The Awakening: An Instrument Of God

A product of the religious revival in Western Europe from late 17th century to early 18th century, the First Great Awakening was a period of religious growth throughout the British American colonies from approximately 1720 to the 1740s. This awakening was led by many religious figures such as John Wesley - a founder of Methodism in the Church of England, George Whitefield - an Anglican who preached throughout the colonies from 1739 to 1740, and Jonathan Edwards - an Apologist of the Great Awakening who led the revival in Northampton, Massachusetts. Although this period of religious high is referred to as “The First Great Awakening,” historians still debate whether or not this grandiose title is deserved.

The idea of salvation or having an awakening moment of one’s spirit is something that is different for every individual. Flannery O’Connor’s “Good Country People” and “A Good Man is Hard to Find” demonstrates how a person can be brought to their redemption by unlikely characters. Hulga, from “Good Country People,” goes from being a woman who states to believe in nothing, to a woman who loses everything and is left at a place of confusion. The grandmother from “A Good Man is Hard to Find” is similar to Hulga in that she also loses everything in order to find her faith. Although both Hulga and the grandmother seem to have their own strong belief systems, they each go through different experiences and eventually find their salvation in the characters they were least expecting.

Throughout The Awakening, a novel by Kate Chopin, the main character, Edna Pontellier showed signs of a growing depression. There are certain events that hasten this, events which eventually lead her to suicide.

The humanly gift of imagination is a unique power within that subconsciously is a locomotor to both the body and spirit to a person 's individual Elysium. It goes far and beyond our cognition into an exuberant fantasy molded by our wants and desires, reaching untamed worlds. Turning imagination into realism is denounced as an impossible being, but it 's in fact the awakening to our lucid dreaming. Edna Pontellier is a woman with a heart that soared beyond the horizons into a limitless world, forced into cage by the inevitable way of life. Kate Chopin through the beautifully sculpted novel “The Awakening” condemned Edna with a mindset beyond her years, finding meaning through her unsocial actions shunned by the eyes of others. Edna used her

As the novel progresses, Edna is able to escape from the hands of Leonce Pontellier, and she moves into a small house down the street in which she calls the pigeon house. The symbol of the bird is used here by saying she may be able to release herself from Leonce but she isn’t able to release herself from society, that she if forever trapped. In the end of the novel, before Edna’s tragedy, a bird with a broken wing crashes into the sea. This bird can be connected with the advice that Mademoiselle Reisz told Edna that she needed strong wings to soar. The connection for shadows Edna’s tragedy, and reveals her complete failure to find complete freedom and happiness.

The great awakening was a devoted religious revival movement in the 1720s through the 1740s that was spread throughout the colonies by ministers. It inspired ordinary citizen to assert their right to independent judgment by allowing them to make their own decisions about their religion and personal lives. The great awakening sparked people to stand up for what they believed in; their religion. It inspired ordinary citizens to stand up against the authority so that they could basically have freedom of religion.

During the Second Great Awakening many Americans were stirred by passionate religious movements and Mormonism was one of them. Although it initially began as a revelation given to Joseph Smith, his strong beliefs led to powerful revivals in the New York area that drew people from across the northeast. Despite strong interest and numerous converters to the faith, the Mormon community would not remain in the New York area for long. Though they had an objective of spreading Mormonism throughout America and other parts of the world, this was only part of the reason for their move west. Religious persecution, government issues, spiritual revelation, financial problems, and land disputes ultimately led to their decision to settle in Utah.

The Awakening, by Kate Chopin, is the story of a woman who is seeking freedom. Edna Pontellier feels confined in her role as mother and wife and finds freedom in her romantic interest, Robert Lebrun. Although she views Robert as her liberator, he is the ultimate cause of her demise. Edna sees Robert as an image of freedom, which brings her to rebel against her role in society. This pursuit of freedom, however, causes her death. Chopin uses many images to clarify the relationship between Robert and Edna and to show that Robert is the cause of both her freedom and her destruction.

The main outcome of the Awakening was a resistance in contrast to spiritual law which leaked into different zones of colonial life. In spite of the fact that a religious development, the Awakening had ramifications in social and political circles also. Traditions of thoughtfulness and obligingness, the overseeing standards of life in the colonies, were put aside for a more difficult stage. The Great Awakening is generally partitioned into four times of American history. The initially happened while America was still a part of the English settlements. Such religious masterminds as Jonathan Edwards and George Whitfield urged a scholarly method to scripture. Amid this period, the houses of worship in the colonies were still particularly fixing

Described as theologically significant, The First Great Awakening (c. 1735-1743) was the beginning of a revitalization that hit the American colonies by storm. It began to form once religion had eased down and preachers began to take an emotional foot in religion and increasing liberalism - Armenia (free will) ideals began to form. George Whitefield, a circuit rider who preached spiritual awakening, and Jonathan Edwards, imposed fear in people by claiming God had already chosen who get his salvation, were the main contributors to the First Great Awakening. The Second Great Awakening (c.1795-1830) was experienced across the country due to the advancement in the nation's economic growth. Preachers often spoke emotionally about their message to increase the reaction in people. Preaches proclaimed that the power of eternal salvation is in the hands of the person to decided to be saved and avoid eternal damnation. This ideals were closest related/influenced by Arminianism which sinfulness is a choice rather than a destiny in which it appealed to more people because of its optimistic outlook. The First Great Awakening changed religious ideology by promoting Calvinist ideals and individualism amongst people; The Second Great Awakening promoted salvation and damnation at the expense of the person true willingness to be saved, positive female roles in the church and the infusion of lower classes with higher classes; both transforming the methods of worship to become more emotionally

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.

Sacrifices can define one’s character; the definition can either be the highest dignity or the lowest degradation of the value of one’s life. In The Awakening, Kate Chopin implicitly conveys the sacrifice Edna Pontellier makes in the life which provides insight of her character and attributions to her “awakening.” She sacrificed her past of a lively and youthful life and compressed it to a domestic and reserved lifestyle of housewife picturesque. However, she meets multiple acquaintances who help her express her dreams and true identity. Mrs. Pontellier’s sacrifice established her awakening to be defiant and drift away from the societal role of an obedient mother, as well as, highlighting the difference between society’s expectations of

    The Awakening, written by Kate Chopin, is full of ideas and understanding about human nature. In Chopin's 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 Edna's suicide, and awakenings play important roles in the analysis of all critics.

In The Awakening, author Kate Chopin uses a narrative voice that shifts between the third person limited, recounting Edna Pontellier’s innermost thoughts and feelings and the third person omniscient, that examines the perception of her by the people closest to her while she is absent, to recount the tale of Edna Pontellier. Using these two alternating narrative voices allows for the absence of Edna in certain scenes, this allows for the reader to experience her through the eyes of the people around her, and ultimately gain a deeper, more comprehensive, understanding of the inner and outer forces that shaped her perception of life and marriage.

“As a blind man might find a jewel in heaps of rubbish, this Awakening Mind has somehow appeared in me. This is the elixir of life, born to end death in the world. This is the inexhaustible treasure…. The supreme medicine, curing the sickness of the world”. What is the Awakening Mind? It can be described to be a source that is produced for the welfare of the world. Sometimes described to be a tree that constantly produces fruit, never withering. It is the only existence that is eternal amongst the emptiness of the universe. The Awakening Mind offers sanctuary and immeasurable expertise like unique caravan leaders to those who seek it. This limitless “jewel” is sought after by the mind, which is only possible when the mind understands the truth