The Awakening by Kate Chopin and Old Mortality by Katherine Anne Porter - Essay Example

17 April The Awakening by Kate Chopin and Old Mortality by Katherine Anne Porter: 5“The Awakening” is a novel written by Kate Chopin. It is the story of an ordinary woman’s relentless struggle against orthodox social ideas. It is the story of survival also because an ordinary woman is shown working hard to survive in an unfriendly patriarchal society which disapproves her search for individual freedom. Katherine Anne Porter is another topnotch authoress of her time who has written the short novel “Old Mortality.” The plot of this novel is in a way similar to that of The Awakening because here too, a woman breaks free from social tangles by rebelling against them to realize her real potential. The woman in Chopin’s story also seeks to realize her individual potential. However, the journey taken by these two women in these two different novels to reach a common objective is different. Each journey is unique, riveting, and refreshing. Each offers the readers, particularly women, great insight on the inner life of a struggling human being. The purpose of this essay is to discuss both these incredible novels to evaluate the extent to which these could be considered worthy enough of being included in the course. I believe that these novels and their writers are absolutely wonderful and their inclusion in the course will only contribute to its effectiveness. The following discussion will seek to prove this point. Adding these two novels authored by Chopin and Porter can only do one thing to the course, enhance it by gigantic proportions. This is because both novels are riddled with myriad luminous examples of the most basic and the most arduous life experiences. Chopin’s and Porter’s discussion of societal oppression of women through different characters is flawless and anyone from any background can relate to that effortlessly. The fictitious women brought to life by these authoresses in their novels are aged by society’s disapproval, but they do not lose will to fight. This, the will to survive amidst the darkest and cruelest forces, is the most important lesson both novels have to offer which is why they should be made a part of the course. It would be an amazing journey for the students who are surely expected to learn a lot from Chopin’s and Porter’s take on struggling women’s experiences of the 19th century. This will make them appreciate more the freedom they can enjoy now in the present modern age. Chopin’s novel is distinguished in respect that it provides readers with very insightful social commentary which helps them realize what life was really like for a 19th century free-spirited woman. It can also be distinguished on grounds of psychological complexity of the main character, Edna Pontellier. She lacks the power to design her life herself and longs to occupy the driving seat for a change. She is tired of having to sit in the back seat and take orders. Porter’s novel is unique in respect that it focuses on “the pressures and anxieties suffered by adolescent females in Victorian America” (DiCicco 80). It details myriad steps taken by a woman named Miranda to achieve personal growth. The advice offered by the authoress through this great story is that personal experiences are hugely valuable because they enable a person to differentiate between what is real and what is fake. This can be a great lesson for the class because it can inculcate the importance of personal experiences in the minds of students. By inclusion of Porter’s novel in the course, students can learn that experiences, however bad they may be, are not to be undermined because each experience is unique and has something to offer. Just like in the novel, Miranda in the process of taking steps toward her personal growth stumbles upon many disheartening experiences, but she does not lose courage. Society’s disapproval and its disdain for Miranda are always with her like a bad dream or an evil shadow. But, the beauty of this character springs from her perseverance and faith in the face of growing pressure. She does not sit in a corner to cry or lament over her helplessness, rather she goes all the way through to achieve independence which is every human being’s basic right. This is a great motivational lesson for the present youth. Including this impressive novel by Porter in the course will help students know that personal growth can only be achieved by being confident enough and taking responsibility for their actions. In addition to being delightful because both novels convey a variety of emotions, they will also make the female students question their roles as women (Jen). Edna and Miranda may both be freethinkers and their life objectives may correlate also, but their life situations are very different. Edna in Chopin’s novel is not a single woman aspiring to grow or develop in a way she prefers like Miranda. Rather, Edna is a wife and a mother of two sons. The more she is reminded of her duties by those around her, the more she finds herself wanting different things from life. It is her way of rebelling against the role imposed by society on her when she goes out to develop a secret connection with another man. In her heart, there is a secret world where she is a freethinker and a liberated soul. In that world, she seeks to be free from the tangles which stop her from being really happy and satisfied. She is really annoyed with her friend Adele’s constant reminders of how she ought to behave to be accepted and approved by society and men. When the vacation ends, Edna moves back home. But, she gradually isolates herself from people she does not like and who do not help her grow as a person. She also relinquishes some of her duties. Even the doctor advises her husband to give Edna some personal freedom because she is depressed and wants to breathe. In the course of the novel, Edna joins Mademoiselle Reisz because she and her music represent independence to her. Though both Edna and Miranda seek the same thing, but they are both drastically different from one another also. This is because while Miranda near the end of the story decides to move on with her life in pursuit of something new and better, Edna decides to commit suicide and find her independence in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It is said that a bird which intends to fly higher than the level of social tradition and prejudice ought to have very strong wings. This suggests that of the two female characters introduced by Chopin and Porter, Miranda definitely had stronger wings than Edna. While Miranda resolves to find freedom in life, Edna finds her freedom in death. Both characters are very different from one another on this particular level. Summing up, I think that both novels have great things to offer to students because both are riddled with amazing life experiences. Both novels can induce students to questions themselves about what they understand by the word independence and how far in life are they willing to go in the pursuit of that independence. While one novel can teach them about the heavy cost of turning back on valuable relationships as in The Awakening, other can teach them about how sometimes personal growth can only be achieved by severing old ties as in Old Mortality. The whole point of designing a course for students is that it should include literary pieces which can help students grow by developing their personalities and opening their eyes to brutal realities of life. These two novels, which form the subject of this essay, together fulfill this purpose and ensure a great learning experience for students. Works cited: DiCicco, Lorraine. “The Dis-ease of Katherine Anne Porters Greensick Girls in “Old Mortality”” The Southern Literary Journal 33.2 (2001): 80-98. Print. Jen. The Awakening by Kate Chopin. PAJIBA, 12 Feb. 2012. Web. 18 Apr. 2014. Read More