Masterpiece of Kate Chopin - Book Report/Review Example

The Awakening Kate Chopin (1850-1904) is one of the most influential feminist novelists of late 19th century, who first time penned down, in the history of English Literature, the sensitive issue related to social and emotional freedom of women folk. Thus, she appears to be pioneer in respect of discussing the suppression of the women at the hands of male dominating society. The present study aims to examine and analyze her magnum opus “The Awakening” (1899), which is viewed as the leading piece of literature has been created within feminist perspective. Though Chopin has courageously raised voice against the confinement of women within four walls, as well as against the repression of her emotions and thoughts, yet she is aptly criticized for portraying and presenting only one region of the globe, and thus is regarded as a regional writer containing limited canvas to paint the social and cultural problems prevailing in her contemporary era. However, the critics neglect altogether the universality of theme the author maintains while creating such a fabulous work i.e. the Awakening, which is still being imitated by the Marxist and feminist writers all over the globe. The novel depicts the social and domestic life at Grand Isle, South Creole, where the author has described the bitter realities of life along under the thick curtain of apparently vivid and thrilling environment. Though financial stability, liberty to move and presence of friends and companions, and beauties of natural objects including restless waves of vast blue sea, captivating sight of flying birds and bewitching blows of fresh breeze, make the environment bright and animating, yet the emotional collapses and ray of loneliness turn the atmosphere sad and gloomy. The story of the novel revolves around the protagonist Edna Pontellier, a married woman living with her husband Leonce Pontellier and two young boys. The family has gone on vacationing at Grand Isle near New Orleans. Apparently, the novel looks confined to the southern part of the USA; however, elaboration of people’s psychological and emotional problems and needs, as well as their domestic and corporate activities reveals the universality of the theme expressed and explained by Chopin in the novel. Since Leonce is a dynamic businessman and spends most of his time in business activities, he hardly manages time for his wife and children. The negligence on the part of her husband adversely tells upon Edna’s delicate nerves. She seeks the love of her husband, though fails to obtain the same because of the fast and speedy life people spend in the contemporary world. Leonce has dropped Edna and children in the Isle and has proceeded to New York on business tour; consequently, Edna finds herself lonely and companionless. Since her husband’s corporate activities always keep her lonely, she looks for some male friend in order to satisfy her emotional and carnal desires. Edna observes charms, décor, immersion, passion and fascination, and looks for some admirer of her physical charms and feelings. Consequently, she enters into friendship with two females Adele Ratignolle, a mother-woman, and the pianist called Madame Reisz in order to give vent to her ideas about life on the one hand, and for sharing her joys and sorrows with them on the other. Chopin disparages lack of decision power in Edna’s personality, as well as criticizes her deficiency in perceiving the matters with a speculative approach. The shortcomings existing in her personality forces her seek relief in the company of these two feminine characters from where she obtains assistance and guidance regarding her domestic life as well as quixotic sensations. Edna tries to express her grief in paintings, and revealing of this hidden talent looks as the outcome of her emotional attachment with Robert Lebrun. Since Edna is still in search of emotional relief, she develops relationship with Robert Lebrun in order to soothe her feelings and sexual desires. She seeks attraction towards Robert because of her loneliness and solitude, as her businessman husband is unable to pay due heed to his wife. The author points out the role of the objects of nature, including ocean and hills in Edna’s life, which instigate her fervor and boast her imagination and creativity. Chopin has pointed out the existence of dissipation and lust in every mind, which could be explored by estimating the character of apparently modest Adele, contains the concealed attraction towards pleasure-seeking, which she gratifies through voyeurism, instead of getting indulged into sexual activities en personem. Consequently, though her mind forces her perform religious obligations, yet she cannot resist the charms her heart motivates her to avail herself with. It was a very sensitive issue, and had never been explored before Chopin in literature. Thus, Chopin has revealed social, psychological and cultural issues in the novel, which proves her universal approach and broad vision. Her concentrating upon the presence of constant conflicts in human minds that turns the individuals unable to stick to the one single path while traveling on their journey of life, expresses her command over human psychology. She observes how both goodness and evil implement their will in such a way that man loses his decision power altogether and consequently surrenders himself before the circumstances, that determine the fate of humans in one way or the other by the end of the long and dreary journey. The same is the case with Edna. Chopin shows how domestic tensions and negligence of husband force women to choose the path of vice and dissipation. Though, she is not fervent to surrender her physical charms and beauties to every man, yet she gets indulged in sexual relations with two men i.e. Robert Lebrun and Alcee Arobin, out of her wedlock. The basic motive behind her involvement is sexual relationships with these two men is just to have escape from the intense loneliness she experiences due to serious slackness and indifference of her husband towards her. Since the novel aspires to elaborate human psychology with a sociological perspective, it particularly concentrates upon the wishes and desires prevailing in human breast. Edna’s meetings with Arobin and emotional attachment with Lebrun indicates the physical and sexual desires Edna maintains in her heart. Similarly, Adele’s warnings to Edna regarding having relationship out of the wedlock signify the existence of the call of conscience in every heart. The desire in the novel indicates the conflict between chastity on the one hand, and evil temptations on the other, which keep the individuals in a perplexed state of mind. The same is the state of affairs with Edna. “Edna Pontellier could not have told why, wishing to go to the beach with Robert, she should in the first place have declined, and in the second place have followed in obedience to one of the two contradictory impulses which impelled her.” (Chopin, 1906: chapter V) To conclude, it becomes evident that Chopin contains gifted talent to observe the realities all around her; thus, she has incorrectly been viewed as a regional writer by the critics. In the same way, the mother-woman i.e. Adele is unable to hand over herself to any type of dissipation. Consequently, she, according to the grapevine, looks engaged in prayers and meditations, but maintains all those emotions and feelings that come under the definition of carnal desires. The unmarried pianist Reisz encourages Edna to seek relief in the person of Robert, which signifies her own unfulfilled sentiments and emotions. Thus, both the critical appreciations, described-above, portray almost the same picture of the novel, even they investigate quite dissimilar aspects presented by Katherine Chopin. REFERENCES: Chopin, Katherine. The Awakening Plain Label Books, 1906 Read More