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Character Analysis: The Awakening By Kate Chopin

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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. Edna Pontellier is not Creole, she was born in Kentucky. She was a different kind of mother who thinks being married and having children is boring. Edna’s husband Leonce believes that Edna has failed in her duties as a …show more content…

Edna and Adele are both upper- class women, they are married Creole men and they have children, they both live in the Creole neighborhood. Edna and Adele both enjoy creative activity “ she had possession of the rocker and she was busily engaged in sewing, she had brought the pattern of the drawers for Mrs. Pontellier to cut out” (17). Edna was drawing while Adele was sewing, However, Adele is a more typical wife of the nineteenth century, she accepts the motherly role as she makes clothes for her children and seems to enjoy her life as a mother. Edna, on the other hand, does not share the same affections, she said to Adele “ I would give my money, I would not give up my life for my children”(79). Edna said that she would give up unessentials for her children, which means that she does not care about them. Kate Chopin uses Adele to describe how a typical dedicated wife should treat her husband and children. Edna is not Creole and she does not treat her husband and her children right. Adele and Edna were different in many ways because of the way they both react to the nineteenth century expectation “ a mother - woman” she idolizes her children and worships her husband. Edna is the opposite of Adele, She does not worry about her children and she is not devoted to her husband. Kate Chopin uses what is happening in in

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As the mother of a family Edna is expected to live out her role as a caretaker of others. However, interactions with a different culture, her confidant (Mademoiselle Reisz), and the freedom of the sea cause Edna to see her expectations differently. This new form of thought induced by her surroundings provokes Edna to take action to transform her reality. Courageously, Edna refuses her responsibilities, in search of her own self-interest. A life confined to others is not the life of an artist.

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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

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First and foremost Edna desires to be independent; she wants to be able to lead her own life, make her own choices. The way that the Creole society is built would not let her do that; she is expects to be an obedient wife for her husband and to take care of the family and home. The men in this society dominate; they are the leaders and workers. She is forced to be this mother-woman which she does not want to be. She wants to have the rights and status of a man in this society, but she cannot do that because it would bring shame to the rest of her family.

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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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In addition, the search for self-identity is viewed as important in today’s society. Thus, these confliction attributes lead the reader to identify Edna as morally ambiguous. Categorizing complex characters as purely good or purely evil is not one of the easiest of tasks. As a result, it is best to characterize them as morally ambiguous. In Edna’s case, she is morally ambiguous due to her romantic affiliations and role-defying actions, but both are immensely vital to Kate Chopin’s “The Awakening” as a complete whole.

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Since he sees Edna as a valuable object, he expects her to be the perfect wife model in return- take care of the house, be very caring for their children, and keep up with the creole social standards that he sees necessary. “It would have been a difficult matter for Mr. Pontellier to define to his own satisfaction or anyone else's wherein his wife failed in her duty toward their children.” (9). Being the perfect husband in the Creole culture it makes it very easy to focus on his wife's character and her process of self

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She loved painting when she had the time and loved watching Mademoiselle Reisz play the piano. In Chopin’s book she says, “Mr. Rontelier was shocked and his wife’s absolute disregard for her duties as a wife angered him. When he got mad at her she grew in being rude and went to pINT.” Edna was mad at her husband and went on defying him. She decided to be mad at her husband and went on defying him.

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Edna is becoming autonomous, and rebelled against Léonce, which is completely opposite to Adéle’s submissiveness and dependence to her family. Furthermore, Edna reached her apex, whereas Adéle is at her lowest in the entire book. This further illustrates Edna’s character development throughout the book because it shows her willingness to separate herself from something that oppresses

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Edna does not partake in her civil duties as a woman. It is assumed that a mother would do anything her children, but she refuses. When talking with a friend, Edna admits that she “would give [her] life for [her] children, but [she] wouldn't give [herself],” (Chopin 64). Although Edna would sacrifice her physical self for her children, she would not give up her morals or self-respect. Edna portrays childish characteristics when she partakes in an illicit relationship, despite being married.

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There is a perceived split between “outer Edna and inner Edna” that is constantly disrupting Edna and her desires. Outer Edna is supposed to be recognized as this ideal wife who obeys her husband and does what he commands-similar to her friend Adele. This lifestyle that Edna is supposed to live by cannot be achieved due to “inner Edna’s” desire of being free and independent. “Outer Edna” conforms to society expectations even if it is not what she desires, while “inner Edna” seeks independence and

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As summer comes to a close, Edna decides to move out of the family home. She sends her boys to stay with her mother-in-law. After visiting them, Edna “[breathes] a big, genuine sigh of relief” because she is once again without them (Choin 97). She enjoyed spending a short time with her children but forgets about them shortly after leaving. She finds it easier to be distant and detached rather than engaged with her boys.

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The narrator explained how Edna “overestimated her strength” (583). Most women in the period that Kate Chopin wrote in probably overestimate their strength or capabilities. Women were seen as a possessed jewel of men. Edna had been surrounded by Creoles, who were of the upper class; however, Edna was not a Creole. She was an outsider, forced to fit in with the norms of her new life (568).

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In The Awakening, Kate Chopin uses gender roles to show that society is oppressive. During the time period that the novel was written, gender roles were very strict and they controlled all aspects of society. In fact, Jennifer Gray wrote, when discussing the impacts of gender roles, that “The hegemonic institutions of nineteenth-century society required women to be objects in marriage and in motherhood, existing as vessels of maternity and sexuality, with little opportunity for individuality” (53). The Awakening is a novel about Edna Pontellier's attempt to break free of the role she has been forced to assume by society through a spiritual, sexual and psychological awakening. Edna is a well off woman in society.

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793 Words | 4 Pages

Chopin never really talks much of Edna’s children, they are often only talked about in the early parts of the book when characters are still being established and when Edna visits them in Iberville, other than that they seem like background characters. However Edna always has them in her thoughts. “She carried away with her the sound of their voice and the touch of their cheeks. ”(Chopin 95) Chopin attempts to direct the reader’s attention to Edna’s children rather than Edna at this point.

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1178 Words | 5 Pages

Edna sets personhood limits on how much she would give up for her children through a recalled conversation with Adele where Edna spoke her views on motherhood: “I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children; but I wouldn’t give myself” (47). Her statement is revealing because Edna goes against what society says a woman is supposed to feel towards her children. She would give up superficial things like money, or a even a vital thing - her life - for her children. However, Edna states her unwillingness to become a ministering angel where to reach divine status she would have to erase her personhood, who she is as an individual. Edna will not give up her self for anything.

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