The Awakening vs. Madame Bovary
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert, written in 1857 and The Awakening by Kate Chopin, written in 1899, both show the life of two women who unconsciously look forward to accomplishing their dreams but not knowing what it is they are seeking. Edna and Emma, the protagonists of Madame Bovary and The Awakening respectively, are faced with a conflict between external domination and their own free will, which eventually leads them to take their lives. They feel immensely dissatisfied with the lives they had and find suicide to be the only alternative. They differ in their attitudes toward their children, husbands, and lovers. They also have different approaches concerning themselves, their affairs, and society. Although they both commit suicide for similar reasons, they undergo different death scene. In their destruction it shows how their behavior and mood is different. Kate Chopin overall, shows a different point of view to Edna's purpose in society, where Gustave Flaubert in Madame Bovary, Emma's image is described as an unstable person who wants illusion to become real. The two books have the theme of imprisonment and free will; yet differ vastly with respect to the desires of the main characters.
t attitudes toward their children. Edna do not want children at all; she didn't seem to give them love and nurture as mothers usually do. She also seems as if she doesn't care about them or their health. For example, ___" 'It's a girl,' said Charles. She turns away her head and fainted."(Flaubert) __________. Edna Pontellier, the protagonist of the novel, places herself as the individual against society from the beginning of the novel. Throughout initial chapters, her erratic characteristics and actions lead to a breakdown of her moral integrity. These behaviors permit her eventually to become a woman that not only her Creole culture, but civilization in general no longer accepts. "Every step which she took towards relieving herself from obligation, added to her strength and expansion as an individual. She began to look with her own eyes; to see and to apprehend the deeper undercurrents of life." (Chopin). The move to the pigeon house was an attempt to free herself from obligation to her family and society and was an attempt to increase her individuality, independence, and to understand life on a more profound level. Living on her own allowed her "...To see and to apprehend the deeper undercurrents of life" (Chopin), something that she could not do in the confinement of home; her imposed role as a mother and wife disallowed her to do so. By moving into the pigeon house, she is attempting to live a life reflecting her new philosophies, philosophies that are in conflict with that of society and lead to her downfall. They have very different approaches concerning their affairs. Emma wanted to escape the dullness of her life, she demanded sophistication, sensuality, and passion, but lasts into extreme boredom when her life didn't fit the model of what she believed it should be. It's her capacity to dream and to wish to transform the world to fit her dreams that sets her apart from Edna. Edna yearns a free society, where she can relieve herself from all obligations. Emma and Edna's husbands reflects a great deal to separate their life. Charles, Emma's husband Despite his deep love for Emma, he doesn't understand her. Her looks and dress captivate him, but he remains oblivious to her persona
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1492
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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