Kate Chopin The Awakening Analysis - 1114 Words

Kate Chopin –The Awakening Edna’s irresponsible quest for happiness The Novel â€Å"The Awakening† written by Kate Chopin is a well written novel that discusses the inner thoughts and actions of Edna’s determination to find herself and happiness. As with most women having their day to day issue with friends and family or contact with men on the outside world other than their husbands, most women do walk away with the fear of not breaking their homes and most also cave into the temptations, an unsatisfied Edna longs for something to sweep her off her feet. When it does, in the form of fresh love Robert, Edna realizes that she must†¦show more content†¦What makes Edna’s character trait of irresponsibility only that (as opposed to purposeful neglect or crassness) is that she sees her quest to discover herself as something of the highest importance. She still wishes to maintain a good relationship, especially with her children, but her trait of irresponsibility does not permit this. In addition to being irrespons ible, Edna is also very childish. , her childishness is more related to her emotional immaturity and the interest in being free to whatever she pleases without any attachment to her kids or husband . The moment of Edna has realization that she is unhappy and wants to be free is her action of spending time with her friend, Robert, whom she falls in love with. Even though he leaves, she has made her decision to live a more free life and she moves into her own apartment, away from her husband and children and takes a lover. There are serious conflicts at this point between Victorian society and she is judged harshly and condemned by almost everyone. This leads her to eventually grow depressed and aware that she will never be completely able to escape the expectations laid upon her. She is constantly wavering between her concerns for her own self-development and realization and the more petty concerns of what others around her think and how she is perceived. This conflict is never fully resolved. The way the main character chooses to resolve itShow MoreRelatedAn Analysis Of The Awakening By Kate Chopin851 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"The Awakening† By Kate Chopin is the story of a woman learning to follow herself. Kate Chopin creates a character named Edna who is coming to herself about who she truly is. In the story Edna, the woman, moves everything out of her path, in a very rebellious fashion, in order to grow as an individual. Chapter 19 of â€Å"The Awakening† is the midway point of the story. This chapter is Edna’s breaking point, where she comes to the realization that she does not need to follow the ways of society. Read MoreAnalysis Of Proto-Feminism In The Awakening By Kate Chopin838 Words   |  4 Pagesperiod, The Awakening written by Kate Chopin in 1899 justifies this philosophy. Edna Pontellier, the protagonist of the story took on the challenge of isolating herself from societal norms and proving her capabilities as a woman in a community of Creoles. Despite the fact that she managed to take control of her own life towards the end of the novel, readers also argue that Edna was childish and naive, yet there are many instances in the story that can prove this to be untrue. The Awakening, writtenRead MoreAn Analysis Of Kate Chopin s The Awakening And The Storm 1115 Words   |  5 PagesTwo pieces of timeless literature that express this idea of new found feminism through stories of the obstacles women had to face are The Awakening, and The Storm, written by the illustrious author, Kate Chopin. Through these stories the reader sees an opposing perspective of mens actions, the suffering, and the hardships that women of these times endured. Chopin shows that in the times of these stories the institution of marriage, although sacred, places a restraint on true love because the conventionsRead More Essay on The Awakening712 Words   |  3 PagesCritical Views of The Awakening      Ã‚  Ã‚   The Awakening, written by Kate Chopin, is full of ideas and understanding about human nature. In Chopins time, writing a story with such great attention to sensual details in both men and women caused skepticism among readers and critics. However, many critics have different views with deeper thought given to The Awakening. Symbolism, the interpretation of Ednas suicide, and awakenings play important roles in the analysis of all critics.    SymbolismRead MoreSt. Louis And New Orleans1606 Words   |  7 PagesKate Chopin was born Katherine O’Flaherty on February 8, 1851, in St. Louis, Missouri, into a socially prominent family with roots in the French past of both St. Louis and New Orleans. Her father, Thomas O’Flaherty, an immigrant from Ireland, had lived in New York and Illinois before settling in St. Louis, where he prospered as the owner of a commission house. In 1839, he married into a well-known Creole family, members of the city’s social elite, but his wife died in childbirth only a year laterRead MoreAn Examination Of How Kate Chopin s Work1298 Words   |  6 PagesENGL 1102 – Comp/Lit Essay 2 (Mulry) Sellers, James R – 920022413 Due Date: April 20, 2015 An Examination of How Kate Chopin’s Works Taken Together Contribute to our Understanding of Her Time and the Place of Women in Society Looking at themes present in his short stories and novels, Kate Chopin presents examples of female strength and an assertive rebellion to the social norms during the late 1800s. By seeking to transparently and boldly portray the risquà © behavior of her lead characters, whichRead MoreThe Awakening: An Emergence of Womens RIghts in the Late Nineteenth Century1330 Words   |  6 PagesThe Awakening: An Emergence of Women’s Rights in the Late Nineteenth Century Kate Chopin’s The Awakening addresses the role of women within society during the late nineteenth century. The novel is set in South Louisiana, a place where tradition and culture also play a vital role in societal expectations. The novel’s protagonist, Edna Pontellier, initially fulfills her position in society as a wife and as a mother while suppressing her urges to live a life of passion and freedom. Edna’s relationshipRead MoreThe Life and Works of Kate Chopin1569 Words   |  6 PagesKate wrote two novels and hundreds of short stories. Few of her stories were â€Å"Story of an Hour† and â€Å"The Awakening†. One of Kate Chopins most famous stories is the Story of an Hour. In the story Chopin was brave enough to challenge the society in which she lived because in the first half of the 19th century, women were not allowed the freedoms men enjoyed in the judgments of the law, the church or the government. This famous short story showed the co nflict between the social traditional requirementsRead MoreThe Awakening Historicism Analysis968 Words   |  4 PagesA New Historicism Analysis of The Awakening Kate Chopin’s The Awakening is a story written in the late 19th century about a woman named Edna becoming independent and finding herself in a time when women had little to no rights and people saw them as the property of their husband. This is a new historicism literary criticism, analyzing how what was going on in the time period influenced this novel. Racism, sexism, and feminism were all going on at this time and therefore influenced it greatly. DuringRead MoreEssay on A Male Dominated Society During the 19th Century952 Words   |  4 Pagesis known that the male takes complete cruel supremacy over the years in our history. In The Awakening and â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by Kate Chopin and â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, they all convey the struggles that females faced to be accepted and to find their identity. To commence, women have been denied self-expression which impacted their daily lives. First of all, in The Awakening, a character Edna Pontellier would try to surpass the typical housewife society. For example