Feminism in “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin The name of Kate Chopin is now associated with rise of feminist literature in America, even though The Awakening has only impacted minds of many people, long time after it was being written. Along with Virginia Wolf, shes rightly considered to be the forerunner of womens liberation movement in America, at the turn of the twentieth century. The Awakening is Chopins most important work. Even though, she used to promote feminist ideas in her earlier short stories, her socio-political stance was never been considered as posing danger to the foundations of American contemporary society, before publication of this novel. Chopins novel is largely autobiographical. It is the story of highly intelligent and independent Edna Pontellier in search of her suppressed identity.
After having been married for many years, Edna realizes that her whole life was nothing but following the behavioral pattern, which society has imposed on her. Ednas husband Leonce loves her, but it doesnt prevent him from thinking of her as certain commodity. He takes care of his business, without being able to spend much time with her. As time passes by, Edna realizes that shes not being only emotionally deprived her immediate sexual desires are left without satisfaction, as well. This leads her to consider having an affair on the side. Edna gets romantically involved with Robert Lebrun, the son of Madame Lebrun, who owns holiday resort, where Edna used to spend summers.
The Essay on Female Characters In Chopins Awakening
... strength and expansion as an The Awakening by Kate Chopin introduces the reader to the life of Edna Pontellier, a woman with an ... was a second I enjoyed and connected to The Awakening. I am at ... I had the responsibilities that Edna has. Edna's journey is also more difficult because it occurred during the time period where a woman ...
Gradually, their sensual affair grows into something bigger Edna realizes herself being in love with Robert. Yet, their love cannot be fulfilled, in full sense of this word, because two lovers are bounded by the principles of conventional morality. After leaving the resort, Edna finds herself being increasingly withdrawn from her matrimonial duties. Back in New Orleans, Edna begins to take lengthy walks, while trying to figure out whether shes destined to find earthly happiness. She also becomes increasingly attracted to music and art. With help of her voluntary mentor Mademoiselle Reisz, Edna becomes aware of many beautiful things that she never thought existed.
Pursuing intellectual activities also stimulates Ednas animalistic instincts. At last, she understands that she better take from life all that it can offer. There are an unmistaken Renaissance motives in her newly discovered vision of the world. Nothing is immoral and shameful as long as its natural. Edna comes to the conclusion that only three things in this world have the property of moral prerogative health, beauty and intelligence: In short, Mrs. Pontellier was beginning to realize her position in the universe as a human being, and to recognize her relations as an individual to the world within and about her. This may seem like a ponderous weight of wisdom to descend upon the soul of a young woman of twenty-eightperhaps more wisdom than the Holy Ghost is usually pleased to vouchsafe to any woman (Chopin, Chapter VI).
This signifies the beginning of Ednas awakening. Still, for the people who surround her, she appears to be as simply acting in socially unresponsive manner. This results in many filthy rumors about Edna, beginning to circulate the city. It spoils Ednas pleasure from taking control over her true nature Gradually, Ednas awaken sensuality prompts her to strive towards the realization of her emotional attachment to Robert. Yet, the irony here lies in the fact that the same person, who helped Edna getting rid of her moral superstitions, backs down when he realizes that Ednas is being serious about wanting to spend the rest of her life with him. Chopin wants to show us that womens conventional morality is only skin deep, despite that majority of people think otherwise At the time The Awakening was written, womans sexuality used to be considered as only the attributive factor. Chopin shows us woman as highly sexual creature – men are being sexual only from time to time, while women are always sexual. Women subconsciously strive towards sexual tension in their relations with men.
The Essay on The Differences Between Adele And Edna In Chopins The Awakening
The Differences Between Adele and Edna in Chopin's The Awakening The characters of Edna Pontellier and Adele Ratignolle in Kate Chopin's Awakening represent two psychologically different types of women, as seen in 19th century those that were content with the traditional role of housewives, subscribed to them by the society, and the small minority of predecessors of modern feminism, whose ...
Instead of opening itself up to Edna, Robert acts very manly he indulges in intellectualizing, he tries to rise above his emotions, in order to analyze them. The ultimate feminist gesture, on the part of Chopin in her novel, is that she shows Robert as being much more feminine under the weight of circumstances then Edna, unlike her, he proves himself being unable to break away from the ties of society. In the end, we see Edna as fully awaken individual she realizes that beauty often coexists with ugliness and courage with cowardice. Even though, Ednas well developed intuition allows her to foresee events; it renders her powerless to alter their course. As time goes by, she begins to consider herself as having only one goal to attain freedom. Every step which she took toward relieving herself from obligations added to her strength and expansion as an individual. She began to look with her own eyes; to see and to apprehend the deeper undercurrents of life.
No longer was she content to feed upon opinion when her own soul had invited her (Chopin, Chapter XX).
In a way, Ednas transition can be compared to the mental evolution of Nietzschean Zaratustra from being child, through becoming man, towards realizing itself as lion. The closer we get to the end of the novel, the more we can find allegorical observations in it. Author continuously refers to birds that fly freely over the head This corresponds with Ednas mounting desire to become free. She returns back to Grand Isle, where she first fell in love, and simply swims away into the sea. She cant find more radical way to deal with impossible odds, but a suicide.
As she swims towards her fate, shes being dawned: The years that are gone seem like dreamsif one might go on sleeping and dreamingbut to wake up and findoh! well! Perhaps it is better to wake up after all, even to suffer, rather than to remain a dupe to illusions all ones life. (Chopin, Chapter XXXVIII).
It wasnt very hard to foresee that Ednas life was going to end up tragically, from very beginning of The Awakening. This is due to the fact that socio-political realities in America at the time, allowed women very little freedom. The puritan morality still remains a factor that accounts for the whole states in America to vote against progress. Even now we have Bible thumpers that accuse women of being carriers of original sin.
The Essay on Of Men And Mice – Is loneliness mans greatest enemy?
Loneliness is a state of being alone in sadness, resulting from being forsaken or abandoned. As I understand it, loneliness is when a person has no one to talk to, no one to confide in, nor anyone to keep companionship with. Loneliness also makes a person slip into a desolate state, which they try to conceal under a tough image, and is an emotion even the strongest cannot avoid. In his novel, Of ...
Therefore, the outcome of Chopins novel could hardly be positive. Nevertheless, Ednas tragedy can be viewed as metaphysical victory of liberated individual over outdated social concepts. In my opinion, it is wrong to evaluate The Awakening from purely feminist prospective, as it filled with ideas of universal importance. Edna doesnt strive towards pursuing excellence in the fields of science or art, while being opposed by retrogrades. She simply wants to attain happiness with a man she loves. This can hardly account for something revolutionary, on her part.
Her desire is totally natural the only manly thing about her is the strength of her character The first critics of Chopins novel used to point out at its anti-Christian spirit. We can only speculate now about the risk that Chopin was undertaking, by making The Awakening available to the public. This novel can be viewed as representing the true feminist idea, which is not tainted by pathological drives to act and live like a man. We wrongly associate womens liberation movement with their burning desire to be allowed to wear mens pants, while its something absolutely different. I think that Chopins novel is better viewed along with other great writings of contemporary era. It was written in time when Western civilization began liberating itself from the poison of Christianity.
We associate this period now with an unrestricted expansion of philosophical thought and rapid progress in all fields of science. Only later feminism has obtained its classical definition, therefore Kate Chopin fits more under description of humanist thinker then hysterical proponent of universal equality. The Awakening is a great work of truly great individual.
