George Marshall

ENG 251

April 4, 2000

Edna’s Realization in Chopin’s The Awakening

In Kate Chopin’s The Awakening a woman, whose name is Edna, is struggling to understand herself and what she wants in the life around her. She does not wish to adhere to the stereotype of women that were generally accepted in the 1800s to early 1900s. This change is not abrupt; Edna has been holding a small life inside of her since she was a child. There are two forms that Edna is dealing with as she tries to realize herself: one the traditional sense and the other the modern, or awakened sense. Edna is different from the other self because of the “awakening” that she is going through.

The traditional sense of women back then was something that was taken more to the formal sense. Dressing up and being very well mannered were important in playing the role of a traditional woman. With Edna, she sees herself as a woman who has to play the role of a traditional woman, although her "dual self" may not agree with the traditional roles of a woman. Several structures to support the role of traditional woman are set up by how the characters are portrayed in the story. Edna, the main character and woman undergoing the change, is shown in the traditional sense as being pampered in everything she did. Her husband, Leonce, who was instructed by Edna’s father to be firm and coercive, also treated her as “property”. Leonce would also think on their children as being “neglected” by Edna at times. Also, with Adele Ratignolle, one sees that she is described as being a busy, home-loving mother who would sacrifice herself and her life for her husband and her children. With Madame Lebrun, even though her husband had left her, she was still a busy and homely single woman as well who liked to sew very much.

With these appearances combines, one can gather than the traditional sense of a woman in the 1980s was very strict and not carefree. They were treated with due respect, but were under control of their husbands. A symbolism of this Chopin gives is the caged parrot at the beginning of the story. Edna feels that she is “caged” into this traditional life. One could also gather than a woman of this sense would never have any other feelings for another man. Edna was very rebellious of this, for her mind was always filled with sensual and sexual feelings. Women were also expected to stay home completely, raise the children, and take care of the home as well. One could look upon this as a typical homemaker, but in the traditional times, wives were born homemakers and nothing else. Edna was also rebellious to this, for she did not like to stay home and look after her children all the time, nor tend to the chores of the house. Even on the social Tuesday, Edna did not greet anyone and only wore her an ordinary housedress, which her husband scolded her for.

In Chapter XIV, Edna looks at her present self and notices that it is different from the other self. The “other self” that is being mentioned here is the stereotypical traditional living methods of the other women in the story, as well as of the 1890s era. This is a realization point in the story, when the main character, Edna, is starting to see clearly that she does not wish to live this traditional life. Edna is starting to see that if she does perform like a woman of the traditional type, that she is not feeling free to express herself as well as her emotions. She is also starting to see her feelings for other men such as Robert and later in the story begins to come out openly with Madame Ratignolle.

At one point in the book, on page ###, Edna looked through an open window as though freedom was something of most pleasing. She then threw her wedding ring on the floor and stomped on it. This is a sure sign of her hatred of the shackles of marriage, and the locked freedom given to her by her husband. This action is truly a devout mark in the book that shows the breaking of woman’s rights and the beginning of the modern woman. A woman who was independent in decision and mind, one who was free to do what she wanted and was not considered property of the husband.