The Awakening 5

A detailed Summary of The Awakening 5

In the novella The Awakening by Kate Chopin, two supporting characters, Madame Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz, represent two distinctively different females of the Victorian Age. Madame Ratignolle serves as society's idea of the ideal woman. "There [is] nothing subtle or hidden about her charms; her beauty [is] all there, flaming and apparent: the spun-gold hair that [neither] comb nor confining pen could restrain; the blue eyes that [are] like nothing but sapphires; two lips that pout, that [are] so red one could think of cherries or some other delicious crimson fruit in looking at them." Her beauty is complemented by her extreme devotion to her family. They come first in her life. She is the quintessential mother-woman. "[Mother-women] [are] women who idolized their children, [worship] their husbands, and [esteem] it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels." She gave up her individuality by taking marriage vows and became one half of the Ratignolle family. "The Ratignolles understood each other perfectly. If ever a fusion of two human beings into one has ever be

Both Madame Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz are pianists. Madame Ratignolle has established popularity throughout the community with her playing, and Monsieur Pontellier thinks highly of her talents. However, she does not play for artistic reasons. She plays to please her husband and children and to entertain others at parties. On the other hand, Mademoiselle Reisz plays for herself. She is overwhelmingly disliked publicly and only Robert and Edna recognize her as an explosively talented musician. Unlike Madame Ratignolle, Mademoiselle Reisz shies away from showing off her talents and claims that Edna is "the only one worth playing for." In fact, Mademoiselle Reisz's emotion inducing piano playing is what first drew Edna to her.

Both Madame Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz serve as two essential references in the story. Madame Ratignolle is the example of the type of woman that Mr. Pontellier wants Edna to be. Madame Ratignolle is revered by the community and viewed as the perfect woman. She follows the mold and becomes what society wants her to be but loses her individuality in the process. Conversely, Mademoiselle Reisz

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Approximate Word count = 772
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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The Awakening 5

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