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The Awakening And Henrik Ibsen 's A Doll 's House

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Kate Chopin’s feminist novella The Awakening and Henrik Ibsen’s iconic play A Doll’s House both follow strong female protagonists who deal with abusive relationships, difficult situations, and self-realization. A main theme seen in both works is that of self-awareness and the journey to find one’s self while they deal with conflicting relationships between themselves and other characters. Although Robert M. Adams’ identification of personality clashes is evident in both works, his interpretation of A Doll’s House and belief that it is centered around Nora’s failed relationships cannot be proven true. Adams’ critique of the theme being primarily about different personalities being on various levels of life and expectations, however, can be found in The Awakening. Edna cannot seem to decide what is best for her while also trying to please the men in her life. While The Awakening exemplifies the personality conflicts as described in Adams’ interpretation, A Doll’s House cannot uphold these standards as it disproves the critique with prominent themes of the female protagonist’s journey to self-realization. Difficulty connecting with others due to conflicting personalities can aid in realizing what will benefit one’s quality of life, but one seeking self-realization will find it within themselves. The Awakening is titled for the spiritual awakening that Edna Pontellier experiences throughout the novel, however, it is her relationship between her and Leonce that cause her

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