Leonce smokes a cigar and watches as his wife, Edna, and young Robert Lebrun, Mrs. Lebrun's son, slowly stroll from the beach. He urges Edna to swim at a cooler time of the day after he notes her sunburn. He invites Robert to play some billiards at Klein's hotel, but Robert prefers to stay and talk with Edna.

Edna is handsome, engaging woman. Robert is a clean-shaven, carefree young man. He discusses his plans to go to Mexico at the end of the summer on business. She talks about her childhood in Kentucky bluegrass country and her sister's upcoming wedding.

Leonce wakes Edna when he enters the bedroom that nig

Leonce notes with displeasure that Edna is not very motherly. The mother-women "idolize" their children, "worship" their husbands, and regard it as a "holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels." Adele Ratignolle is the premium example of the mother-woman. She embodies all the "womanly charms" of romantic heroines. In seven years, she has had three children and is planning on a fourth. Edna is not entirely at home in Creole culture. She cannot reconcile their lack of prudery to the irreproachable chastity of Creole women.

Edna prepares for her move to the other house, gathering only the possessions that Leonce did not buy for her. With her own money, she purchases what she needs to adequately supply her new household. One of Edna's servants calls her new home the "pigeon house" because it is small and looks like one. The name sticks. When Alcee visits her, he finds her dressed in an old dress and a handkerchief, making preparations for her move.

Miss Reisz's music evokes a tumult of emotions in Edna, and she is blinded by tears. After she finishes her piece, Miss Reisz pats Edna's shoulder and states that Edna is the only worthy listener in the entire crowd. Nevertheless, her performance arouses everyone's energy, and Robert suggests they all go for a nighttime swim.

As the crowd makes its way down to the beach, Edna wonders why Robert has become more distant from her. She misses his constant companionship. Most of the people enter the water without a second thought. Although Edna has been unable to learn to swim all summer, she suddenly experiences the desire to swim "where no woman has swum before." She boldly enters the water, and everyone applauds her success. She swims out alone, but she looks back to the shore and realizes how far she has gone. She feels the presence of death and struggles back to the land. She dresses in the bathhouse, and Robert walks her home. She collapses into her porch hammock. In the silence, Edna feels an intense desire for Robert. When they hear the swimmers returning, he bids her good-bye.

Throughout the novel, Edna seeks independence. Her series of awakenings are mostly about achieving this goal. She wants to cease being a caged bird. When Edna goes to the beach, she removes all of her clothing and stands naked on the beach. She throws off the final layer of restricting clothing. A bird with a broken wing sinks into the surf. The bird symbolizes Edna's failure to achieve the very goal that has driven her actions throughout the novel. In the end, Edna's freedom takes place in death. This is the choice that social convention allows her.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Awakening Edna's, Mademoiselle Reisz, Furthermore Edna, Doctor Mandelet, Robert Edna, Edna Leonce's, Mademoiselle Reisz's, Robert Edna's, Edna Edna, Miss Reisz, mademoiselle reisz, social conventions, doctor mandelet, lady black, pigeon house, mademoiselle reisz's, conventional standards, social convention, novel edna, edna responds, edna sole object, sole object existence, visit mademoiselle reisz, grow wings ministering, accompanies pigeon house,
Approximate Word count = 10264
Approximate Pages = 41 (250 words per page double spaced)