The ending of The Awakening - Book Report/Review Example

First Response: In a gender demarcated world, especially that during the life of Edna, where women are considered to be extensions of their male relatives, be it father, husband, brother or son, it is very hard for women to make their own identity. Being recognized for one’s own merits is what one seeks from life, after all, so why should it be any different for a woman? Edna, after much trial and error, finds her identity; now she knows herself for who she is, she recognizes the person that she is, in her own right.

Her suicide proves, in essence, that Edna does not want to lose her identity once she has found it. She wants to live life based on what she has discovered about herself. Although there is much room for interpretation regarding what her “living” choices could have been, however, through her act, Edna essentially thumbs her nose at societal norms. She did not have much choice in life, so, through her death, she takes the decision in her own hands and successfully proves that she is the one who is in control and not society.

Reply: I agree with this, there is a lot of room for discussion regarding Edna’s suicide and it can be termed a defeat, a giving up completely of sorts, for her. However, it is clear that Edna does not end her life due to anyone’s terms. She gives it up on her own terms, and thus frees herself from all social constraints that seem to engulf her and become too much for her to bear.