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The Awakening by Kate Chopin is about a young woman, named Edna Pontellier, who realizes her trapped state in society and who slowly awakens to a new freedom of self expression, sexuality, and self confidence. She so craves her freedom, that she is willing to do anything to get it, no matter what it may cost her. Chopin's use of symbolism demonstrates Edna's escape from her trapped state to freedom and independence. The author starts off this novel with two birds in cages. One contains a green and yellow parrot, the other contains a mocking bird. The green and yellow parrot that speaks a little French, a little Spanish, and also a language which nobody understood (468) is a metaphor for Edna's circumstances.
This symbol goes far beyond just a bird in a cage, because in ways, Edna is like this caged bird. She is a prisoner to social expectations and her family. Throughout the story, she speaks a language that no one seems to comprehend, not even her husband or friends. She goes misunderstood and eventually rebels against everything her society condones to establish her freedom.
During Edna's struggle to gain independence she crosses many self imposed barriers, as well as barriers imposed by the time period. While on her summer vacation, she attempts to learn to swim. Many times from the [men, women, and children around her she receives instructions], however, a certain ungovernable dread hung about her when in the water, unless there was a hand near by that might reach out and reassure her (488). One night though, Edna learned to swim. She overcame her fear, and with a sweeping stroke or two she lifted her body to the surface of the water.
A feeling of exultation overtook her, as if some power of significant import had been given her soul. She wanted to swim far out, where no woman had swum before (488). The night Edna learns to swim, symbolizes her gaining not only self confidence, knowing that she can do it, but also a new freedom she never had before. With this new found freedom, Edna overcomes just another one of the obstacles which lay before her.
Edna Pontellier has always added by social expectations and lived for everyone but herself. In order for her to gain her independence and escape from her trapped state in society she must put all that she has ever known behind her, and live solely for herself. Edna feels like a prisoner in her own house. Her husband, Leonce Pontellier has always controlled her life. However, when Edna starts awakening to her new freedom she goes against the rules. One night while Edna was outside in a hammock, her husband told her that she needed to come inside.
She replied that she would later. Her husband would not accept that. Leonce got upset and blurted out, I cant permit you to stay out there all night. You must come in the house instantly. ' Edna however, was not about to move. [She just made herself more comfortable in the hammock] (491). Edna becomes bold, and lets Leonce know she is no longer going to submit solely to his authority.
She breaks out of the bars that have kept her confined for so long, and states, Leonce, go to bed. I mean to stay out here. I dont wish to go in, and I dont intend to. Dont speak to me like that again, I shall not answer you' (492).
When Edna spoke those words, it symbolizes her awakening to dignity and self expression. With Edna's new self expression she begins to want to paint continuously. She loved to paint, because in it she was able to express herself. Edna, handled her brushes with a certain ease and freedom which came not from long and close acquaintance with them, but from a natural aptitude (476). She paints in her studio for hours at a time and gets so caught up in it, that she forgets about the world around her. Her husband, however feels that she needs to attend to the family instead.
Leonce doesnt like the idea that Edna is becoming her own person. He wants her to abide by his authority and live to please him like she has always done in the past. She though, desires to be her own person and live for her self. Edna's art symbolizes independence and self expression. Since Edna Pontellier's new found self expression, she begins to want to live for herself and only her. She no longer wants to live with Leonce under his roof as a piece of his property.
She wants to get her own place where she has her space and things that are hers alone. She desires freedom and to live as she wants. In a short instant, instinct had prompted her to put away her husbands bounty in casting off her allegiance[she knew there would have to be an understanding]but whatever came, she had resolved never again to belong to another than herself (530). With this new realization she decided to act upon her instinct and purchase a small four bedroom house.
The small house symbolizes how she was becoming her own person, and through it gave her the freedom to express herself more openly. When Edna buys her new house, with that she also gets new sexual desires. She is in love with Robert Leebrum and has been for a very long. However, since he moved away to Mexico a while back, she becomes involved with Alcee Arabia and eventually has an affair with him. In the time period in which Edna lives, such a thing is unheard of. She though, goes against society expectations and takes upon her new sexual desires.
Edna has never experienced real love before. She says, she had married without love as an excuse' (528). So when Alcee comes along she falls for him, because he pays attention to her and actually cares about her. When they kissed for the first time, she clasped his head holding his lips to hers. It was the first kiss of her life to which her nature had really responded.
It was a flaming torch that kindled desire (533). Even though Edna feels things with Alcee she isnt in love with him. It is just a fling that keeps her going and from feeling depressed while Robert was not around. When Robert comes home from Mexico, she forgets about Alcee and falls again for Robert. She tells Robert, I am not long one of Mr.
Pontellier's possessions to dispose of or not. I give myself where I choose' (552). This affair is a symbol of her discovering a new sexuality. In the end Robert Leebrum leaves Edna.
He says, I love you. Good-bye because I love you' (556). This is too much for Edna, even though she has become a new person and has stepped out of the bars in which imprisoned her she cannot go on. So she goes to the beach and sheds her clothing and is completely naked.
The shedding of her clothing symbolizes her last awakening with herself. She gives up everything she has believed and her society has condoned to become this new person with freedom and independence. With her clothing off, she walks into the water and even though it is deep, she lifted her white body and reached out with a long, sweeping strokes he went on and on. She remembered the night she swam far out, and recalled the terror that seized her at the fear of being unable to regain the shore. She did not look back now, but went on and onthe shore was far behind her and her strength was gone. She looked into the distance, and the old terror flamed up for an instant, then sank again (558).
This last scene symbolizes Edna giving up her life for her freedom. She goes back to where she first got some independence and pushes aside the chains that held her captive and dies, living solely for herself. 322
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Research essay sample on Edna Pontellier Edna Feels
