The Awakening

A detailed Summary of The Awakening

The Awakening by Kate Chopin is about a young woman, named Edna Pontellier, who realizes her trapped state in society and who slowly awakens to a new freedom of self expression, sexuality, and self confidence. She so craves her freedom, that she is willing to do anything to get it, no matter what it may cost her. Chopin's use of symbolism demonstrates Edna's escape from her trapped state to freedom and independence.

The author starts off this novel with two birds in cages. One contains a green and yellow parrot, the other contains a mocking bird. "The green and yellow parrot...that speaks a little French, a little Spanish, and also a language which nobody understood" (468) is a metaphor for Edna's circumstances. This symbol goes far beyond just a bird in a cage, because in ways, Edna is like this caged bird. She is a prisoner to social expectations and her family. Throughout the story, she speaks a language that no one seems to comprehend, not even her husband or friends. She goes misunderstood and eventually rebels against everything her society condones to establish her freedom.

During Edna's struggle to gain independence she crosses many self imposed barriers, as well as barriers imposed by the time period. While

With Edna's new self expression she begins to want to paint continuously. She loved to paint, because in it she was able to express herself. Edna, "handled her brushes with a certain ease and freedom which came not from long and close acquaintance with them , but from a natural aptitude" (476). She paints in her studio for hours at a time and gets so caught up in it, that she forgets about the world around her. Her husband, however feels that she needs to attend to the family instead. Leonce doesn't like the idea that Edna is becoming her own person. He wants her to abide by his authority and live to please him like she has always done in the past. She though, desires to be her own person and live for her self. Edna's art symbolizes independence and self expression.

This last scene symbolizes Edna giving up her life for her freedom. She goes back to where she first got some independence and pushes aside the chains that held her captive and dies, living solely for herself.

"she lifted her white body and reached out with a long, sweeping stroke...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...the shore was far behind her and her strength was gone. She looked into the distance, and the old terror flamed up for an instant, then sank again" (558).

When Edna buys her new house, with that she also gets new sexual desires. She is in love with Robert Leebrum and has been for a very long. However, since he moved away to Mexico a while back, she becomes involved with Alcee Arobin and eventually has an affair with him. In the time period in which Edna lives, such a thing is unheard of. She though, goes against society expectations and takes upon her new sexual desires. Edna has never experienced real love before. She says, "'she had married without love as an excuse'" (528). So when Alcee comes along she falls for him, because he pays attention to her and actually cares about her. When they kissed for the first tim

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1416
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English