The Awakening a Tale of Rebellion Against Social Norms

A detailed Summary of The Awakening a Tale of Rebellion Against Social Norms

Kate Chopin's The Awakening is a tale of rebellion against social norms and the danger of venturing too far away from traditional conventions.

The protagonist, Edna, is married to Leonce Pontellier, a businessman from New Orleans. They have a beautiful house on Esplanade Street and are as one would say, respectable society. The novel opens on Grand Isle, just outside New Orleans, where the Pontelliers and their small children are renting a summer cottage from Madame Lebrun. Edna is a young and spirited woman from Kentucky who finds the life she is living a little too stifling for comfort. While Leonce, is quite the opposite. He apparently thrives on routine and formality, and finds little time away from his business dealings for pleasure.

Edna and Madame Lebrun's son Robert return from an afternoon of swimming and join Leonce on the porch. They try to recount a funny incident from the day, but Leonce fails to find the humor in the story and therefore is unable to share in the laughter. This first chapter sets the tone for the rest of the novel, in that it is obvious that Edna and Leonce are not particularly compatible companions. Edna appears to enjoy the be

What Edna experienced that summer was an awakening of her soul, the sensual spirit that lies within all, but only awakens for a few. It was as if the sounds of the ocean and the colors of the summer nurtured her birth into an existence that made her feel more alive, more her true self than she had ever imagined.

Edna moved out of the house on Esplanade Street and takes a small place near Mademoiselle Reisz. Perhaps because Robert is away and she had no outlet for her emotions, or perhaps simply because she desired him at the moment, Edna takes a lover, Arobin. Edna began to live a sort of bohemian lifestyle, believing herself to be a free woman who could sleep with anyone she fancied, after all, she was an independent woman, with her own money from the sale of her artwork and her gambling wins.

When the Pontelliers returned to their house on Esplanade Street, Edna refused to accept visitors, as was the social custom. She decides to become an artist, and takes up painting. She admires Mademoiselle Reisz, an unmarried woman who shuns social convention and behaves and lives as she chooses.

ach, while Leonce seems irritated and out of his element. He prefers business to pleasure, and would rather play billiards at the hotel than spend the evening in the company o

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 865
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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