The Awakening Essay

A cannot be correct, because the Great Awakening did affect all 13 colonies. In the colonies, the Great Awakening created a sense that the old religious hierarchy was not as powerful as they once thought. In our book “America: A Narrative History” it says that “Every social class, ethnic group, and religion…” were effected during the Great Awakening.

The major changes in American religion that occurred in the early nineteenth century were the Second Great Awakening. The Second Great Awakening was a Christian Revival movement during the early nineteenth century. The movement began around 1800, it had begun to gain momentum from the 1820. With the Second Great Awakening; new religions were established, there were different academic curriculums, a change from the trinity to just one deity and they would touch on American culture and reform.

The Awakening by Kate Chopin introduces the reader to the life of Edna Pontellier, a woman with an independent nature searching for her true identity in a patriarchal society that expects women to be nothing more than devoted wives and nurturing mothers.

The Second Great Awakening was known as a religious revival that occurred throughout the United States. This Awakening took place during the late eighteenth century and lasted through the middle of the nineteenth century. However, this religious movement was greatly forced among the Northeast and the Midwest. In addition to being a religious movement, other reforms took place socially including women’s and slaves rights, and contributions to education.

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

of religon. More people came to church for the worship of god from their heart.

The contrast between an urban and a tropical setting represents the awakening that the protagonist experiences in Kate Chopin's classic novel, The Awakening. At Grand Isle Edna becomes conscious of her restrictive marriage in a male dominated society. Her awakening originates with her experiences at Grand Isle but fully develops upon her return to the city, where she completes her transformation from her roles as wife and mother to an independent woman.

In the beginning of Chopin's novel the setting starts in Grand Isle, Louisiana and gradually changes to New Orleans, Louisiana. During the time Chopin wrote the novel women were suppose to be motherly and submissive to their husbands. Edna did not posses either of those characteristics and was not considered a "mother-woman"(Chopin 9) and she longed for a life that she would struggle to have. Edna went through many stages to reach the freedom she wanted. Chopin used symbols such as the "Caged Bird" in the beginning of the novel to represent Edna. "A Green and Yellow Parrot, which hung in a cage outside the door,… He could speak a little Spanish, and also a language which nobody understood," the caged bird symbolizes Edna's encouragement and how she longed

Chopin mentions birds several times in The Awakening to signify women during the late 1800’s. Chopin states “The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings (138).” Chopin does this to assert how women’s need to have the strength to overcome what is ideal upon the society in order to develop one’s own identity. This employs how the cage for the birds also serves for the purpose of the entrapment that the women are in. The symbolization of birds also acts as reminder to the readers of how women are still entrapped by the society though one was able to achieve their own independence, similarly to Edna Pontellier’s situation. Furthermore, Chopin implements the usage of birds to further add how women similarly are entrapped by the society when growing self-awareness.

As humans, there are many categories in which many can be placed--some are leaders, whilst some are followers; some are athletic, while others are business-driven. However, in the midst of all these groups, there are those who believe that the other group is simply wrong because their beliefs do not match that of the “believer.”. Early American colonists believed just that. With the idea of being a Puritan, people believed that any other religion or course of action in their lives would lead to said person being punished by God. During the 1730's-1740’s, something called the Great Awakening took place, in which numerous quantities of people were re-initialized back into the world of Christianity because of one certain individual. In the

Malala Youfaszai represents the epitome of the fight for women’s rights as she took a stand against extreme violence in order for women to receive an equal amount of education as men did. She opened the pathway for herself and other women to have equal rights with men in a society where education for women was unacceptable. Just like Malala fights for the rights of women, Edna Pontellier exemplifies the definition of a true feminist in an unaccepting society. Throughout the novella, “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin, the protagonist Edna Pontellier, exhibits the aspects of a feminist during the Victorian Era by disobeying the responsibilities of a wife and mother, making her actions socially unacceptable. Similar to many feminists, Edna Pontellier chooses individuality over conformity by

To this present day, women throughout America would be drastically different and would withhold fewer rights if it were not for women in the nineteenth and twentieth century like the characters Madame Ratignolle, Edna Pontellier, and Mademoiselle Reisz in the novel The Awakening, by Kate Chopin. They shaped America into a place where freedom and equality for women is possible. Although the three women were different, they all contributed to different aspects of the feminist movement. Each character represents a distinct type of woman that strongly relates to the progressive stages of the great feminist movement in America.

    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.

The birds are the major symbolic images from the very beginning of the novel: "A green and yellow parrot, which hung in a cage outside the door, kept repeating over and over: `Allez vous-en! Allez vous-en! Sapristi! That's all right!'" (Chopin pp3) In The Awakening, caged birds represent Edna's entrapment. She is caged as a wife and mother; she is never expected to actually be able to think and make decisions for herself. The caged birds also symbolize the entrapment of Victorian women in general since their movements are limited by the rules of the society that they live in. Just

This is represented by Madame Lebrun's parrot and mocking-bird. Mr. Pontellier is annoyed by the birds' incessant chatter. However, "they had the right to make all the noise they wished" (43). Edna is caged, and she is doing what ever she can to be free within her limits. Mr. Pontellier is upset by his wife's struggles for freedom. She allows herself to fall in love with Robert, and purchases her own house, despite the wishes of her husband. Just as the birds have no concern that their singing may bother those outside their cage, so Edna does not care that her actions may negatively affect others. Just before Edna kills herself, she sees a "bird with a broken wing...beating the air above, reeling, fluttering, circling disabled down, down to the water" (175). Edna is this bird; disabled and heading to her death in the water. Her freedom is not total, and causes her death.