemed like a burden, or a detriment to her. Edna’s doctor visit nearly foreshadows this mindset, where the doctor notes that

Read More
1186 Words | 5 Pages

In The Awakening, the POV still reflects Edna’s desires, but Chopin’s choice to tell her story through a third person perspective limits a personal expression of Mrs. Pontellier’s character. Nevertheless, this point-of-view works to Kate Chopin’s advantage text because it reveals other characters’

Read More
1386 Words | 6 Pages

Adele is a “mother-woman” entirely, concentrates on domesticity, cares and praises her husband and child, and interested in everything related to her family, any individual ideality is not a public intention. Once a time, Adele is playing the piano in front of the guests who came to her party. Edna just realized that what Adele plays cannot touch her deeply, but just a performance without soul, in order to her children and seems as the ability that a housewife should possess, to please the guests and show the cleaver and wise. In the deep of Edna, to being a full-time home worker is not her will and not the individual ideals she seeking for. When Edna and Adele with their families went to Grand Isle, sometimes, Edna will put herself into their children completely or forget them.

Read More
925 Words | 4 Pages

Kate Chopin conveys the feelings and internal conflict of Edna Pontellier through using the ocean as a symbol of Edna’s awakening and rebirth, and birds as symbols of how women felt trapped by gender roles during this time. These symbols convey the overbearing and oppressive standards women were held to throughout the nineteenth

Read More
425 Words | 2 Pages

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.

Read More
1178 Words | 5 Pages

Even while in physical pain herself and needing tending, Adele focuses on children, believing that to be a perfect mother one must be willing to sacrifice anything for her children. Adele tries to get Edna to see her point of view and adopt it. Again, Adele’s unsolicited advice shows how passionately she feels about the subject, which is not her own idea at all but simply society’s rule imposed on

Read More
919 Words | 4 Pages

At the beginning of the novel, Edna had appeared to be recognizing the fact that her life revolves around her husband and her children, and that it is her main duty to care for them. It is mainly Mr. Pontellier, her husband, who tries to establish an image of her being a both a perfect partner and wife. He views her as an object that must be suitable for the eyes of society. According to him, his wife is a “valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage” (Chopin 2). He is controlling over her appearance and actions.

Read More
500 Words | 2 Pages

In Kate Chopin’s “The Awakening” shows a controversial protagonist, Edna Pontellier. The character in the novel showed different expectations for women and their supposed roles. One literary critic, Megan Kaplon showed how this novel can be viewed as a struggle of the world or society around her. Edna in the story is trying to find freedom and individuality Kaplon mentions that “one of her most shocking actions was her denial of her role as a mother and wife.”

Read More
784 Words | 4 Pages

Kate Chopin’s The Awakening is a piece of fiction written in the nineteenth century. The protagonist Edna is a controversial character, Edna rebels against many nineteenth - century traditions, but her close friend Adele was a perfect example in terms of a role of a woman, mother and wife at that time. Chopin uses contrast characters to highlight the difference between Adele and Edna. Although they are both married women in the nineteenth century, they also exhibit many different views about what a mother role should be.

Read More
1044 Words | 5 Pages

Edna Pontellier’s attitude toward motherhood is that she is not a perfect mother-women for many ways. Edna Pontellier is not a perfect mother because “Mrs. Pontellier was not a mother-women”(Chopin, 10). This quote means that Edna Pontellier is not a good mother/wife because she is not that of a women who would worship their children ,and their husband. Edna Pontellier is not a good mother because “I would give up the

Read More
519 Words | 3 Pages

Within the novel, The Awakening by Kate Chopin, Madame Ratignolle’s character possesses traits that emphasize, by contrast the characteristics and behavior of Edna Pontellier. Despite being close friends within the novel, Adele and Edna have contrasting views and behaviors that illuminate the theme of female freedom and the tradition of female submission and male domination. Madame Ratignolle and Edna Pontellier are close friends, but their views toward raising children differ fundamentally. Madame Ratignolle would sacrifice her identity to devote herself entirely to her children, household, and husband, whereas Edna would not. Besides their views towards raising children, how they raise their children also differs.

Read More

More about The Awakening Feminism Analysis

Related Topics

Open Document