An Opinion Piece on The Awakening

In 1899, Kate Chopin published The Awakening, a foundational piece of American feminist literature. Edna Pontellier, the main character in Chopin’s novel, longs for freedom, which is alw

ays out of reach. She is repressed by society, which has limited her choices to that of wife and mother and Edna is not satisfied with either of these roles.. Since Edna is unable to find freedom for herself, she pursues relationships with “independent” people. . In fact, Edna’s "romance" with Robert, a charming, unattached, twenty-six-year-old man, is but one of many examples of how far she will go to experience a “free” life. . Unlike Edna, Robert is unencumbered by social expectations or obligations. Edna, on the other hand, has many obligations as a mother, wife, and member of high society. Prevented from exploring who she is outside of these social labels, Edna is driven to suicide. Using Edna’s obsession with independent people, like Robert, Chopin demonstrates the lengths to which women, unable to freely develop or act upon their inner drives, will go. In this light, The Awakening demonstrates the immense importance of self-development, particularly for women in the late nineteenth century.

One of the first times the reader gets a sense of Edna's determination to be free is in the first chapter itself. While on a stroll with Robert, Edna mentions feeling free while she is around him. After she returns home to her husband, she is disheartened and symbolism in the book compares her to a caged bird. Edna, who certainly is representative of this sentiment, feels disillusioned when she is around her family because they not only hold her back, but they also remind her of the chains that are holding her back. In this way, family serves as a burden for Edna, not a blessing. Moreover, Edna's attitude towards society is shaped by familial expectations and this is something she resents. When Edna hosts company, she is described as unsure and awkward. However, when she visits her true friends, such as Robert and Madame Ratignolle (a senior piano player,) Edna is the very definition of a social butterfly. Chopin describes both of these moments with a sharp contrast, one that definitely plays a role in Edna's character.

In conclusion, The Awakening was of extreme importance to the the feminist movement. Although some might say the ending was grotesque, Edna's suicide was essential to the plot. After all, The Awakening was written to portray the lengths nineteenth century housewives went to in order to achieve freedom. For Edna, her suicide was a way of breaking her chains and receiving an independent purpose beyond her family and various responsibilities. As Edna rebels against the specific and very limited roles women are expected to play in society, the reader follows along on a journey where Edna awakens to her sense of self, her very own nature, and her ability to express herself.