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Written in 1897, Kate Chopin's novel The Awakening, tells the compelling story of 28- year-old Edna Pontellier--a true feminist who was ahead of her time. The novel provokes questions concerning women's issues that still exist today. This Victorian era novel is set in New Orleans and on Grand Isle, "a fashionable resort for New Orleans' Creole elite (PBS Documentary)." Edna struggles against the constraints of society which requires women to be domestically dependent, very moral and self-sacrificing for their husbands and children. Edna, married and the mother of two children, starts to reject society's requirements for women as she falls in love with another man. Edna's conflict between her own desires and the constraints of society finally leads her to suicide. This paper will outline the writer's opinion that Edna's inner struggle and her final release from society's constraints is a triumph not only for her but also for all women, whom her character represents. By the end of the novel, Edna is able to realize her own self-worth and sexuality; and she is also able to make difficult personal choices including her final sacrifice--her own death in a secret suicide to protect her children from the stigma and shame that society would place upon them if she continues her uncontrollable and unacceptable behavior. From the beginning of the story, Edna is a discontented wife and mother. Even though she is outwardly performing the duties required of a wife and mother of that era, her heart was elsewhere. She seems unable to be the ideal, self-sacrificing wife and mother that were expected.
Approximate Word count = 1011
Approximate Pages = 4
(250 words per page double spaced)
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