Edna Pontellier's character in The Awakening

A detailed Summary of Edna Pontellier's character in The Awakening


The Awakening, which was written by Kate Chopin, received a great deal of criticism when it was first published in 1899. Much of the controversy over the novel arose because of the character of Edna Pontellier. Edna was very much unlike the women of her time. In today's terms she would be considered a rebel. Edna opposed the traditional roles of society that kept many restraints on the women of the 1800's. According to traditional society of the 1800's women were assigned the duties of tending the home, caring for their husband, and bearing children. On the other hand, the men of this time were to be considered the authority of the household and were basically in charge of what goes on throughout the household internally and externally as well as mentally and physically. It is Edna's choice to disobey these roles and her need for self-discovery, which cause a shocking end to this adventure to find her true self.

In her critique, the female artist in Kate Chopin's The Awakening: Birth and Creativity, Carlene Stone takes the reader through stages of Edna's struggle to become an artist showing direct correlation with her be


This novel is very interesting in the way it enfolds. All throughout the novel you have a women looking for self-deliverance which is being achieved through artistry. Then she finally achieves her goal of self-discovery by becoming an artist and very soon after that she loses it which leads to her to suicide. Stone does a very good job of going through the stages of her artistry which envovles her self-deliverance and explaining how it all correlates together.

coming and individual and in control of her own self. For example she states how Robert's encouragement while she is painting is very innocent in the beginning but eventually lead's to the awakening of her passions of her body and her falling in love with Robert. The fact that Edna falls for Robert goes against those societal roles which where followed by some many women of the 1800's. Robert plays a big role in Edna's self-development through artistry and love by being a huge source of imaginative power. Stone then goes on making references to the scene in which she grows tired during Mass and leaves with Robert who takes her to Madame Antoine's home. She states that stories told

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Approximate Word count = 777
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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