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The Awakening Literary Analysis

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The novella, The Awakening, is about Edna Pontellier and her conflicts with the standards of society. Women of the society are expected to be the ideal wife, which consist of staying at home, taking care of her children, and worshiping her husband. The short novel starts off with Edna and her family on vacation at La Grand Isle. While at La Grand Isle, spending her time with Robert Lebrun, Edna realizes that she needs to become her own person. Throughout their time at La Grand Isle Robert and Edna become very close and almost lovers. A part of Edna's “awakening” is when Robert teaches her how to swim. After she comes out the water she is changed and becomes reborn. At one point Robert realizes that they can not be together because Edna is married and he does not want to ruin her marriage with Leonce, her husband. In The Awakening Chopin provides Robert with the characteristics of being flirtatious, cowardly, and honest.
Growing up in the Creole culture, where flirting is not taken seriously, Robert considers flirting a natural thing. Though the attention that Robert gives to Edna is taken seriously by Edna. Early in the novel Edna, Leonce, their children, and …show more content…

When Edna finds out that he is back in town she convinces him to eat dinner with her and at their dinner Robert and Edna rekindle their friendship and Robert confesses that he loved her and still loves her and that while he was in Mexico he was thinking of her. Robert also told Edna why they can not be together. Robert said, “ ‘Why? Because you were not free; you were Leonce Pontellier’s wife. I couldn't help loving you if you were ten times his wife, but so long as I went away from you and kept away I could help telling you so,’ ” (Chopin 116). Robert is honest when Edna asks why they could not be

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Edna Pontellier's Attitudes Toward Motherhood In The Awakening

1044 Words | 5 Pages

"You are not thinking of what you are saying. You speak with about as little reflection as we might expect from one of those children down there playing in the sand. If your attentions to any married women here were ever offered with any intention of being convincing, you would not be the gentleman we all know you to be, and you would be unfit to associate with the wives and daughters of the people who trust you"”(Chopin, 27). This quote shows Adele argues that in order to avoid a bad reputation in society, Robert should drop his dream of

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Outward Conformity In Kate Chopin's The Awakening

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.

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Edna's Characterization In The Awakening

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

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The Influence Of Robert In The Awakening

1175 Words | 5 Pages

It's evident he is not able to handle a relationship with Edna, lastly very little chance at achieving a relationship in general. Throughout the novel we learn Robert’s history with the many women on the Grand Isle is predictable in the sense he flirts with no intent for an actual relationship. This is seen in the relationship between him and Edna granted it does seemingly have more depth which could be proven by his many interactions with her. To conclude this essay, the depth that is displayed in said interactions is a very large contributor to Edna’s awakening.

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Robert Lebrun In Kate Chopin's The Awakening

655 Words | 3 Pages

Robert lays his head on Edna’s arm until she pushes him off, after he lays his head down on her yet again, Being surprised and scared by Robert’s actions, Edna says nothing to Robert, who did not think much of it. One morning in the summer, Edna calls upon Robert to go to the Chênière with her. During the service Edna gets a headache and becomes dizzy, so Robert takes her to his friend Madame Antoine’s house to sleep. Once Edna awakens, she goes out and lays on the ground beside Robert. Chopin then tells the reader, “Edna and Robert both sat upon the ground-that is, he lay upon the ground beside her, occasionally picking at the hem of her muslin gown.”(42).

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Why Is Robert Lebrun In The Awakening

647 Words | 3 Pages

( 13) (“but it is not bad! She knows she has strength, yes.”). This is in the beginning of Robert and Edna’s relationship and their feelings are new and still growing stronger. He compliments her even though she herself thought the painting was

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Edna's Roles In The Awakening

1386 Words | 6 Pages

Mother and wife are also not her will; she feels restrained and loses her liberty of being that. After she heard the playing from Adele, she feels the solitude and loneliness, it seems same as her position in this era, no one understands her and feels depress toward the people, the family she encountered. On the contrary, she is touched after hearing the pianist Mademoiselle Reisz plays. It is full of power and passion, and Mademoiselle is a woman that she wants to be, independent with alternative performance in this society, she is separated and not the one of them. Edna wants to know more about her and try to be like her, but the most essential element that a independent artist should has is bravery, this is what the pianist told Edna.

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Conformity In The Awakening

849 Words | 4 Pages

Edna tries to satisfy this desire by taking part in an adulterous affair with Alcee Arobin, a known playboy. However, this relationship doesn’t satisfy Edna’s wish for companionship as she uses Alcee only to satisfy her sexual desires. This all changes once Edna meets Robert Lebrun, who invokes a sense of excitement and love in Edna. Edna sees her relationship with Robert as her only chance to gain freedom from the confines of society; additionally Robert gives Edna the chance to have a fulfilling relationship as opposed to her loveless one with Leonce. Although the two are deeply in love with one another, Robert is unable to reciprocate Edna’s desires to be together.

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The Awakening By Kate Chopin

582 Words | 3 Pages

For it says on page 62, “She wondered why Robert had gone away and left her… She regretted that he had gone” (Chopin). This raises the question, why is Robert the only person she enjoys more than solitude? It is possible that because Robert supports Edna so much, he gives her hope that her wishes can be fulfilled. Therefore, she benefits from his presence as she receives comfort, confidence, and a feeling of possible

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The Expectations Of Women In Edna Chopin's The Awakening

944 Words | 4 Pages

I’m not going to be forced into doing things. I don’t want to go abroad. I want to be let alone. Nobody has any right-except children, perhaps”(Chopin 116). Edna’s usage of the word “perhaps” represents her hesitation and details how inner edna wants something that outer edna is not inclined to do.

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The Awakening Summary

1234 Words | 5 Pages

Edna is struggling to choose a identity between a mother, wife, lover etc. She seems to not want to be subject as the possession of anybody. She focuses on independence even denying Robert of her love towards him which if she chose to stay with him, she would be associated with him and therefore labeled. She looks up to Madame Reisz as an independent woman, pursuing her passions and doing as she pleases. "I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children; but I wouldn 't give

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Spiritual Change In The Awakening

746 Words | 3 Pages

Edna developed a yearning for the pursuit of passion and sensuality, two major qualities that were absent in her marriage and home. She became enchanted with the idea of passionate love. This is shown by her relationship with Robert and with Alcée. These relationships resulted in a sexual awakening in Edna’s life. Mademoiselle Reisz 's piano performances brought an emotional awakening in Edna and fed her need for some drama in her life.

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The Role Of Individuality In Kate Chopin's The Awakening

425 Words | 2 Pages

Throughout the novel Edna imagined this perfect life with Robert filled with impetuous passion. Though Robert loved Edna, he decided to leave for Mexico to avoid a morally wrong relationship with her. Even after returning to Louisiana, Robert abandons Edna a second time only leaving a note stating “I love you. Good-by—because I love you” (Chopin 198). The reality of Edna’s relationship with Robert would never meet her expectations due to her legal connection to Leonce.

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Gender Roles In The Awakening

1178 Words | 5 Pages

If he were to say, ‘Here, Robert, take her and be happy; she is yours,’ I should laugh at the both of you” (108). Throughout the story Edna’s feelings for Robert grow stronger and deeper, so that by the end of the novel she simply longs to be with him. Yet parallel to that growth Edna has discovered her self and developed her own identity. The idea of a transfer of ownership of her person from one man to another is abhorrent to her, so much so that it would cause her to abandon her dream of being with Robert. Though she wants that very much, she is unwilling to lose her own identity in the process as she did when she was with Mr. Pontellier.

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Motherhood In The Awakening

919 Words | 4 Pages

Soon after Edna moves out, many of her intimate desires had been awakened. She begins to open herself up to her sexual wants and begins to explore her sexuality, though she does know that it is inappropriate. In the nineteenth century, women were looked down upon for having sexual thoughts or desires towards other men besides her husband (Adultery). Despite the societal restraints, she begins to fantasize about Robert Lebrun and goes on to have a meaningless affair with Alcée Arobin, which was only driven by her own sexual desires.

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