Friday, February 26, 2016
Edna's Death is Ironic
At the end of The Awakening, Edna commits suicide by drowning herself. Firstly, I find this to be quite ironic because the single thing that lead her to the idea of freedom (swimming) is now the cause of her death. The one matter that interested me the most about the end, however, is her final thoughts. "Edna heard her father's voice and her sister Margaret's. She heard the barking of an old dog that was chained to the sycamore tree" (157). These thoughts, being not only her last but the last paragraph in the novel, reflect upon an insignificant moment in her childhood. This also could easily be seen as a form of irony because usually, the last thing you think about whilst facing death is the thing you care about most dearly. Why was Edna thinking about family if she wanted to leave it so bad? Her last thoughts reminded me of the book/movie Owl Creek Bridge because when the main character Peyton Farquar is about to be killed, his final thoughts include his wife and child. Unlike Edna, he wanted to escape the situation and be with them.
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I agree, I found it ironic too that she wanted to escape the people around her, but her last thoughts had a lot to do with them. I think it's awesome that you've made a connection between both Edna from this story and Peyton, as I was thinking the exact same thing.
ReplyDeleteYou're right it was ironic that she committed suicide in the water, where she felt free. I agree with the connection between The Awakening and Owl Creek Bridge. Great observation!
ReplyDeleteI agree that it was ironic that the one place she enjoyed the most was where she ended her life. However, maybe she wanted to end her life being her instead of what society wanted her to be. She wanted to be in control of her decision. Her final thoughts might have been her life flashing before her eyes.
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