The novel The Awakening by Kate Chopin - Essay Example

?The Awakening Kate Chopin has often been regarded as a feminist who wrote many stories centered on female characters. Her novel en d The Awakening is apt to be included in such a category that it moves through the viewpoint of the main character, Edna Pontellier. Many critics have identified Edna as a character who is afflicted with heart trouble. It is this affliction that makes readers view Edna Pontellier as an exponent of feminist ideology. Analyzing the novel one can clearly notice that the society that Edna lives is shaped under the thought of gender, but her sexuality struggles with those concepts. Thus, in the novel, the author portrays the character of Edna who suffers from gender inequality, isolation, suppressed sexuality, racial discrimination, marital problems, motherhood and social customs. The reader can analyze various topics such as gender crises between Edna and her husband, Edna’s attitude towards motherhood, suppressed sexuality in Edna’s character, marital problems between Edna and her husband, social systems and racial issues that are depicted in the story in a structured way from a feminist perspective. Literary critics have often remarked that Kate Chopin’s novels have inspired the readers to find the glimpses of early feminism in 19th century American society. The whole novel describes the survival of Edna in a male dominating society that never admits women as equal to men. Feminist ideologies and theories always argue for female existence and survival. As Brown comments; “Some feminist argue that the sociology learnt today is sociology of men stating men point of view and therefore the theories and ideas given are biased with the absence of women based theories and ideas” (Brown, 2011). Kate Chopin’s The Awakening provides some elements of feminism through the afflictions and awakening of the protagonist Edna. The story is based on the Pontellier family who come vacationing on Grand isle near Gulf Mexico. The Pontellier family includes Leonce Pontellier, a businessman, his wife Edna and their two sons. Considering the identity crises faced by Edna in the novel The Awakening one can clearly identify the underlying elements of feminism and feminist perspectives in the novel. Edna’s cry for independence and her fight towards male dominating society for existence always inspire the reader to create a feminist perspective. The protagonist Edna Pontellier is struggling to reconcile her ongoing unorthodox concepts on femininity and motherhood with the background of prevailing social attitudes. The problem of gender in equality is visible in Kate Chopin’snovel. Gender and awakening sexuality have shown their importance as underlying themes in the novel The Awakening. In Launce’s opinion women have no independence, no personal self realization, and she must live only for men. He complains that Edna is not well in her womanly duties and act as an irresponsible mother. Here the man shows extreme male chauvinism in its zenith. His never ending frustration and anger against Edna reveals his intolerance. During the time of 1800s, American society had believed that there was a definite disparity between the sexes. In this historical perspective one can see that man is considered as active, dominant, assertive and materialistic than women. Expected to act their personal duties and responsibilities for the health and happiness of their family members, the women in 18th and 19th century American society were blocked from searching the satisfaction of their own personal needs and desires. The eighteenth century American society, on the other hand, attributed its willingness to consider women as individuals who have some domestic duties and responsibilities. In Kate Chopin’s novel reader can find a shift in Edna’s character and attitudes; however, the society often fails to admit her new status. Edna creates an image in her mind about her freedom. Analyzing her conversation between Edna and Mademoiselle Reisz reveals this idea. Mademoiselle Reisz remarks: "The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings. It is a sad spectacle to see the weaklings bruised, exhausted, fluttering back to earth” (Chopin, 2007, p. 73). Edna’s efforts to conquer her expectations are visible in the story. Edna Faces severe avoidance in both psychological and sexual life from her husband. Her suppressed feelings and frustrations always give inspirations to seek her own independence.   Motherhood becomes a burden in Edna’s life and through her action Edna tries to break the conventional concepts about motherhood. Considering his wife’s attitudes in the bed room Mr.Pontellier feels that Edna is totally irresponsible in her domestic duties. The author makes it clear when he states that Mr.Pontellier “thought it very discouraging that his wife, who was the sole object of his existence, evinced so little interest in things which concerned him, and valued so little his conversation” (Chopin, 2007, p. 7). Here one can see that Mr. Pontellier acts as a true representative of the 18th century Southern society that allowed limited freedom for females. Readers can apply elements of psycho analytic perspective through the earlier life of the heroine Edna. Life with Leonce gives her a different experience and all her aspirations about love, marriage and motherhood gets destroyed. The novelist permits the reader to find that Edna has always acted as a romantic, enamored with a military officer at a very young age. She had developed an affair with that man visiting a neighboring farm house in her young age. But her marriage to Leonce paved the way for some changes in her personal as well social life. She considers marriage as the end to her life of passion and the beginning of a life of responsibility. Her relationship with Robert Librun collapses under the existing social settings. In historical perspectives women are considered as a daughter, wife and mother among the American people. Here Leonce often forces Edna to lead a submissive life. He treats her only an instrument for getting sexual pleasures and she satisfy her suppressed feelings through her relation with Robert. The signs of psycho analytic perceptive can visible for the reader and one can relate Edna’s present afflictions to her past experience. It is this perturbed state of Edna that makes some clear cut statement that Edna is the symbol of female nonconformity. Reader can comprehends the fact that even though Edna repeatedly points out a desire to be left alone as the story develops, were she is to be permitted her wish completely, her own arousing may not have progressed as it came about. In Ratignolle’s party Edna’s venture into the ocean waves at night seems a stroke of her independence and self realization. Others watch her swim into new, unknown territory in the water and her soul. Despite of mere cleaning; domestic duties and child caring reader can find the awakening of her independence and her female abilities. Readers can find number of occasions where Edna tries to form a feminist attitude in her life. Both her thoughts and actions reveal her unending thirst to break the social barriers. Edna’s refusal of reality and her effort to make a feminist stand are explored when she ridicules Robert’s opinions about adultery. Even when she loves Robert, she would is not ready to accept his words about adultery. Edna’s efforts for finding her own personality reach its zenith when she leaves her children in the care of their grandmother in the absence of a second thought. Here reader can find that Edna’s independence alternately results to selfishness and self governing. The concept of manhood is questioned here through Edna’s approach towards her husband and children. Mr. Leonce makes a conscious effort to force his manhood to his wife and she opposes this through avoiding him. She challenges the norms of traditional gender roles in family life. The concept of manhood forced Leonce to think that Edna has some psychological problems. The new life with Robbert gives Edna a new status and she embraced only her independence and she had avoided the concept of mother women that exist in Southern community during the end of 18th century. The novel says; “In short, Mrs. Pontellier was beginning to realize her position in the universe as a human being, and to recognize her relations as an individual to the world within and about her” (Chopin, 2007, p. 14). At the end Ednan’s efforts to reach her own world reaches its zenith when she identifies that she was quiet alone in this world. In this final revelation Edna realizes that all men including Robert also the representative of the existing patriarchal society and here she considers even her children are also have the status of antagonist. When it concludes, it is evident that Kate Chopin’s The Awakening portrays various themes such as, race, identity crises, marriage, motherhood, suppressed sexuality and gender inequality through the protagonist Edna Pontellier and all these themes can closely be associated with the growing feminist theories and perspectives. The readers can very well identify that the author applies some prominent ideologies of feminist perspective in this novel. The whole novel explores the awakening of Edna from her suppressed status and the novel seeks to transmit this awareness or awakening to the readers as well. Subsequently, Edna’ s survival and her own self- awakening forces the reader to think about the use of psycho analytic perspectives in the novel and one cannot ignore  the significance of Edna’s earlier life in the process of determining her present status.    References Brown, Carolyn. (2011). Feminist Theories. Retrieved 8 February 2011 from uPublish.info website: http://www.upublish.info/Article/Feminist-Theories/330987 Chopin, Kate. (2007). The Awakening and Selected Short Stories. Echo Library. Read More