The Awakening Dialectical Journal

In the opening scene Chopin introduces “a green and yellow parrot, which hung in a cage outside the door” and speaks a “language which nobody understood…” (1). This caged bird is used as a symbol for Edna. The parrot speaks in a foreign language, revealing how Edna feels misunderstood by society due to the differing expectations of Edna’s role. Her friends and family expect Edna to be the perfect mother, devoting all of her time to her children. They are not able to comprehend Edna’s rejection towards her role as a mother, her husband even calling upon the doctor. Yet while the parrot is kept captive by the cage, Edna is bound by her children. The parrot “suggests her feeling of being trapped by traditions” (Schraufnagel 1). The tradition that all women during this time period were to become mothers is what has enslaved Edna. In contrast, Edna’s husband has “the privilege of quitting their society when they ceased to be entertaining” (Chopin 1). In this case, the birds represent Mr. and Mrs. Pontellier’s two children. Mr. Pontellier often leaves his children behind as he goes on business trips or to the club, yet expects Edna to take care of the children at all times. Because of biology, Edna is not afforded the luxury of freedom that her husband has. Mr. Pontellier is a fine husband and he treats Edna well. Yet because of the freedom he has that Edna does not possess, he

The stepping stones in Edna’s awakening can be seen through symbols: birds, clothes, and even the ocean. The symbols of caged birds in The Awakening represent Edna’s entrapment as a wife and mother, along with all of the other Victorian women. When Leonce is sitting by the parrots reading his newspaper, the parrot spoke, “a language which nobody understood” (Chopin 5). Edna, just like the parrot, can not be understood. Edna can not communicate her feelings with others, her feelings being the “language” that nobody

Chapter 5: Paul explains about how unsanitary the camps are, explaining that he and his friends had gotten louses (lice) in their head, and they try to attempt to get it off. Haie tries to cheer up the rest of the soldiers by telling them that he might have got the lice from the hospital, but he is the one who laugh the most, for 30 minutes straight. After trying to get the lice off themselves, they hear that Himmelstoss got in trouble for harassing the soldiers, and the magistrate’s son caught him in the action. Hearing the news that Himmelstoss got in trouble for his wrongdoings, Paul and the rest of the group start planning out what they should do or say to Himmelstoss when he comes back to the camp. When talking about what they should do

“The best measure of a spiritual life is not its ecstasies but its obedience.” – Oswald Chambers

Birds are a common sight in most places people tend to be. These winged creatures are seen in bustling places like the pigeons that are in urban and suburban areas, the woodpeckers in rural regions, the crows on farms, and even in cages within buildings. In fact, these elegant creatures are so common a sight in society that they are often overlooked and underappreciated. This is similar to how women were and sometimes still are treated within society; they are given little appreciation when they are present and doing as they are told, but when they do not do as they are told they become a problem. This parallel that can be drawn between women and birds is used throughout Kate Chopin’s novel, The Awakening, in which its main character Edna Pontellier is often likened to and symbolized by a bird. Throughout the novel, the bird acts as a theme and symbol of both Edna and women in general.

The theme of The Awakening is centered on Edna’s journey of individual identification and independence. Chopin condemns gender roles and pleads to the public to look at women as equals and not just commodities to be married off. Women should have all the

“But I don’t want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin.” “In fact,” said Mustapha Mond, “you’re claiming the right to be unhappy.” “All right then,” said the Savage defiantly, “I’m claiming the right to be unhappy,” This significant quote from Brave New World had moved innumerable readers’ heart, so do I. Exaggeration? No. It’s the satire to the false meaning of the universal happiness, and it’s this quote which made me had rethink what do I really want and the way of living I want to choose. Because the deep influence and rumination brought by the book, I would like to say

Bird with the broken wing. - the bird was flying in circles, representing Edna’s thoughts in her ind swirling and her dwelling on trying to escape but not being able to.

There are multiple details that stood out as particularly true to life in my view. One was the nariartator that it is telling the story/ his view point main character mentions what check out aisle number. It mentions how the three girls looked. The character payed attention to how the girl that seem to be the leader was walking saying “she came down a little hard on her heels, as if she didn’t walk in her bare feet much” this quote helps you picture how the person and might help picture what the girl was walking like. He gave details to where he was and what he was doing when the three girls was doing. He mentions that “I’m in the third check-out slot with my back to the door so that I didn’t see them until they had reach the bread” this helps the reader to set up an mental image of the store as they are reading.

“They were not badly off whilst Morel was in the hospital. There were fourteen shillings a week from the pit, then shillings from the sick club, and five shillings from the Disability Fund.” (pg.87)

1) “They carried the soldier’s greatest fear, which was the fear of blushing. Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to. It was what had brought them to the war in the first place, nothing positive, no dreams of glory or honor, just to avoid the blush of dishonor. They died so as not to die of embarrassment” (O’Brien 20).

“‘Why do you say Africa instead of just saying the country you mean?’…‘You don’t know America. You say Senegal and American people, they say, Where is that...’” (Adichie 15).

Chapter 4 was insightful in public opinion, because there is a lot to say about it. The political socialization unit was something we all know, but it also allows time to look into the lense of children, I looked at this more intently because I am taking a juvenile delinquency course and we read about exposure to environments as well as the family molding a child is very impactful.

1. I would put myself in the place of the man on the horse he looks like he could be the leader, so the leader.

Book Selection #1 (from the Grade 9 Required Reading List with an asterisk): Cat’s Cradle (1) Although there are many different parts of the satirical novel, Cat’s Cradle that I would like to discuss, the ending really sticks out to me as a major part of the book. In my opinion, Kurt Vonnegut wrapped up his fictional commentary perfectly. The last chapter of the 287 page novel differed from the rest of the story. In this last chapter, titled just, The End, the narrator changes from John to Bokonon for the first time.