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Kate Chopin is an American writer, best known for her description of culture in New Orleans, Louisiana, and of women's struggles for freedom. Many of her works including The Awakening, were examples of local-color and helped establish Chopin as a contributor to Southern regional literature. The Awakening attracted a lot of negative criticism for its description of a woman's developing independence and sensuality. This novel portrayed the progress of a wife, mother, and a lady addicted to finding love under her own control, and throughout the novel she undergoes awakenings that will eventually lead to her suicide.
One of the first awakenings that Edna has is a marital awakening. For Edna, the marital awakening at first had a positive influence on her. One positive effect that it had was that it a sense of good things that were going to happen, Once she stopped, and taking off her wedding ring, flung it upon the carpet. When she saw it lying there, she stamped her heel upon it, striving to crush it. But her small boot heel did not make and indenture, not a mark upon the little glittering circlet. (56). Edna's attempt to smash the ring, is her trying to end the repression of her husband that it causes.
This is very similar to the repression that Hester felt by the A, and the freedom she craved when she first removed it in the woods. Another positive effect Edna experienced was the sense of well being, and not suffering, Edna felt depressed rather than soothed after leaving them. The little glimpse of domestic harmony which had been offered her, gave her no regret, no longing. It was not a condition of life which fitted her, and she could see in it but an appalling and hopeless ennui.
She was moved by a kind of commiseration for Madame Ratignolle, a pity for that colorless existence which never uplifted its possessor beyond the region of blind contentment, in which no moment of anguish ever visited her soul, in which she would never have the taste of lifes delirium. (60) Edna feels that Mrs. Ratignolle will never be able to experience what she (Edna) feels due to the influence of her husband, she would never have the taste of lifes delirium. (60) or the thrills of life such as love and pleasure that Edna would be able to feel because of the marital awakening she had had. Even though the marital awakening is thought to be positive, it also has a negative side, which leads Edna to commit suicide. The thought passing vaguely through her mind, What would he think? She did not mean her husband; she was thinking of Robert Lebrun. Her husband seemed to her now like a person whom she had married without love as an excuse. (83) When she is fooling around with Arabia, she is thinking of what Robert would think.
If she had never had the marital awakening when she basically leaves her husband, she would have never been worried about what Robert or anyone else thought and being worried or stressed over something is a cause for suicide. Another time when the marital awakening is negative for Edna, is when Robert wants to marry her, There in Mexico I was thinking of you all the time, and longing for you. But not writing to me, she interrupted. Something put into my head that you cared for me; and I lost my senses.
I forgot everything but a wild dream of your some way becoming my wife. When Edna is surprised about Roberts intention to marry her, she immediately tries to get him not to. This is because Edna doesnt want to be tied to a man like she once was to Leone, and this is because of the marital awakening she had and the freedom that she got from it. Once she had tasted the freedom, she never wanted to return to being a possession even of Robert and at all costs including taking her life, she tried to prevent it. Edna's marital awakening was a very important event in her life. It allowed her to pursue other awakenings and allowed her to be free.
However, this freedom caused her to not want to ever be a possession again and when Robert tries to make her one, she sees no other way to prevent it than committing suicide. A second awakening that has both positive and negative effects on Edna is her social awakening. In one way this awakening can be considered positive. One time when it is positive is when she is able to infiltrate the social circle at the beach, Robert talked a good deal about himself. He was very young, and didnt know any better. Mrs.
Pontellier talked a little about herself for the same reason. Each was interested in what the other said. (4) When Edna and Robert talk and hang out together, Edna is breaking the social circles present at the beach. She should have been with the other ladies and children doing the things like ladies did during that time. However, instead she is with Robert talking about their lives and this ability to move out of and into these social circles is what makes this a positive awakening for Edna. Another time when the social awakening was positive is when she attends the horse races and gambles like the men, There were possibly a few track men out there who knew the race horse as well as Edna, but there was certainly none who knew it better. She sat between her two companions as one having authority to speak. (80) When Edna is compared with the trackman, she is again breaking the social circles and invading an area where it was thought that only men have control.
Secondly, describing Edna to have the authority to speak places her on the same level as a man, which was thought to be something that a woman could never achieve. However, even though the social awakening had some positive aspects it also had its negative influences. One negative influence that lends to her killing herself is the pressure she got from her husband about the Tuesday affair, Tired out, Edna? Whom did you have? Many callers?
he asked. He tasted his soup and began to season it with pepper, salt, vinegar, mustard, everything within reach. There were a good many, replied Edna, who was eating soup with evident satisfaction. I found their cards when I got home; I was out. Out! exclaimed her husband, with something like genuine consternation in his voice as he laid down the vinegar cruet and looked through his glasses.
Why, what could have taken you out on Tuesday? What did you have to do? Nothing. I simply felt like going out, and I went out. Well I hope you left some suitable excuse, said her husband, somewhat appeased, as he added a dash of cayenne pepper to his soup.
No, I left no excuse. I told Joe to say I was out, that was all. Why, my dear, I should think youd understand by this time that people dont do such things; weve got to observe les convenances (society's conventions). (54) This conversation with her husband is illustrating what Edna is trying to escape. Les convenances is what Edna's awakening is all about.
She is trying to escape from the societies circles into a more free and open minded society, and her first step was done when she decided to not be home d...
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