Symbolism In Kate Chopin's The Awakening

The story, The Awakening, is about Edna Pontellier’s internal conflict between her desire for independence and her need to remain a high-class member of society. When away on summer vacation Edna has the realization that she has control of her own life and begins to focus on her self and not what others think. During her awakening, Edna is faced with much resilience from her husband and friends and instead of becoming someone she is not, Edna Pontellier ends her own life as she sees it is her only option. The author, Kate Chopin, uses many characters to exemplify the conflicting ideals emerging in Edna; particularly Madame Ratignolle acts as a foil to Edna’s newfound persona, instead symbolizing the conservation of a traditional

Kate Chopin is best known for her novel, The Awakening, published in 1899. After its publication, The Awakening created such uproar that its author was alienated from certain social circles in St. Louis. The novel also contributed to rejections of Chopin's later stories including, "The Story of An Hour" and "The Storm." The heavy criticism that she endured for the novel hindered her writing. The male dominated world was simply not ready for such an honest exploration of female independence, a frank cataloguing of a woman's desires and her search for fulfillment outside of the institution of marriage.

Ranging from caged parrots to the meadow in Kentucky, symbols and settings in The Awakening are prominent and provide a deeper meaning than the text does alone. Throughout The Awakening by Kate Chopin, symbols and setting recur representing Edna’s current progress in her awakening. The reader can interpret these and see a timeline of Edna’s changes and turmoil as she undergoes her changes and awakening.

For a person to be awakened, he or she must go through an experience that causes a sudden enlightenment in the area surrounding them. In the fictional novel The Awakening, written by Kate Choppin, the reader is taken along on the journey of a woman by the name of Edna Pontellier, who is trying to break free of the social guidelines of her time period. Mrs. Pontellier, the wife to a wealthy business man by the name of Leonce, begins to experience change not only with her physical wants but her mental desires as well. This unheard of change that Edna is going through truly is her awakening, is well described by the title of the book, and has an impact on her loved ones around her.

Kate Chopin’s The Awakening controversial protagonist - Edna Pontellier - lives a personally unsatisfying life with her idealistically perfect husband; a marriage that exists solely on the satisfaction of the Creole society they live in. In the beginning of the novel, she starts to struggle with the dominance of her outer identity that consists of how everyone sees her as the beautiful wife to a perfect, rich husband. But, when she is alone or with Robert, she begins to self-reflect on her inner identity that consists of how she sees herself and the new, rebellious freedoms that she desires. In The Awakening, the frequent symbolization of birds and the manner with how Edna interacts with music and the different men in her life illustrates

This is the point in the story where Edna starts listening to her voices inside her gives into her inner desires. She continues to struggle with the fact that she married out of convenience and she has two sons that she really does not want to mother as well as the fact that she loves being an artist. In chapter x, Edna goes to the sea only to realize that all her swimming lesson had finally paid off that summer and she was swimming. Chopin describes this even like a baby finally getting enough confidence to walk and the baby walks realizing its own strength and power. While swimming, she soon gets tired and has quick feeling overcome her of the possibility of drowning but quickly swims back to shore. She has conquered her greatest fear and now feels like a new woman that is no longer afraid of her true feelings. Edna’s affair with Robert continues and he eventually leaves Grand Isle and her and her family returns home.

The ocean, represented in Chopin’s novel, underscores liberation through nonconformity and independence, but also destruction through its solitude and waves of uncontrollable power. For instance, when Edna embarks on a boat excursion to the Chênière Caminada for mass, Chopin reveals that Edna felt as if “she were being borne away from some anchorage which had held her fast, whose chains had been loosening...leaving her free to drift whithersoever she chose to set her sails” (Chopin 34). Thus, Edna’s first outing away from the Grand Isle serves to awaken her in the sense of sailing away from the limitations of societal norms in which she feels trapped. This is further underscored through Chopin’s symbolic use of an anchor, as it represents the heavy weight of which Edna feels burdened by societal customs. In addition, Edna reveals to Robert that she has “been seeing the waves and the white beach of Grand Isle” (Chopin 100) while he was away in Mexico. Waves are often associated with uncontrolled activity; as such, the ones of which Edna speaks of may symbolize that her rebellion against

In Kate Chopin’s novel, The Awakening a wife and a mother of two, Edna Pontellier, discovers her desires as a woman to live life to the fullest extent and to find her true self. Eventually, her discovery leads to friction between friends, family, and the dominant values of society. Through Chopin's use of Author’s craft and literary elements, the readers have a clear comprehension as to what the author is conveying.

"I lay thinking , 'I am safe. There is the corner of the bedroom door and the friendly furniture. There is the tree of life in the garden and the wall with the green moss. The barrier of the cliffs and the high mountains. And the barrier of the sea. I am safe. I am safe from strangers" (16).

Kate Chopin's, The Awakening, utilizes symbols and character relationships to display how Edna, the protagonist, strives to find herself. This desire leads to conflict as it interferes with Edna's marriage, state, and overall self-destruction in the novel. Constantly at war with these issues, Edna loses focus geared towards piecing together her self-identity. One line from The Awakening is significant in delivering Chopin's message of having the courage to defy society and its established conventions. This is seen when Mademoiselle Reisz states, “…[t]he bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings.” This line sheds light onto how Edna's strength must be greater than that of her family's, who keep her grounded to the set laws of society. Chopin voices her message, regarding Edna and her situation, through the quote's distinct meaning, characters, and symbols.

Kate Chopin's The Awakening is truly a novel that stands out from the rest. From the moment it was published, it has been caused women to examine their beliefs. The fact that The Awakening was shunned when first published, yet now taught in classrooms across the country is proof that The Awakening is full of rebellious and controversial ideas.

An active ingredient in Edna’s awakening is the ocean: “The stress of everyday life melts away, and your whole self benefits” (Balance). Edna begins to find a sense of self confidence in herself as she realizes and accepts the fact she is different than society’s expectations. The ocean is Edna’s comfort spot; the only place she feels happiness and support. When Edna learns to swim, it signifies her independence. She has begun to think and listen to herself at this point about what she likes and wants. Chopin describes Edna’s first swim: “She turned her face seaward and to gather in an impression of space and solitude, which the vast expanse of water… As she swam she seemed to be reaching out for the unlimited in which to lose herself,” (Chapter 10). Her description of ‘reaching out for the unlimited’ expresses her awakening and being in touch with her freedom and independence. With this independence, Edna realizes her house does not feel like a home, she is not happy in her marriage, and she is very artistic and different from the rest. Even though Edna begins to feel her own true feelings, she also knows it is forbidden for a woman to express herself in such ways she is beginning to find in herself. This realization brings Edna to believe she will never be able to fit in with the rest of the people in her society; therefore, never being able to express her full

Throughout the “Awakening” by Kate Chopin, has a much deeper meaning in the story, and it is shown by symbolism. These symbolic elements make the connection between Edna’s world, and her eventual awaking more effective. There are three common symbols that are used in the story are birds, houses, and the ocean and each means something different in the context of the story. The nature has an important impact, the birds represent freedom and the ability to fly but are also symbols for something that is strong yet gentle. Houses are where one resides and thus are reflections on the soul of the inhabitant. Edna has different homes is important because they reflect her changing state of mind. The ocean symbolizes freedom and the represents death

Nineteenth century, a century that urged women to attain a sense of self awareness and dignity. The Awakening, published in 1899, was labeled as morbid, disagreeable, and vulgar, which then went through a massive controversy that led to the book being widely condemned. “Modern critics praise The Awakening for its daring treatment of traditional gender roles as they were defined at the turn of the century, and for its exploration of a woman's search for self-fulfillment.” states Suzanne D. Green. Kate Chopin deliberately uses the theme of individualism vs. society to explain how the protagonist (Edna) rebels against society while incorporating still incorporating her antithesis, Madame

In the novel The Awakening, Kate Chopin (2005) uses deep symbolism to show how the main character, Edna Pontellier, discovers her own independence in the society in which she lived. Edna was a traditional mother and wife seeking freedom and independence throughout her adult life. Chopin portrays Edna as being a rebel against her own life. The story takes place in the 1960s when women were to follow certain rules made by the society they lived in. Chopin also foreshadows the things that occur in Edna’s life through nature and death itself. Based on the many ways Chopin uses symbolic meanings through the novel, we can see the events of Edna’s life as one that rebels against society. Throughout this novel, Chopin proves that Edna’s actions