Seminar in
American Literature
RESOURCES


  
Kate Chopin,
The Awakening           

ClassicNotes on The Awakening: Summary and Analysis

Historical and Cultural Background of The Awakening

Kate Chopin as Feminist: Subverting the French Androcentric Influence, by Jane Le Marquand

Kate Chopin Links

Kate Chopin: Teacher Resource File

The Literary Context of The Awakening

Literary Traveler: Footprints in Cloutierville

Myths and Fairy Tales: Context of The Awakening

Research Guide: Kate Chopin's The Awakening

Study Questions for The Awakening

Aimée C. Taylor

English 7758

Dr. Nordquist

July 27, 2002

Diving into Uncharted Waters

Chopin, Kate. The Awakening. New York: Avon, 1972.

     It saddens me greatly to imagine Chopin’s dismay at the horrible reception of The

Awakening. Obviously, readers and critics alike completely missed the needed epiphany

gained by Edna in the novel. Societal restrictions prevented them from truly experiencing

the novel just as Edna at first is embarrassed to even be seen holding one of the

“outrageous” books being passed around on Grand Isle. The novel should serve as an

enlightening glimpse into a woman’s soul. Edna expresses, through actions and words

what others fear. She is “the outrageous soul” that Mademoiselle Reisz prompts. She

changes her role by breaking free of the restrictions, which before had always made her

feel out of place.

     As far as teaching The Awakening in high school, the novel has a variety of appeals.

The novel is a fast read with balanced but provoking sentences. The short chapters lead

themselves to quick reading in stages. The content is adult but universal and discreetly

presented. The French terminology is not unapproachable as a number of footnotes offer

translations. (I enjoyed utilizing my own French to decipher names as well.) Students

should be reminded of the time period and the restrictions placed on women. Comparing

and contrasting the two time periods would be beneficial in realizing that Chopin had to

write what she did, and society had to trash her efforts. Students should realize that

although advancements have been made, women and men are still not considered equal in

most areas. Examining the differences between the North and South still today would

prove so.  

     This novel could be taught in conjunction with Their Eyes Were Watching God,

having students detail the similarities between Janie’s awakening and Edna’s. To

compare male and female roles, the novel could also be taught in conjunction with Ethan

Frome, determining which character is more trapped by societal roles and obligations.

What roles does Edna play? How do such roles change? Why? How?

Mother-woman (Madonna-Angel):

     This role is problematic for Edna. Others want her to epitomize the role, but very early

in the novel the narrator blatantly tells the reader Edna is not one of the women “who

idealized their children, worshipped their husbands, and esteemed it a holy privilege to

efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels” (16). Edna does

feel compelled to try to wear such a mask in public…for a while. Afteral, she has been

married for six years now and has two children. Yet, as she discovers herself, she

becomes disgusted by such conformity. She rebels and runs in the opposite direction

upon returning to New Orleans. However, she surprises herself by slipping back into the

role of mother and wife. Even at her “coming out” dinner, she realizes that giving such an

elaborate party with well-chosen guests is exactly what was expected of her. This

realization depresses her. Consider her response:

     “But as she sat there amid her guests, she felt the old ennui overtaking her, the

hopelessness which so often assailed her, which came upon her like an obsession, like

something extraneous, independent of volition” (148).

     In public, she is reserved, refined, polite, enchanting, playing one of many roles.  She

is the dutiful wife until she reaches her breaking point. She appreciates the materialistic

gifts her husband showers her with, usually out of guilt; but she flinches at the thought of

him touching her. She avoids him and his attention at all cost, staying out all night in the

hammock despite chill, mosquitoes, and the possibility of rumors. A typical reaction for

Edna is:

     “She heard him moving about the room; every sound indicating impatience and

irritation. Another time she would have gone in at his request. She would, through

have yielded to his desire; not with any sense of submission or obedience to his

compelling wishes, but unthinkingly, as we walk, move, sit, stand, go through the daily

treadmill of the life which has been portioned out to us” (52). [She loathes having to

submit, but she is used to the routine.]

     She is a mother only because she has given birth, and even that she was numbed to

purposely. She feels just occasional sporadic emotions concerning her children. She

neither loves nor dislikes them, showing indifference if she even gets near them. She

welcomes whatever excuse will take them away.

     Thus, she only fulfills the mother-woman role on a superficial level. This balking at

the role is really a quest to change the definition of woman. Often, when Edna is truly

behaving as she wants, she refers to herself as unwomanly. The connotations must shift

for her to still “fit the mold.” In reality, she is casting a new mold, while being haunted

by the “Madonna” Madame Ratignole’s plea to “think of the children” (182).

*Mr. Pontellier is no more of a husband though. He is just as cold and distant to his

  wife and children, showering them with gifts instead of himself.

Bird:

     Although she does not have angelic wings, Edna is described as a bird throughout the

novel. She is attempting to fly, to soar on her own, but others want her to stay grounded

Edna recounts Mademoiselle Reisz: “The bird that would soar above the level plain of

tradition and prejudice must have strong wings. It is a sad spectacle to see the weaklings

bruised, exhausted, fluttering back to earth” (138).

     When she realizes that she will never truly be free, she chooses death. The novel

comes full circle as she returns to the beach. She sees “a bird with a broken wing” --

herself. The futility of her quest is obvious. She too is an injured bird, “beating the air

above, reeling, fluttering, circling disabled down, down, to the water” (189). The “ing"

endings show desperation and unavoidable suicide. The bird reference shows that flight

sometimes is short-lived. She returns to nature’s calming power.

*She even rents herself a little “pigeon house” where she feels more at home, secure,

free.

Artist:

     Edna also aspires to be an artist. What was once a passing hobby on bored days

emerges as a passion, a driving force in her life. She does not necessarily improve her

artistic skill, but she does gain more satisfaction from the sense of control she feels when

painting. Edna also has others admiring her work. Only Mademoiselle Reisz challenges

her talent and motivation. Reisz brings Edna to tears with music and then questions what

Edna plans to do with her art.

Child:

     Edna is sadly seen as a child. “She felt like some new-born creature, opening its eyes

in a familiar world that it had never known” (189). She experiences life from a child's

perspective because she has not really lived previously. But the condescending response

from others is troubling. Edna is very childlike. “I was a little unthinking child in those

days, just following a misleading impulse without question” (30). She has been striving

to live that way again. At first she appears childlike because she is submissive. She is a

submissive wife, social beauty, a product of her time and society. People speak to her

using pet names; her husband gives her treats to make her happy; she enjoys feeling

naughty and adventurous. The men who hope to seduce her, excluding her husband only

treat her like a woman. Later, she is referred to as a child when she asserts herself.   She is

considered temperamental, immature, unfair, spoiled, selfish. She often dwells on

comforting childhood memories to ease her mind and soul, and these memories are the

final thoughts as she drowns.

Possession:

     Edna is first a possession. She is an object. At the beginning of the novel, her husband

is annoyed by her sunburn, “looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of

personal property which ahs suffered some damage” (7).  When she finally learns to

swim, others want to take credit for her accomplishment. She is unwillingly attached to

those around her except Robert. When Mr. Pontellier leaves the Grand Isle, she feels "as

is she were being borne away from some anchorage which held her fast” (58). She feels

equally bound to the children. It is not her choice, and this is why she tells Madame

Ratignolle “she would never sacrifice herself for her children” (79).

     The house in New Orleans is also a reflection of possession and power. “Mr. 

Pontellier was very found of walking about his house examining its various appointments

and details, to see that nothing was amiss. He greatly valued his possessions, chiefly

because they were his, and derived genuine pleasure from contemplating a painting, a

statuette, a rare lace curtain…” (83).

     Edna recognizes this role as a possession, and she works hard to change. “Conditions

would some way adjust themselves, she felt; but whatever came, she had resolved never

again to belong to another than herself” (133). She will not even sacrifice herself for

Robert. She declares, “I am no longer one of Mr. Pontellier’s possession’s to dispose of

or not. I give myself where I choose” (178).

     Being a possession leaves Edna frantic to break free from her prison--all of her roles

She must first discover the key to her freedom.

What are the prevailing themes in addition to self-discovery and awakening?

“Ah!Si tu connais!”:

     This song title/lyric pops up when needed most to spur Edna on. It summarizes how 

she feels and what she wants. “If you knew, if you really knew, if you only knew” then

she could be free to live and love her way. She first hears the phrase from Robert, but she

plays the theme over and over again during her self-discovery. She realizes that her life

can be fulfilling, rewarding and passionate. She desires to be s sexual entity, indulging

not just with Robert (more emotionally than physically) but with Alcée more than once as

well (more physically than emotionally); she even becomes a spiritual being as she

contemplates death by suicide. Her sexual battle cry is a wonderful secret, but she is tired

of saying it to herself. Two people hear her plea, but neither of these men can completely

understand what it means for Edna. Robert simply wishes to change her from one man's

wife to his own, keeping her to himself as a newly acquired possession. Alcée will

eventually tire of her and seek a new challenge.

Pain:

     Emotional pain is clearly evident for/in Edna. But the pain that drives her final

decision is connected to the physical pain of childbirth. The word “labor” appears

frequently in the novel, as do “pregnant” and “death”. A pregnant woman was not to be

seen in public. The horrific brutality of the event for Edna was numbed with chloroform

She regains the awareness of the traumatic experience when she endures Madame

Ratignolle’s ordeal. Just as Robert has helped awaken her sexual self, the reality of birth

and motherhood is no longer a “deadened sensation” (181-2). She could no longer be an

accomplice to hiding unpleasantness, life.

Death:

     Edna faces death on many levels. She regrets having allowed her individuality to

remain dead for so long. Her emotions, her desires, her talents, and even her thoughts

have been in a deep slumber. Yet, she awakens to find an unaccommodating world.  She

is destined to play a role until her death much like her mother. According to Mr.

Pontellier, “the Colonel was perhaps unaware that he had coerced his own wife into her

grave” (119). The Colonel believes that Mr. Pontellier needs to take a firmer hand to

Edna, be stricter. Mr. Pontellier preferred to leave her alone, which is part of the problem

She always felt alone until she met Robert. If she acts on her feelings, she will be even

more of an outcast (already not a Creole nor Catholic). She will be dead to society.  If she

continues to play the role, her spirit will die. She has already admitted that she would do

anything for her children except give up herself. Thus, her only recourse is to allow her

spirit to live, to soar by releasing it from her body.

Why is the novel more popular than ever?

     Chopin’s novel is timeless and meaningful not just to women but to everyone who has

felt misplaced, ignored, isolated. The universality is paralleled only to the Chopin’s easy

narration and alluring style.

Language/Style:

     Virtually every page of the novel has a reference to “awakening”. If the exact word is

not used, a synonym, an allusion, or form of the root is prevalent. Examples include:

relief, freedom, dream, half-awakened, natural, newly awakened, waking, awakening,

melted, etc.

     Chopin writes with a general smoothness and clarity, but interestingly, she also plays

with subtleties and sexual innuendoes. The novel has specific flavor due to the mystical

Creole references and the passionate usage of French phrases and names. Together, such

elements enhance the regional, secluded and sensual qualities of the novel. Most obvious

though, Chopin’s language is an active part of Edna’s seduction. In particular,

alliteration, assonance and consonance echo and emphasize the power of language in

seduction. First, the setting is conducive to Edna’s awakening experience. The

narrator seduces the reader into loving Edna’s drive for independence. Notice how most 

of the following examples exaggerate the “s” sound, even using soft “c” as well.   In

addition, notice the similar themes, allusions, and symbols (these are the driving forces

behind Chopin’s attainable novel):

“The sun was low in the west, and the breeze soft and languorous that came up fro

south, charged with the seductive odor of the sea” (23). Nature first seduces Edna.

“The voice of the sea is seductive; never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring,

inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of

inward contemplation” (25). Note how the “ing” endings create a rushing and reckless

sense of urgency. Edna must give in or lose herself completely. What is even more

profound about this statement is that Chopin chooses to use it again at the end of the

novel on p. 189, bringing the novel full circle. 

“The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the

body in its soft, close embrace” (25). Edna is connected to the sea from the beginning

until the end. She discovers her yearning for freedom and independence in the water.  She

returns to the water where she can experience it again, eternally.

“But among the conflicting sensations which assailed her, there was neither shame nor

remorse” (140). She no longer regrets her actions but experiences them willingly and

passionately.

“There was with her a feeling of having descended in the social scale, with a