Chopin, Kate: 1851 - 1904
The Awakening, 1899 - Information about the Book
- General Information
- One of the central themes of the novel is that of self-ownership. Also called bodily autonomy, self-ownership was a key tenet of 19th-century feminism. It signified a woman's right to have control over her own body and identity.
- The novel is a commentary on the restraints faced by women at the turn of the century. Edna is expected to play dead and when she refuses, she has no option but to kill herself. She is opposed to characters like Madame Ratignolle whose affection for her children is renowned, as is her perfect female passivity. It is worth noting that Edna does not face any explicit oppression. She is merely expected to run the house, care for the children and do her best to please her husband. Nevertheless, she finds the role unbearable. She can not give her life, her identity, to others. It is better to die.
Margaret Culley
Excerpted, with permission, from the Literature, Arts, and Medicine Database at New York University School of Medicine, © New York University. - Information from Wikipedia
- Information from The Kate Chopin International Society
- Facts
- While the novel did not win any awards in 1899, it has since been recognized with numerous honors and accolades as a pioneering feminist novel and a precursor to American modernist literature. Its critical reputation has grown immensely in the decades since its rediscovery in the 1960s.
- The novel sparked outrage upon its release, with critics condemning it as "vulgar" and "unhealthy." It was rediscovered decades later and is now acclaimed as an early feminist classic and important work of American literature.
- Characters
- Character Analysis
- How to Pronounce the Characters’ Names
- Edna Pontellier, an aristocrat from late nineteenth-century New Orleans, goes on vacation with her husband and children. There she meets and falls in love with Robert Lebrun. She also learns to swim, returns to her painting, and listens to the passionate piano playing of eccentric Mademoiselle Reisz. For the first time, Edna feels alive. When she returns to New Orleans, she is unable to fit herself back into her social role. She defies her husband and ignores her friends. When her husband leaves town, she sets up her own house with money she has earned from her increasingly adept painting. She has an affair with the town seducer. When Robert returns from a trip abroad, they passionately embrace. But Robert can not bear the stigma of adultery. He leaves her again. Edna returns to the vacation site and drowns herself.
Margaret Culley
Excerpted, with permission, from the New York University School of Medicine, © New York University. - Chapter by chapter summaries and commentaries: 1-6, 7-12, 13-16, 17-21, 22-25, 26-32, 33-39
- Female Sexuality and Desire
The novel boldly portrays the sexual awakening and desires of the protagonist Edna Pontellier, challenging societal norms that repressed female sexuality at the time. Edna's journey of self-discovery involves embracing her sensuality and having affairs, which was highly controversial.Women's Independence and Individuality
A central theme is Edna's struggle to establish her sense of self and independence apart from the restrictive roles imposed on women as wives and mothers. Her "awakening" represents a rejection of these traditional gender roles and expectations.Marriage and Motherhood
The novel provides a candid critique of the institutions of marriage and motherhood, depicting how they can constrain and oppress women's identities. Edna feels stifled by the demands of her roles as a wife and mother.Social Conventions and Repression
"The Awakening" exposes the repressive social conventions and moral codes of the Victorian era that dictated women's behavior and limited their freedom of expression. Edna's actions defy these norms, leading to her ostracization.Symbolism of Nature and the Sea
Nature, especially the sea, is used symbolically to represent the freedom, passion, and sensuality that Edna craves but is denied in her domestic life.The sea embodies Edna's awakening and escape from societal constraints. In tackling these controversial topics with remarkable honesty, "The Awakening" was groundbreaking feminist literature that challenged deep-rooted patriarchal values and gender roles in the late 19th century.
- Reader Rating:
- The Ending
- The Ending. "There’s no way around the fact Edna kills herself – we may not see the final scene but Chopin makes it clear Edna can’t go back to the shore." May 27, 2015
- Critics differ on the ending. "Edna’s inexplicable suicide, which seems to stem from her negative attitude toward life, is in reality a flight from sexual experience".
- Ways of Interpreting Edna's Suicide
- Edna’s suicide
- Symbols
- Reviews
- Review by Avil Beckford. "In the scheme of things, The Awakening by Kate Chopin is tame in comparison to works such as Lady Chatterley’s Lover."
- Review. "There are a series of awakenings that happen to Edna as she pushes her boundaries of being a woman in nineteenth-century respectable society." By Vipula, a culture blogger from Los Angeles, California. March 3, 2019.
- Articles
- Original 1899 review: "The heroine, Edna Pontellier, is an impulsive, passionate, and somewhat self-centered Southern girl." Literary Ladies Guide; June 23, 1999
- Kate Chopin, A Re-Awakening: Transcript of a PBS Program. "On the eve of the 20th century, Kate Chopin confronted the fundamental dilemma of what it meant to be a woman." June 23, 1999
- A Quintessence Of Early Feminist Fiction. "It is a story revolving around personal and sexual freedom for women." Nalini Sharma; June 14, 2016
- A novel that has earned its place in literary history. The Irish Times; April 17, 2021
- Gender and Literary Valorization. Sarah M. Corse, University of Virginia; 2002
- Edna Pontellier marks a departure from the female characters of earlier nineteenth-century American novels: "Contemporaries were shocked by her depiction of a woman with active sexual desires, who dares to leave her husband and have an affair." Emma Jones; April 2003
- Interviews with David Chopin, Kate's grandson and Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, Emory University
- Struggle Against Society and Nature: "Nature and society were the two strongest forces attempting to mold Edna Pontellier into the woman that they wanted her to be, but through her suicide, Edna is finally able escape their grasp." Inquiries; 2012
- Whiteness in "The Awakening." Claire Hurley, University of Kent