Theme: Identity

Identity is an important theme expressed throughout the novel. It plays a part from the first few chapters of the novel to the very last chapter. Edna had to decide who she wanted to be, and if that's what she wanted to pursue. You can see in the first few chapters, when she shows up to the house with Robert, that she is already starting to focus on her own happiness. She was not happy with her marriage, which was common in these times, but if she didn’t want to be a wife to this sexist man, why did she have to be? Edna knew that she had the power to make her own choices, even if they came with extreme consequences. “Even as a child she has lived her own small life all within herself. At a very early period she has apprehended instinctively the dual life­­ that outward existence which conforms, the inward life which questions,” (18). She wanted to be her own person, with control over her own life, so that’s what she did. Mr. Pontellier talks about her like she is an alien because of the way she identifies herself. He says, “She is not one of us; she is not like us. She might make the Unfortunate blunder of taking you seriously,” (26). He even agrees that she is not defined by society, but by herself and that she is unpredictable.

E-DNA

E-DNA, or Environmental DNA, is when an animal leaves a certain area; their DNA is still left behind. This allows the detection of a species regardless of its gender or life stage. For example, a bird that lives in the north always leaves behind part of its DNA when it migrates south for the winter. E-DNA is very much like Edna Pontellier in that she left behind her children and husband when she decided to kill herself. Edna is the bird and her family is her DNA. “She thought of Leonce and the children. They were a part of her life. But they need not have thought that they could possess her, body and soul,” (Chopin 156) Edna killing herself is selfish to her children and husband. She didn’t see them as family; she saw them as a chore. If she really loved them, she would have tried harder. Now all they are is her DNA left behind.

Environmental DNA

On my last post I had stated that Edna wanted to feel like a bird, free and rebellious with nothing and no one holding you back. Also in my last post I stated that Edna felt so free and alive in the ocean, almost bird-like, and Edna said , "How easy it is!' she thought. "It is nothing," she said aloud." (74 Chopin). The ocean causes her to feel rebellious and like a bird and the ocean is her comfort blanket. For Edna, the ocean holds all of her secrets and all of her dreams. Edna doesn't want to be trapped inside a world held captive by her husband and children, she wants a world where she can swim in the ocean and live alone and in peace. "She went on and on. She remembered the night she swam far out, and recalled the terror that seized her at the fear of being unable to regain the shore. She did not look back now, but went on and on." (Chopin 176). Edna swimming farther out and out into the ocean symbolizes her freedom. Finally Edna can live the life she's wanted to. Since Robert is not there for her anymore she decides her life is worth living in the sea. From her perspective, it is not her committing suicide but living her life how it is meant to be lived.

The Awakening's Ending

Those who have finished the book know that Edna dies by drowning. Her suicide leaves questions like, what happens to her children? What happens to her husband? What happens to the rest of the characters? But the biggest one is possibly, why? Why did she kill herself?

It is shown in the novel that Edna's suicide was not premeditated, but an act of impulse. "She was not thinking of these things when she walked down to the beach." (Chopin 155). As she continues to go farther and farther into the water, she decides that this is what she'll do. Although I don't agree with her final actions, seeing as how I was especially curious as to what she would do with her life, one can understand how she arrived at that point. The author demonstrates that the reason possibly lies within her family and Robert. "There was no one thing in the world that she desired. There was no human being whom she wanted near her except Robert; and she even realized that the day when he, too, and the thought of him would melt out of her existence, leaving her alone. The children appeared before her like antagonists who had overcome her; who had overpowered and sought to drag her into the soul's slavery for the rest of her days." (Chopin 155). It's important to take note that she does not directly state that her children are part of what causes her to make her decision. It's what they represent. It's what they remind her of: that she has been "fitted" for this role and nothing else.

As for Robert, Edna acknowledges that whatever relationship she could've had with him would have been short-lived and potentially kept under wraps. Edna also acknowledges that the one thing she desires, Robert, is one of the things she can't ever possibly have. Edna Pontellier was a lot of things, but she wasn't clueless. In the most basic terms, she was trapped and she knew that's how she would've stayed. She may have made progress by moving out of her house and allowing herself to love Robert, but she was most likely never going to be able to proudly walk down the street, with her head held high. How could she, when she knew she could not have the right to love Robert? To be free? To live as she pleases? And so the end of Edna Pontellier came about, with subtlety and without hesitation.

Robert and Edna's suicide (Not Robert and Edna, more like Robert, and Edna's suicide) :^D

   When Edna realized that even the man she claimed to be the love of her life could never understand or relate to her, it was the straw the broke the camel's back, so to speak. Once she decides to move away and become independent of Mr. Pontellier, "she had resolved never again to belong to another other than herself." This is important in her re-connection with Robert because when she becomes candid in her feeling for his leave describing it as "the embodiment of selfishness...neglect[ful]." (Chopin 143) Robert calls her comment, "...cruel...Maybe not intentionally cruel; but you seem to be forcing me into disclosures which can result in nothing..." (Chopin 143) His comment shows that he sees that Edna's expression of anger for his leave is bitter and unnecessary unless it will fix anything - which in his eyes it doesn't. After it was obvious that Edna's love wasn't able to love her exactly as he had before in the careless and playful summer and that he was just as socially indifferent as everyone else, she had begun to feel truly alone. 

The Awakening Post #4

After reading the Awakening, by Kate Chopin, I had many thoughts and opinions. My opinion of Edna had changed the most throughout the novel. At first, I did feel bad for her and wanted her to seek her happiness. But, as I continued reading, she became too selfish. Edna did not care at all about her husband or children. She could have lived the life she had always wanted but with her children. They did not deserve this. The most selfish act Edna made out of the entire book was when she committed suicide. This ending was a huge shock. After reading an entire novel about Edna fighting for her independent lifestyle, she drowns herself. This was a major disappointment. This also made me, once again, feel bad for her children. She committed suicide because Robert, her true love, had left her and she felt like she had no one. Edna felt alone when she still had family and friends who cared about her. Edna never considered anyone else's feelings throughout the entire novel.

Awakening Review

The Awakening

    The Awakening by Kate Chopin is a fiction novel that took place in the late 1800’s in Louisiana.

     One theme showcased in The Awakening is love, as Edna was trying to figure out what love meant to her throughout the novel. Within the novel Edna had relationships with three different men, but she only loved one of them. One of the men she didn’t love was her own husband. For example, when asked about her husband, “Mrs. Pontellier was forced to admit that she knew of none better.” (Chopin 9). Her marriage to this man was not her choice. The next man was Mr. Arobin, whom she had a very intimate relationship with. That first time the two kissed, Chopin wrote that it, “...was not love…” (Chopin 113). Edna only liked this man because he fulfilled her desires. However the third man, Robert Lebrun, ultimately won her affections, “because his hair [was] brown and [grew] away from his temples; because he open[ed] and shut his eyes, and his nose [was] a little out of drawing; because he [had] two lips and a square chin, and a little finger which he [couldn’t] straighten from having played baseball too energetically in his youth.” Edna loved him because he was just him.

     Another theme found was family. Edna’s relationship with her family was very complicated, and continuously got worse throughout the course of the novel. For example, Edna refused to attend her sister’s wedding, which led to, “...a warm, and almost violent dispute…” (Chopin 96), between her and her father. Another example of the bad relationship she had with her family is the way she explains that, "...[She] would give [her] money, [she] would give [her] life for [her] children; but [she] wouldn't give [herself]” (Chopin 64).

 One shortcoming in the novel is the use of foreign words and phrases. They made it impossible to read without having to take a break and look up what each specific word meant to piece together what was going on. For example, the opening dialogue of the novel is, “Allez-vous-en! Allez-vous-en! Sapristi! That’s all right!” (Chopin 1). Not only this, but she would weave in and out of English and French, which made the confusion even more severe. For example, when Robert Lebrun and Mrs. Ratignolle were arguing, he said, “"Tiens!... Voila que Madame Ratignolle est jalouse!" (Chopin 26), and she responded with, "Nonsense! I'm in earnest; I mean what I say. Let Mrs. Pontellier alone." (Chopin 26). 

    Another shortcoming is the extremely short chapters. This created more chapters to read, which made for a dragged out process of reading. For example, a majority of the chapters are 2-4 pages long such as chapter 1 (Chopin 1-4), chapter 19 (Chopin 76-78), and chapter 27 (Chopin 111-112). The shortest chapter in the book is 28, and it doesn’t even cover a page (Chopin 113). Chopin made a mistake by writing The Awakening like this.

     Despite the shortcomings, Chopin made the right choice by having Edna transform into an independent woman. For example, in the beginning when Edna sneaks off to be with Robert she, “...was beginning to realize her position in the universe as a human being” (Chopin 16). This was only the start of her self realization. By the end of the novel, Edna became completely independent, and decided to end it all by swimming as far out into the ocean as possible. Whilst swimming, “A feeling of exultation overtook her, as if some power of significant import had been given her to control the working of her body and her soul. She grew daring and reckless, overestimating her strength. She wanted to swim far out, where no woman had swum before” (Chopin 156) Many women before her would only go so far as their husbands tell them to, but Edna then had full control of what she does, and she was not going to stop for anything or anyone. Edna’s independence inspires readers-- especially women-- not to conform to what their loved ones tell them to do, and to keep doing whatever pleases them.

In summary, The Awakening by Kate Chopin was an outstanding novel, which was an enthralling read that inspired feministic ideals. Though the book had its faults, they were greatly surpassed by Chopin’s ability to write such a relatable and realistic story.