The Awakening (literature)

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The Awakening  
Author Kate Chopin
Country United States
Language English
Genre(s) Novel
Media type print
ISBN 0-380-00245-0

The Awakening is a short novel by Kate Chopin, first published in 1899. It is widely considered to be a proto-feminist precursor to American modernism. The novel chronicles the life of Edna Pontellier, the book’s protagonist, as she examines her happiness, role as a mother, and place in society. The novel is commonly studied to review feminist issues, and discover underlying controversies, as well as the reasons why Chopin chose to include these issues in her novel. It has also been condemned for its overwhelming use of complex sexual themes, which caused a major uproar when the novel was first published.

Contents

[edit] Primary characters

[edit] Edna Pontellier

She is the protagonist of the book and Leonce Pontellier’s wife. She is a dynamic character, as she undergoes a permanent change in the book.[1]

[edit] Robert Lebrun

Robert acts as Edna’s vacation lover. He develops deep feelings for Edna, and runs away to Mexico to try to escape his fear about their condemned relationship. Their relationship is simple and innocent at first, and quickly develops into something much deeper than he initially realizes.[1]

[edit] Léonce Pontellier

He is Edna’s husband and is a businessman almost completely consumed with his work. He rarely cares to spend time with Edna or their children and he is constantly away on business. He expects Edna to take care of everything while he is gone, putting even more pressure on her. Instead of companionship, he would prefer her to be submissive and simply do as he asks.

[edit] Alcée Arobin

He is Edna's secret lover once Robert leaves and she is home in New Orleans. Edna feels guilt about the affair, but not for cheating on her husband, but for cheating on Robert instead.

[edit] Adèle (Madame) Ratignolle

She is a stereotyped character. Throughout the book, she is referred to as the ideal of the “mother woman.” She always knows what to say and when to give helpful advice. She plays an important role in the development of the other characters in the book.

[edit] Mademoiselle Reisz

She is a pianist, but is considered an outcast in their society for her somewhat wild ideas and is severely looked down upon as a result of this.

[edit] Plot Summary

The Awakening begins with the Pontellier family vacationing at the summer resort of Grand Isle. Edna, the protagonist, is the wife of a successful businessman, Léonce. Edna, her husband, and their two sons have rented a cottage at the resort. Since Léonce is constantly occupied with his work, Edna begins to rely on others in Grand Isle for company. She spends most of her time with a close friend named Adele Ratignolle; Adele acts a second mother to Edna, and teaches her many important life lessons during their time together. Later, she meets Robert Lebrun, who is the son of the woman who manages the cottages on Grand Isle. Robert has a notorious reputation for choosing one woman and acting as her attendant each summer. This summer proves to be no different, as he and Edna get to know each other better. Towards the end of the vacation, she begins to fall passionately in love with him. However, Robert realizes this relationship is ultimately a forbidden love, so he quickly makes a plan to run off to Mexico to get away and ponder his relationship with Edna.

Once Edna and her family are back at their home in New Orleans, she is a completely different woman. Edna seems to be giving up her old life, which she believes was trapping her for the majority of her adult years. Léonce eventually calls in a doctor to diagnose her, but no progress is made as he can find nothing physically wrong with her. Her husband decides to leave her home while he goes away on a business trip. At this point in the story, Edna isolates herself and ignores her regular responsibilities. She eventually moves out of her house. Moving out of the house is the point in the story where her rebellion has now reached a new extreme. She rejects everything around her, including her children, giving no thought about the future. Much to her chagrin, while Léonce is gone, she has an affair with Alcée Arobin, who has been given the reputation as the town’s biggest flirt. Nevertheless, he is only able to satisfy her sexual desires for a short time.

Eventually Robert returns to express his true feelings for her. Unfortunately, their reunion is interrupted as Edna is called away to help Adèle with her difficult childbirth. Adèle then attempts to convince Edna to think of everything she is sacrificing for this relationship. She tries to remind her of the life she once had, her husband, her children, her place in society, and her duties. When she returns home, she finds a note left from Robert, saying he has left and will not be returning. Reading his words, Edna now feels completely alone in the world. She returns to Grand Isle, where ironically, she learned to swim earlier that summer. Unable to resist the water, she swims out as far as possible, suffers from exhaustion, and drowns.[2]

[edit] Chopin's Point of View

The novel is written from Kate Chopin’s unique point of view. She was courageously willing to go against society and her previous writing style. This type of writing adds controversy and provokes thought from her readers. It was not common to read about women experiencing these types of issues. Women were looking for a strong, independent role model. Chopin simply gave her readers her version of the ideal woman.[1] According to literary critic, Emily Toth, Chopin’s views were contrasted to the proper roles of women during her time, and her observations were ostracized by society.[3]

Unlike Chopin’s other books, The Awakening uses a more direct style to portray a more tainted and unwholesome story. She is able to tell the story in a simple and direct way, while still writing in her genuine style using vivid details. Chopin was simply trying to introduce a new type of novel into her strict society. She was attempting to show how trapped women in difficult circumstances sometimes feel and what could happen if that struggle becomes unbearable. Chopin was trying to illustrate a balance between happiness and duties.

[edit] Controversial Topics

The Awakening was probably the most controversial novel ever written by Kate Chopin. With this particular novel, she was much more straightforward. She did not hold back any of her thoughts, which startled readers and critics alike when the book was published. Chopin is far more direct in her writing for this book. The book was first condemned for its provocative story. The concept of a woman’s sexual desire is one of the controversial topics Chopin chooses to address. According to critic Karen Simon, Edna “rebels against the restrictions of conventional civilized life” towards the end of the book and makes it clear that it is the influences of her environment that are upsetting her.[4] At the time it was written, it was completely unacceptable for a woman to do the things Edna does in the book. Her previous works: Bayou Folk, At Fault, and A Night in Acadie were successful and admired when they were published. It seemed as if The Awakening would surely be a success. However, The Awakening would prove to be a different case.

[edit] Literary Criticism

Critics were surprised when Chopin showcased her different and somewhat complex writing style for this book. Most critics have condemned the book for its direct and dramatic theme when it was originally published.[5] Literary critic Susan Rosowki comments on how “Edna physically and psychologically isolates herself, casting off family responsibilities, pursuing her solitary thoughts, and finally moving to her own house.”[6] All of these concepts were not considered proper actions for a woman and stirred readers’ emotions.

George Spangler, a literary critic, believes this novel is a commonly neglected classic, mainly because few will take the time to understand the story and are quick to realize the conclusion of the novel is unsatisfactory to readers because it is fundamentally evasive.[7] Also, many readers concur that proper attention should be paid to key symbols in the book such as the Louisiana oaks, the sea, and the moonlight to discover the true meaning of Chopin’s writing.[8]

[edit] Society at the Time of Publication

It is difficult to identify a novel that affected the study of nineteenth and twentieth century culture in America more than The Awakening.[9] The book was originally published in 1899. For the United States, this was a significant time in American history. First, many new rights were being given to women. Most women were just beginning to exercise their new rights established following the Civil War. They were no longer confined to the home and no longer needed to depend solely on men. Edna lives in a society where women are supposed to be somewhat “silent” in the household. Their main purpose was to obey their husbands and raise the family. These new freedoms allowed them to seek out a better lifestyle. Chopin was attempting to persuade her readers that Edna was supposed to symbolize this “new woman.”[10] She did not fit into this Victorian style of life, and was willing to risk everything in her life for her own sense of freedom.

[edit] Role in Literature

Edna is a strong role model for all women. She is a woman who was willing to abandon everything in her life to stand up for her beliefs and find happiness within herself. She struggles with her beliefs until the final moments before her suicide. She overcomes personal fears to reach her goal. This shows what an impact one person can have on people around them. The book also illustrates how an established society is capable of change. Edna is not comfortable with how she lives and wants a change, even at the cost of harming herself, to take place.

With that said, others consider her to be a deplorably selfish character. Throughout the novel she complains of her boredom with life and lack of happiness. Obviously the author wishes to elicit sympathy from the reader on Edna's part. However, time and time again, Edna displays little concern for her (innocent) children. They simply bother her (even though they are cared for by the nanny) and she is happy to send them to their grandmother's home. Though her husband neglects her and thus she is not satisfied with him, the neglect that Edna shows to her own children (or the disgust) is simply not justified whatsoever.[11] It is written “Mrs. Pontellier was beginning to realize her position in the universe as a human being, and to recognize her relations as an individual to the world within and about her.[12]

[edit] Noticeable Themes

  • The first theme commonly seen in the novel is that of sexual desire. It is seen through several characters including: Edna, Robert, and Alcee.
    • This is something Edna is constantly struggling with throughout the novel and eventually becomes too overwhelming for her to control,[4] as her desires become her sole interest.
  • Another recurring theme is the struggle to escape from control.[13]
  • Edna is continuously struggling with the concept of motherhood, and how it interferes with her own plans and self determination to do as she wants.
    • Often in the book, Edna looked confident on the outside, while “she was inwardly questioning the nature of love.”[3]
  • The basic interpretation of the end of the novel is a suicide as Edna finally embraces her freedom in the water, releases her worldly constraints, and lets the water consume her.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Telgen, Diane, and Kevin Hile, eds. Novels for Students: Presenting Analysis, Context and Criticism on Commonly Studied Novels. Vol. 3. Detroit, MI: Gale, 1998.
  2. ^ Chopin, Kate. The Awakening. New York, NY: Bantam Classic, 1981.
  3. ^ a b Toth, Emily (1991). "Kate Chopin on Divine Love and Suicide: Two Rediscovered Articles". American Literature 63 (1): 115–121. 
  4. ^ a b Simon, Karen (1998). "Kate Chopin on the Nature of Things". Mississippi Quarterly 51 (2): 243. 
  5. ^ Sprinkle, Russ. “Kate Chopin’s The Awakening: A Critical Reception.” Ohio: Bowling Green State University, 1998. 5 July 2007. http://www.womenwriters.net/domesticgoddess/sprinkle.htm
  6. ^ Rosowski, Susan J. “The Novel of Awakening.” Modern Critical Views: Kate Chopin. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York, NY: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. 43-59.
  7. ^ Spangler, George M. (1970). "Kate Chopin’s ‘The Awakening’: A Partial Dissent". NOVEL: A Forum on Fiction 3 (3): 249–255. 
  8. ^ Dyer, Joyce. The Awakening: A Novel of Beginnings. New York: Twayne Publishers. 
  9. ^ Rankin, Daniel S. (1932). Kate Chopin and Her Creole Stories. Norway: University of Pennsylvania Press. 
  10. ^ Sprinkle, Russ. “Kate Chopin’s The Awakening: A Critical Reception.” Ohio: Bowling Green State University, 1998. 5 July 2007. http://www.womenwriters.net/domesticgoddess/sprinkle.htm
  11. ^ Malzahn, Manfred (1991). "The Strange Demise of Edna Pontellier". The Southern Literary Journal 23 (2): 31–39. 
  12. ^ Harmon, Charles (1998). "Abysses of Solitude: Acting naturally in Vogue and the awakening". College Literature 25 (3): 1–11. 
  13. ^ Spangler, George M. “The Ending of the Novel.” The Awakening: An Authoritative Text, Biographical and Historical Contexts, and Criticism. 2nd ed. Ed. Margo Culley. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1994. 208-211.

[edit] External links

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