Awakening Feminist Essay

freedom is the driving force behind Kate Chopin’s contextual objections to propriety. In particular, The Awakening and “The Story of an Hour” explore the lives of women seeking marital liberation and individuality. Mrs. Chopin, who was raised in a matriarchal household, expresses her opposition to the nineteenth century patriarchal society while using her personal experiences to exemplify her feminist views. Katherine O’Flaherty, later Kate Chopin, was born to Eliza and Thomas O’Flaherty in St

Tyler Pruitt Mrs.Hernandez A4 Ib Lang Lit 10/23/16                                         The Ups and Downs of Edna     The word “awakening” is used to describe a moment where somebody or something becomes aware of something. In the novel, The Awakening by Kate Chopin, the main character, Edna Pontellier goes through her “awakening” moment when she finally realizes she has been conformed all her life and is now ready to do her own things in life and become her own person. She also begins to realize

1. What is the author's purpose in delivering this literary piece to the public? With The Awakening, Kate Chopin attempts to convey the process of "awakening," or self-discovery, from a feminist perspective, noting how society seems to be intent on preventing this awakening altogether. She makes use of a clear, patriarchal system within the society, in which Edna belongs to (in New Orleans) in order to criticize that very same system. As Edna awakens, she becomes more and more dissatisfied with the

the very essence of Kate Chopin’s The Awakening. This “feminist” novel depicts the life of Edna Pontellier and explores the many daunting themes of identity, women and their roles in society, and independence; all of which, during the nineteenth century, were extremely sensitive and daring topics. In a nutshell, the novel is truly about her “awakening”, which is portended by its title. What allows this is water, which stands to represent Edna’s awakening. It is no coincidence that much of her

The Awakening is a story based around a woman, Edna Pontieller, during the nineteenth century that has decided that she is not like all the additional women in her life because she questions her life ambitions and dreams and realizes that she does not fit into the usual role of a wife and mother. The Awakening begins on Grand Isle, an island off the coast of Louisiana and then to the state of Louisiana and then the story ends on Grand Isle. This story focuses on metaphors, symbolism, difference

by Mary Bird. The first essay I read was titled “Reconciling Edna’s Suicide and the Criticism Surrounding” by Mary Bird. In this essay she reveals two point of views about Edna’s death. Bird presents two thesis statements. The first thesis is “…awakening is one of mental clarity, and her suicide is a triumphant act. By committing suicide Edna is finally freeing herself from social constraints and possession.” The second thesis is “Edna’s awaking to be a decline into insanity.” Bird makes a connection

From a Marxist approach, there is a relationship between The Awakening and actual social/economic reality during the time period this work was written. This relationship is much like cultural ideals or conditions introduced in the Historical approach. Edna Pontelleir is an upper-class woman in the late 1800's who is surrounded by life's greatest luxuries but as she "begins to realize her position in the universe" (Chopin 57) one can see that her true potential is stunted by the expectations of society

In the novel, The Awakening, the author, Kate Chopin challenges the conventional values of women in society through her characterization of Edna in reference to the motif of the sea, and metaphor of the birds. At the Grande Isle, Edna swims out into the sea for the first time, “A feeling of exultation overtook her as if some power of significant import had been given her to control the working of her body and her soul. She grew daring and reckless, overestimating her strength. She wanted to swim

In their analytical papers on The Awakening by Kate Chopin, both Elaine Showalter and Elizabeth Le Blanc speak to the importance of homosocial relationship to Edna’s awakenings. They also share the viewpoint that Edna’s return to the sea in the final scene of the book represents Edna being one with her female lover and finding the fulfillment she has been seeking. We see evidence of this idea of the sea as a feminine from Showalter when she tells us that “As the female body is prone to wetness, blood

One of the novels written about feminism and freedom, The Awakening which was written by Kate Chopin, talks about an average woman who wants more to life than what was expected of her. As a reader, the symbols mentioned in the book would be striking. These symbols that were emphasized were the piano, the ocean and the bird symbolize different meanings. It is obviously meant for the lead character or author to portray something in their lives at the moment. But it could also symbolize something in