Themes and Images in The Awakening - 1462 Words

The water of the Gulf stretched out before her, gleaming with the million lights of the sun. The voice of the sea is seductive, never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander in the abysses of solitude. All along the white beach, up and down, there was no living thing in sight. A bird with a broken wing was beating the air above, reeling, fluttering, circling disabled down, down to the water. Chapter XXXIX nbsp; Edna Pontellier, a woman no longer certain of who she is. A woman no longer sure of her position in life, of who she is supposed to be. Edna Pontellier is a woman trapped in the bounds of her society, her culture, her time. She is confined in a box that possesses no boundaries. The†¦show more content†¦Details from this novel by Kate Chopin demonstrate how this quote aptly captures the theme and spirit of The Awakening, as well as the situation of women in the nineteenth century and even today. First, one most look to the white beach, Edna has trod on her entire life. This beach is the safe and sturdy ground that Adele Ratignolle thrives upon. Attired all in white, Madame Ratignolle embodies the very spirit of the mother - woman. They were women who idolized their children, worshiped their husbands, and esteemed it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels. Ch. IV, pg 385. However, on this white beach, where women i n white brood over all, . . .Edna was not a mother - woman. Ch. IV, pg 385. Rather than dig her toes into the colorless sands, Edna prefers meandering walks, perhaps on the shoreline itself. The imagery of Edna walking along as the waters lap at her feet is profound. nbsp; Edna is thus far trapped on the ground, not yet knowing how to swim, but wanting desperately to swim into the boundless water. Therefore, she must be content with life on land, experiencing only a portion of the fluid as it swirls around her ankles. So Edna marries a man her father approves of, has children her husband approves of, and mimes a life society approves of. Here and there, the water of living laps at Ednas feet tempting her to jump in.Show MoreRelatedThe Awakening And Henrik Ibsen s A Doll s House1288 Words   |  6 PagesKate Chopin’s feminist novella The Awakening and Henrik Ibsen’s iconic play A Doll’s House both follow strong female protagonists who deal with abusive relationships, difficult situations, and self-realization. A main theme seen in both works is that of self-awareness and the journey to find one’s self while they deal with conflicting relationships between themselves and other characters. Although Robert M. Adams’ identification of personality clashes is evident in both works, his interpretationRead More Comparing the Use of Images in The Other Wife and The Story of an Hour1165 Words   |  5 PagesComparing the Use of Images in The Other Wife and The Story of an Hour The Other Wife and The Story of an Hour are two short stories both seemingly similar and contrasting in different ways. In Chopin’s story we see that Louise Mallard reveals her ironically natural feeling of joy and freedom following the news of her husband’s death. Louise’s sensation of freedom is conveyed through the use of vivid natural images and color. While in Colette’s story the two female protagonists contrastinglyRead MoreThe Awakening Ednas Suicide1304 Words   |  6 Pages Edna’s Victorious Suicide In the iconic debated novel â€Å"The Awakening†, Kate Chopin’s novel takes place in the Victorian Era, which is in the 19th- century, similarly the novel was published in 1899. Edna is depicted as a woman longing for more, a woman who was looking for more than just a life of complacency and living in the eyes of society. The story uses Edna to exemplify the expectations of women during this era. For example, a woman’s expression of independenceRead MoreThe Awakening By Kate Chopin And The House On Mango Street1732 Words   |  7 Pagesthe endeavors those authors sought to accomplish. Two particular works, The Awakening by Kate Chopin and The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, spearheaded movements for freedom by tackling the prejudice of gender roles, expressing through their novels’ characters and experiences the arguments for individual freedom and the challenges that must be conquered to achieve those goals for future generations. The Awakening by Kate Chopin was written at the end of the nineteenth century in a time whereRead MoreEdna Pontellier Rejects Her Woman/Mother Image in The Awakening1069 Words   |  5 Pages A bird view of the historical context of The Awakening gives me ample evidence to reinstate the thesis statement: Edna Pontellelier does not reject her children; she neglects only her women/mother image. The novel The Awakening was written at the end of the nineteenth century which was fundamentally characterized by change. A wide spectrum of disciplines and structures were facing created tensions between old and new. It was the time of industrialization, urbanization which contributedRead More Symbolism in Kate Chopins The Awakening Essay1467 Words   |  6 PagesSymbolism in Kate Chopins The Awakening Chopins The Awakening is full of symbolism.   Rather than hit the reader on the head with blunt literalism, Chopin uses symbols to relay subtle ideas.   Within each narrative segment, Chopin provides a symbol that the reader must fully understand in order to appreciate the novel as a whole.   I will attempt to dissect some of the major symbols and give possible explanations as to their importance within the text.   Art itself is a symbol of both freedomRead More Comparing Awakenings in Chopins The Storm and The Story of an Hour1260 Words   |  6 PagesComparing Awakenings in Chopins The Storm and The Story of an Hour As a forerunner of the modern feminist movement, Kate Chopin explored bold new characterizations of her female subjects. Chopin is famous for her progressive depiction of the female characters in her stories. Two such stories, The Storm and The Story of an Hour, examine and refute the long held ideal of the subservient wife. The Storm, written in 1898 but not published until later because of its provocative contentRead MoreEssay on symbolaw Use of Symbols and Symbolism in The Awakening1292 Words   |  6 PagesUse of Symbolism in Chopins The Awakening The Awakening is a novel full of symbolism; within each narrative segment there is often a central and powerful symbol that serves to add meaning to the text and to underline some subtle point Chopin is making. Understanding the meaning of these symbols is vital to a full appreciation of the story. This essay lists some of the major symbols with explanations of their importance. Art becomes a symbol of both freedom and failure. It is through theRead MoreThe Pre Raphaelite Brotherhood By John Everett Millais996 Words   |  4 Pagesa message of artistic renewal and moral reform by imbuing their art with seriousness, sincerity, and truth to nature.†(Meagher) From Millais I will focus on one of his more famous paintings Ophelia, followed by Rossetti’s Proserpine, and Hunt’s Awakening Conscience. John Everett Millais’ Ophelia painted in 1851 is a depiction of noble woman Ophelia from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Ophelia’s story is tragic as she loses the favour of price Hamlet who then goes on to kill Ophelia’s father. Ophelia is drivenRead MoreEssay about Kate Chopins Awakening is Not a Tragedy1321 Words   |  6 PagesKate Chopins Awakening is Not a Tragedy      Ã‚  Ã‚   When we think of a tragedy, thoughts of lost love and torments abound. The most human of emotions, sorrow, overwhelms us. We agonize over the tragedy, and the tragic figure. We lose sight of reality, enthralled by the suspense, captured by the Irony that, we know what plight lies ahead for the characters. We feel the suffering and the helplessness of the characters as the tragedy unwinds. Although Kate Chopins The Awakening