The New Woman in Awakening by Kate Chopin - Essay Example

The New Woman in Kate Chopin's the Awakening Kate Chopin's novel The Awakening, now recognized as an American ic, published in 1899 was approvedby most women who praised the author's writing talents and made most men disdain the novel's sensational plot. It is worth saying that the late 19th century was a turbulent time for the USA. The cultural, social, and scientific life of the society was undergoing radical alterations. For instance Darwin's theories of evolution and natural selection had questioned the established views regarding humankind's origins; restoration and urbanization of the society following the Civil War brought women and men into a new social identity; and, obviously most importantly, the women's rights movement had been gaining strength since 1848, when the first conference of woman's rights was held in New York in Seneca Fall. This means that for almost half a century before Kate Chopin published The Awakening, society had been engaged in a struggle over equal rights issues and social ideologies. As an outcome of this struggle, female part of the society had, to some extent, already undergone mobilization and emancipation from their socioeconomic captivity. The following research is to review and analyze on the example of Kate Chopin's novel about the "sexual awakening" and an unconventional behavior of a woman how for the first time in the USA, women began to bring the formerly private issues of family and home into the public domain and this way caused significant social changes. As many biographers admit today, writing a story of another person's life story is writing one's own as well. If we try to find out why Kate Chopin wrote her novel and how the society accepted it, we will often find the answers in the French women the voices of whom dominated Chopin's formative years. Many historians note that women during the post-Civil War period regularly took part in the marketplace, earned their own sources of support, broke with derogatory forms of financial dependency on men. Culley M. asserts that women "at all levels of society were active in attempts to better their lot, and the "New Woman", the late nineteenth-century equivalent of the "liberated woman", was much on the public mind" (Culley 117). In middle 1899, nearly 50 years after the women's movement officially had started, the social and cultural background seemed favorable for the literary introduction of Edna Pontellier, Kate Chopin's fictional character. The plot of the novel can be depicted in short as follows. The main character, Edna Pontellier is 28 years old, married to a 40-year-old New Orleans businessman who earn living for her and their two sons. She is satisfied but not really happy. During one summer at Grand Isle, a charming Creole resort, she has several awakenings. A real romance occurs between Edna and the resort owner's young son, Robert Lebrun, after he teaches her swimming and she gets the feeling of power and sensuality. Meanwhile, Edna makes friends with Madame Adle Ratignolle, a woman who is fully contented in her traditional woman role, but whose affectionate ways and insights draw Edna to speculate about herself and learn striking things. Being a motherless child and an intellectual Edna now realizes that she has married Lonce Pontellier only in order to annoy her family, and to close the door on unreal obsessions and dreams. She realized that she became a mother without particularly wish to be one, and did not raise that question until that moment. During Edna's summer of awakenings she starts, with the help of her female friends, recovering her voice. The peculiar, slightly sinister pianist Mademoiselle Reisz develops Edna's deep appreciation for music and inspires her flirtation with Robert, who, suddenly leaves for Mexico. After coming back home Edna begins to ignore her wifely obligations. Listening to her own inner voice, Edna starts expressing opinions, and while she is ecstatically alone, organizes a luxurious dinner party before moving herself to a little house. Later on Edna has a passionate sexual affair with another man, Alce Arobin. Then Robert returns from Mexico and acknowledges that he loves Edna, but knows that her husband will never let her go. Edna assures that her husband does not matter. Being shocked, Robert leaves. Feeling hopeless and thinking of her children as a chain keeping her in "soul's slavery", Edna stays awake the whole night, and then goes to Grand Isle where she swims out into the Gulf until her strength leaves her. In her novel, Chopin had written about the abyss between men and women, and symbolized it with clothing. The reader's first vision of Edna is through the eyes of her husband, she is called "Mrs. Pontellier" at first and is under a parasol. On the beach of Grand Isle, she and Madame Ratignolle both wear veils and hats, as all ladies were to do in the hot sun. Later on she is called "Edna Pontellier" and finally just "Edna", while the character of hers is becoming herself and breaks with that fictitious self which we assume like a garb with which to appear before the society. Edna discards, physically and spiritually, more and more veils until at the end of the book, she is nude, "like some new-born creature, opening its eyes in a familiar world that it had never known." (Chopin 39). Strangled by the moralistic hand of the Victorian epoch, but yet wishing to backtrack everything for the liberty of free individuality, Edna Pontellier outlined the consummate New Woman of that time. She personified the social ideals which were the aim of women of that society. She was individualistic, passionate, brave and courageous, so she embodied a person which thousands of women of the late 19th century ennobled as a role model. Lucy Monroe reviewed The Awakening one month before Chopin's novel was published in 1899 and described the story as "so keen in its analysis of character, so subtle in its presentation of emotional effects that it seems to reveal life as well as represent it" (Toth 228). On April 22, 1899, after Herbert S. Stone & Company published The Awakening, critics were already whetting their literary swords with which they would cut into pieces both the prurient theme of The Awakening and the amoral behavior of Edna Pontellier. The literary society roundly condemned Chopin's book. Most critics considered the novel as vulgar, unholy, unwholesome, and a dissipation of Chopin's extraordinary literary talent. The society regarded immoral the story's description of sexual impurity, and thus the novel's theme was totally condemned. Emily Toth notes that "reviewers called Chopin's heroine colossally selfish, stupid and mean. Some even left out The Awakening in articles about her career. Inevitably, with men as the powerful reviewers, publishers, editors, and gatekeepers, this view prevailed." (Toth 19). Kate Chopin was already a popular and successful writer when the book was published, and that further fueled the awkward fright with which the society accepted the novel. Nevertheless, as Chopin's earlier works had been met with great success, most critics admitted Chopin's talented writing style, at the same time utterly rejecting the main theme of the book. For example, on May 4, 1899, in the issue of the Mirror, Francis Porcher wrote, "And so, because we admire Kate Chopin's other work immensely and delight in her ever-growing fame and are proud that she is "one-of-us St. Louisans", one dislikes to acknowledge a wish that she had not written her novel" (Culley 145). In fact most critical reviews stroke the keynote of most unfavorable reviews that betokened the soon death for both The Awakening and Chopin's literary career as well. The most of the society developed their animosity toward the story theme within a religious and Biblical framework. Such words like "temptation","sin", "unholy", "repent" and "grace" were used to describe plight of Edna, adversaries were steadfast and inflexible in their devotion to moral and religious conservatism. For instance, on May 13, 1899, the edition of the Daily Globe-Democrat called Edna's death "a prayer for deliverance from the evils that beset her, all of her own creating" (Culley 146). In May 20, 1899, issue of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Edna's life was called an "unholy passion" (Culley 148). And on June 4, 1899, the edition of Literature said that Edna "is one who has drifted from all right moorings, and has not the grace to repent" (Culley 151-2). Regarding the suffocating and restrictive role that Kate Chopin attributes to Church and religion in Edna's life, we can understand why the late nineteenth century society might interpret the novel as an attack on religious values and morality. Edna's comprehension that life is a gift free from morality is apparent and traceable throughout the story. Her husband's criticism that she is a bad mother sets Edna's awakening in motion and "an indescribable oppression, which seemed to generate in some unfamiliar part of her consciousness, filled her whole being with a vague anguish" (Chopin 25). Bit by bit this comprehension pervades Edna's life. She stops to listen to her husband and gives up all of her social responsibilities, as a wife and a mother. As clear through the tone of the book's critic, to a large degree Puritan morality was responsible for most of the resistance against Kate Chopin's book. It was the straight line against which the worth and value of Edna Pontellier, The Awakening, and the author herself were evaluated. Puritan morality imposed its repressive influence on artistic attempts as well as on practical aspects of life and became a rigid stronghold in the society of that time. And indeed, when women began to organize and unite as part of the suffrage movement, the conservative and liberal part of the society dug their heels in for a fight that would eventually end in victory for the suffragists in 1920. In addition to religion, Puritan morality in the late 19th century also was apparent in other ways. According to Emily Toth, other novels of that time were a success because they "all were considered "healthy" with "kindly sentiment", suitable for young people to read; they all supported the traditional values that Kate Chopin in her book had questioned" (Toth 227). In other words, literature of that time was considered valuable if it proved appropriate or beneficial for youth and if it contained some moral lesson. That is why we may suppose that the society despised The Awakening because of its unhealthy impact and negative effect on the youth. For example, Charles L. Deyo, a journalist and friend of Chopin's, referred to that influence. He noted that "...everybody knows that the young person's understanding should be scrupulously respected" (Culley 147). What distressed the society of that time mostly was not the fact that Kate Chopin published a controversial book which was unsuitable for youth, but rather the fact that Chopin was already an established author and a respected member of the higher layers of this society which was this way betrayed, while Kate Chopin condoned immoral behavior of Edna. Another awakening for Edna was in realizing that she does not really fall in love with anybody and she never will. Here, miserable with her awakening, Edna repeats to herself, "Today it is Arobin; tomorrow it will be someone else" (Chopin 136). Although Chopin condemns Edna by selecting a way popular in the 19th century literature to "punish" Edna, that of suicide, neither of the women demonstrate any obvious signs of shame or remorse at Edna's social deviance and lack of faith. That is why the religious society condemned Edna's unbelief and self-centered narcissism as reprehensible. Had Kate Chopin consented to at least several moral and cultural traditions prevailing within that period, the society might have condescended Edna's salacious character with a sense of mercy and forgiveness. Nevertheless, Kate Chopin had another position. By concluding the novel with Edna's suicide, Kate Chopin was not indeed punishing Edna, but rather corroborating Edna's liberty as traditional social values seemed restrictive and repressive for Kate Chopin. In fairness, not the complete society rejected the Chopin's novel. A few critics printed an occasional more or less positive reviews of The Awakening. Although these people didn't totally censure the book, they didn't acclaim it either; they just tried to comprehend the story's theme and withheld their moral judgments. Many of them might have regarded the story not a tragedy, for it lacked the high motive of one; Edna was seen not quite brave enough, she was the one to morally decline and to commit a sin not ennobled by love; Edna was seen as weakly, passively, vainly offended victim. Despite the unstable social atmosphere around the reception of the novel, many people in the USA, especially the media, were unprepared in 1899 to face the social, moral, and religious implications of The Awakening. However, we may suppose that if the book were to have been published about 20 years later, when the movement for women's rights underwent its rise, The Awakening might have been accepted positively. But, as history notes, the novel fell into obscurity in several years since it has been published. It was clear even at the beginning of the new century that despite social, cultural, and scientific changes of the society, the general public was not ready to accept the provocative theme of book. Ironically, the novel was revived by Daniel S. Rankin, a Roman Catholic priest. In 1932 Kate Chopin and her Creole Stories was published. Only in 1969, almost three-quarters of a century after The Awakening was first published in 1899, the society was ready to embrace Chopin's novel which began its ascension into literary distinction. The complete collection of Chopin's artistry was published. New strong character in Edna Pontellier was brought to the blossoming field of feminist literature. Here we may say that the whole struggle for Edna's independence revealed to the reader again can be depicted by the vivid metaphor comparing her learning to swim with her life strivings: "A feeling of exultation overtook her, as if some power of significant import had been given her to control the working of her body and her soul. She grew daring and reckless, overestimating her strength. She wanted to swim far out, where no woman had swum before. " (Chopin 36). Just the way the social atmosphere and cultural restrictions of the late 19th century worked against Kate Chopin's advanced artistry, the progressive and liberal social culture of the late 1960's promoted its popularity. In 1969 the literary community was already prepared to comprehend so eloquently articulated theme of the 70-year old book. What was considered in literature and society in general as amoral and invaluable in 1899 was regarded noble and artistic in 1969. Thus, The Awakening began to receive its deserved acclaim. Kate Chopin's popularity irrepressibly spread, and her book also served as a reserve ammunition to bring perception and awareness to women's issues. The works of countless women writers emerged from the past to raise the question of women's issues, and the feminist literature forced its way into an accepted and legitimate literary genre. It is clear that as long as cultural and social forces will go on to play upon the content and definition of the literature, many forgotten books and stories from the past will continue to be revealed as tools for the dissemination of definite social and cultural values. The Awakening is a noble example of the transcendent New Woman and Kate Chopin is a writer who expresses some of contemporary women's ideas and concerns. The book is considered a classic and was included in the Norton Anthology of Literature by Women, The novel captures the atmosphere and essence of the struggle for equality, freedom, and independence that were longed-for by women for more than a century. As a consequence, The Awakening represents itself an example of huge influence on changing social contexts and moral traditions of the society. This fact of the book's popularity and its progressive message promote its continuing widespread success, entering well the twenty-first century and increasing use in college education. To conclude with we must say that The Awakening is an honest and brave book where we observe woman's learning about herself, acquiring trust in her voice and in a world of women in general. We must praise Kate Chopin for writing with maturity and intelligence about a captivating to everyone, especially men, subject - how women think. We know that in The Awakening Kate Chopin reveals the inner life of a courageous woman who conquered her solitary being, developed a tough and exuberant character, who dared and defied her discrepant views. We need to know about such kind of woman in a new millennium, and understand how she threw off the shrouds of Victorian epoch. This book may teach new and distinguishing ways of awakening, thinking, living and growing. Works cited Chopin, Kate. The Awakening. New York: Bedford Books, 1993. Culley, Margaret. The Awakening: An Authoritative Text Context Criticism. New York: Norton, 1976. Toth, Emily. Unveiling Kate Chopin. Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi, 1999. Read More