Women In The Awakening By Kate Chopin

During the Victorian era, women and men were set gender specific ideals. The ideals for women were polar opposites to those for men. In “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin, readers are able to distinguish the differences between the women that fit the norms for women during the Victorian era and those that don’t.

The characters that reflect women in Victorian America are Adéle Ratignolle and the Farival twins. When the reader is first introduced to Adéle in chapter four, she is described as “the embodiment of every womanly grace and charm.” This description is continued and says things about how she had “spun-gold hair that comb nor confining pin could restrain” and “blue eyes that were like nothing but sapphires.” She is also a woman who reminds

The reader is able to see that the Farival twins fit the feminine ideals as well. When the Farival twins are mentioned by the narrator in chapters one, two, and nine, they’re playing the piano to entertain their guests. During the Victorian era, women did not use arts, like music or drawing, to express their creativity and individualism. Instead, their artistic talents were used to entertain others around them, which is also demonstrated in these chapters. Also, in chapter nine, it says, “They were girls of fourteen, always clad in the Virgin's colors, blue and white, having been dedicated to the Blessed Virgin at their baptism.” The mention of the

When Edna is described in chapter two, it says, “Her eyebrows were a shade darker than her hair. They were thick and almost horizontal, emphasizing the depth of her eyes. She was rather handsome than beautiful. Her face was captivating by reason of a certain frankness of expression and a contradictory subtle play of features. Her manner was engaging.” Here, the reader is able to see that this is a plain description of her, as opposed to that of Adéle. In chapter four, it is also plainly stated that Edna is not a “mother-woman.” This is supported by what she thinks about her family and marriage. In chapter seven, the narrator explains how Edna truly feels towards her children. According to the text, “She would sometimes gather them passionately to her heart; she would sometimes forget them… Their absence was a sort of relief, though she did not admit this, even to herself. It seemed to free her of a responsibility which she had blindly assumed and for which Fate had not fitted her.” This shows how she doesn’t really show outward affection towards her children. An example is when her kids fall down. Instead of going to help them up and soothe them of their pain, she lets them get up on their own and to suck it up. In the same chapter, the narrator reveals what Edna feels about marriage and intimate relationships. Edna married Léonce because he wouldn’t emotionally confuse her. She also