...Schiller Datum der Abgabe: 16.04.2011 Female Empowerment in Kate Chopin’s “The Awakening” Anjana Dhir BA Englisch KF, Geschichte NF 3. Semester Table of Contents 1. Introduction 3 2. The French – Creole society of Louisiana 4 2.1 Cultural background 4 2.2 French-Creole women 5 3. The Role of Women 6 4.1 Edna vs. Madame Ratignolle 7 3.1.1 “A Valuable Piece of Property” 7 3.1.2 Edna – The Unusual Woman 9 3.1.3 Adèle Ratignolle – The Archetype Woman 14 3.2 “Mother Woman” – The Patriarchal Ideology 16 4. Chopin’s Imagery 18 5. Conclusion - Edna’s Suicide 19 6. Bibliography 21 1. Introduction A certain ungovernable dread hung about her when in the water, unless there was a hand nearby that might reach out and reassure her. But that night she was like a little tottering, stumbling, clutching child, who of a sudden realizes its powers, and walks for the first time alone, boldly and with over confidence. […] 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. This scene in Kate Chopin’s novel describes the moment in which the lead character Edna Pontellier...
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...Kate Chopin research report Kate Chopin is most known for her literary works such as, At Fault, Beyond the Bayou, Her Letters, The Story of an Hour and Lilacs. As any one could imagine, her life events greatly impacted her writing. You see tragedy, independence, happiness, and freedom within her works. Catherine (Kate) O’Flaherty was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on February 8, 1850. She was the second child of Thomas O’Flaherty and Eliza Faris. Her father, Thomas, was from Galway, Ireland and her mother, Eliza, St. Louis. Kate’s family of her mother’s side was of French descent and Kate grew up speaking both English and French. She was not only bilingual but bicultural. The influence of French life and literature if evident throughout...
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...the other. Motherhood from the “Realistic” point of view seems horrible! If someone were to ask me who I am, there is a whole list of words that I could use to describe myself, such as housewife, student, and caregiver. The social commentary of the late 19th century time period is just starting to look past the ideal woman, who was described as the “mother-woman,” to the version of femininity that is trying to be more of an equal with men. The definition of feminism is “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes” (MW 236). Nothing in that definition leads me to conclude, as Edna seems to believe, that motherhood is the one thing that will retard her individual growth. Although feminists claim that The Awakening by Kate Chopin portrays a woman stifled by a society controlled by men, ultimately the decision to act selfishly or selflessly belongs to Edna. There is more than one choice given in the text of who and what Edna could be. Edna could become the selfless “mother woman” that society is looking for, or the more selfishly motivated single woman who makes her own way in the world, but what Edna also fails to realize is that every individual has their own way of fulfilling each role. Edna has a concrete example of each of these roles to follow in her life, in Mademmoiselle Reisz and Adele Ratignolle. Both of Edna’s role models are set into certain “types” yet find a way to stray from them, and make them unique to their situation. Change...
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...Find Her Female Role in Kate Chopin’s The Awakening English C-Uppsats Date/Term: Supervisor: Examiner: Serial Number: Höstterminen 2006 Åke Bergvall Mark Troy X-XX XX XX Karlstads universitet 651 88 Karlstad Tfn 054-700 10 00 Fax 054-700 14 60 Information@kau.se www.kau.se Kate Chopin is known for writing about women and their struggles in patriarchal society. In her three works The Awakening, “A Point at Issue” and “Wiser than a God”, she portrays women who have taken on different types of female roles. Per Seyersted calls these roles the “patriarchal woman”, which I choose too exemplify by Mme. Ratignolle from The Awakening, the “modern woman,” who Seyersted exemplifies by Eleanor from “A Point of Issue,” and the “emancipated woman,” who Seyersted exemplifies by Paula from “Wiser than a God” (Seyersted 102-105). One can say that these women have accepted and internalized a female role in society, by either following the rules of patriarchal society or breaking them. Edna, the protagonist of The Awakening, is a woman in search of her female identity. She is uncomfortable in her role as the “patriarchal woman” and has trouble obtaining either of the other two roles. This essay will focus on Edna’s inability to find her female role. Comparing her to the three other types of women in Chopin’s works, I will show why she cannot conform to any one of these roles, and how the resulting suicide is a conscious choice very much in character with Chopin’s portrayal of her. To understand...
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...The Awakening The Awakening explores different details of a woman living life through the 1800's. The main character that is discussed is Edna Pontellier. She is married to Leonce Pontellier and they have two children together, Etienne and Raoul. The story behind Edna is her desire and struggles to be an independent woman and live fully within her true self. She has struggles learning this about herself and the purpose of a happy life that in turn it causes friction with her friends and family. There are many symbols and perspectives in the story that will help decide whether or not Edna did the right thing in the end. Although Edna's ultimate suicide is a waste of her struggles against an oppressive society, The Awakening supports and encourages feminism as a way for women to obtain sexual freedom, financial independence, and individual identity. A critical analysis consists of choosing a certain lens that would point out certain characteristics of a book and summarize the findings. From the weekly reading “When you analyze a piece of literature or portion of it, it is important to look at various parts of the work—characters, setting, figurative language, and symbolism” (South University, Lecture, wk.2). There are three perspectives that were included in The Awakening, Feminist, Psychoanalytical and Historical. While writing this paper from a feminist perspective there will also be comparisons from the other two. As Sigmund Freud stated “the mind has two parts,...
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...The Plight of a Victorian Era Wife American author, Kate Chopin, in her narrative short story, "The Story of an Hour," recounts the story of an hour in the life of Mrs. Louise Mallard, a young woman "with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength" (Chopin, 605). Chopin's purpose for writing this short story is to address the lack of independence and social status that was an everyday part of life for married women living in the Victorian era. She adopts a sympathetic tone in order to appeal to similar feelings and experiences in her female readers. In 1870, Kate married Oscar Chopin, a Louisiana businessman of French-Creole descent. In New Orleans, where Chopin and her husband lived until 1879, she was among Southern high society. Proper Southern women of this time were expected to be submissive, compliant and stoic. Coming from a long line of Southern females, I know this to be true. The society of this era viewed the altruistic wife, reliant on her husband and devoted to her children, as the feminine ideal. Chopin's forward-thinking literary works of the late nineteenth century were not considered socially acceptable, so it wasn't until the 1960s or 1970s that she became "an integral part of the evolution of feminism" (katechopin.org). Chopin begins "The Story of an Hour" with an instant, essential revelation of the story's pinnacle. Readers learn in the first sentence that the story's main character, Mrs. Mallard, is "afflicted with...
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...Ramos states that however freedom comes, “the critical readings of the ending of Kate Chopin’s The Awakening have maintained that Edna Pontellier demonstrates either the heroic victory of a female protagonist over patriarchy through suicide, or the inevitable, fatal defeat of any strong-willed and independent woman seeking to escape the patriarchal structure” (232). Additionally, Ramos maintains that in addition to those reasons, another way to think about Edna’s behavior “is to see it in the service of a cautionary tale, against stripping yourself of identity” (232). From first hearing Madame Reisz play the piano, Pflueger reminds that “the piano in both texts is at odds with domestic harmony, creating havoc and disruption, and leading both protagonists to prefer lawlessness over order”, and that swimming by herself for the first time, are events that cause her awakening are also those that define the overarching or moral message (475). Even though Edna’s awakening leads her to suffer from the wisdom and self-awareness it affords her, the year of joy and understanding that accompanies this suffering is worth more to Edna than a lifetime of the semi-conscious submission that defined her former existence. Chopin describes Edna’s feelings as “The years that are gone...
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...A Respectable Woman by Kate Chopin “A Respectable Woman” is a short story written by Kate Chopin about Mrs. Baroda who lives with her loving husband in a rich plantation in the early 20th century. The main problem arises in the story when Mrs. Baroda’s husband, Gaston, invites his friend Governail to spend a couple of weeks with them at the plantation. As for Mrs. Baroda, she doesn’t really like this idea because she had planned to spend this time taking and rest and to get in to conversations with her husband. Mrs. Baroda has never met this friend before but she pictures him as a tall, slim, skeptical man and she also didn’t really like that image of him, but when she meets the slim but not tall or cynical Governail, she later figures that she actually likes him but what she can’t figure out is that why she likes him. After much thinking, she still ends up to be puzzled about it. At the same time Mrs. Baroda is eager for this friend to leave as she asks her husband about when Governail is leaving. Finally one night Governail breaks his silence as he starts a conversation with Mrs. Baroda, who isn’t really paying attention to his words but his voice. She realizes that she desires him especially when she desires to touch his face and lips; however she controls those sentiments because she considers herself a respectable woman. The next morning she leaves the plantation to visit her mom and avoid Governail and her feelings for him. After some time, Gaston wishes to invite Governail...
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...as a journalist. In 1954 he was sent to Rome* on an assignment for his newspaper, and since then he has mostly lived abroad - in Paris, New York, Barcelona and Mexico - in a more or less compulsory exile. Besides his large output of fiction he has written screenplays and has continued to work as a journalist. Kate Chopin, born Katherine O'Flaherty (February 8, 1850 – August 22, 1904), was an American author of short stories and novels. She is now considered by some to have been a forerunner of feminist authors of the 20th century. From 1892 to 1895, she wrote short stories for both children and adults which were published in such magazines as Atlantic Monthly, Vogue, The Century Magazine, and The Youth's Companion. Her major works were two short story collections, Bayou Folk (1894) and A Night in Acadie (1897). Her important short stories included "Desiree's Baby", a tale of miscegenation in antebellum Louisiana (published in 1893),"The Story of an Hour" (1894),[2] and "The Storm "(1898). "The Storm" is a sequel to "The 'Cadian Ball," which appeared in her first collection of short stories, Bayou Folk. Chopin also wrote two novels: At Fault(1890) and The Awakening (1899), which are set in New Orleans and Grand Isle, respectively. The people in her stories are usually inhabitants of Louisiana. Many of her works are set in Natchitoches in north central Louisiana. Within a decade of her death, Chopin was widely recognized as one of the leading writers of her time. In...
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...progressing-liberation, women have to insist on the quest for female identity with unrelenting passion during a male-dominated period. According to Fox-Genovese’s argument that Edna’s immaturity allows her to question her social position as a social truth. However, I would argues that, in The Awakening written by Kate Chopin, Edna sets an impressive example that presents us with a figure who takes a weary and tough journey in seeking liberation and authentic identity in a complex society, along with exploring self. The courageous soul seems to be the essential beacon guiding her through this tough tunnel, whereas, she finally understands that being herself in an authentic society will be the first step in truly achieving liberation. Quite a few people claim that Edna already has an authentic life, since she is well protected by her husband, who looks at his wife “as one looks at a valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage” (The Awakening, Page 4) My view, however, is that this has the same meaning as Edna being a caged bird who is not fully understood by others. The author writes: “Her eyebrows were a shade darker than her hair. They were thick and almost horizontal, emphasizing the depth of her eyes. She was rather handsome than beautiful.” (The Awakening, Page 5) We learn that Edna’s powerful and serious impression foreshadows her internal strength and masculinity. According to Chopin’s description, Edna defines herself properly: “In short, Mrs. Pontellier...
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...The idea of self worth and how one defines themselves has been debated for centuries. In Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, Edna Pontellier attempts to define herself and understand her thirst for independence. Pontellier feels that she has a sense of self that is above all things, even her will to live. While Edna places strict boundaries around the possession of herself, these boundaries affect her relationships with others, specifically the men and women in her life. The various men that Pontellier meets and has a significant relationship with have been affected by her search for independence and ultimate understanding of herself. First, she leaves the home that her and her husband shared, choosing instead to live in a small cottage on her own....
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...2011 Gender Roles in The Scarlet Letter and The Awakening During the Victorian era, the life a woman was immensely difficult. They were considered the property of their husband, and treated as such. Women were forbidden from owning their own property, even if they were given the property from their father. In such a case, the land would be transferred in ownership to her husband. A woman’s place was in the home, to dutifully care for her husband and children. Her job was to cook, clean, and bear children. Interestingly, a wife was treated similarly to her children. Obedience toward the man of the home was necessary from both the children and the mother. In contradiction to all of the restriction and repression, the nineteenth century produced two of literatures strongest women. Nathaniel Hawthorne and Kate Chopin gave American society two women who actively defied their husbands and who possessed their own strong moral codes. With The Scarlet Letter published in 1850 and set in the seventeenth century, Nathaniel Hawthorne was taking a large risk in creating a novel detailing a woman’s adultery with the town’s minister and producing an illegitimate child in the process. Despite the treatment she receives, Hester does not waver in her promise to keep her lover secret, proving that she is a strong willful woman. As the century is coming to a close, Kate Chopin produced a work that sent shock waves through American society. The Awakening presents the story of Edna Pontellier, a woman...
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...“The years that are gone seem like dreams—if one might go on sleeping and dreaming—but to wake up and find—oh! well! Perhaps it is better to wake up after all, even to suffer, rather than to remain a dupe to illusions all one’s life.” Even though Edna’s awakening leads her to suffer from the wisdom and self-awareness it affords her, the year of joy and understanding that accompanies this suffering is worth more to Edna than a lifetime of the semi-conscious submission that defined her former existence. According to Edna, to live with self-awareness, possessed and controlled only by one’s own soul, offers an existence far richer than a life lived according to the restricting “illusions” that are imposed by the expectations of others. Edna Pontellier is a respectable woman of the late 1800s who not only acknowledges her sexual desires, but also has the strength and courage to act on them. Breaking through the role appointed to her by society, she discovers her own identity independent of her husband and children. Many of Kate Chopin’s other stories feature passionate, unconventional female protagonists, but none presents a heroine as openly rebellious as Edna. The details and specifics of Edna’s character are key to understanding the novel and its impact on generations of readers. At the beginning of the novel, Edna exists in a sort of semi-conscious state. She is comfortable in her marriage to Léonce and unaware of her own feelings and ambitions. Edna has always been a romantic...
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...Independence and equal rights for women has been a major issue around the world for over a century. The societal structure of the Victorian Era decreed that a woman was fit to be only a wife and mother (Schmoop). In Kate Chopin's The Awakening, Edna Pontellier rebels against societal expectations in order to find her true identity. Chopin shows that there’s a difference between society’s definition of femininity and some women’s inherent needs for independence, and that the path to that independence is a difficult one. Chopin uses a character juxtaposition of Adele Ratignolle and Edna Pontellier to illustrate two sides of femininity. Adele is described as having “flaming and apparent [beauty]” (Chopin 8) as well as being “the embodiment of every womanly grace and charm” (Chopin 8), while Edna is described as “rather handsome than beautiful” (Chopin 4) and “not a mother-woman” (Chopin 8). Adele is a woman created in this society’s image. She takes care of herself, sews, respects her husband, and her beauty is beyond compare. Edna, on the other hand,...
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...Submitted by: Shambhavi Eng (H) III year 334 Comment on the irony of The Story of an Hour. Kate Chopin is most famous for her short stories and a novel, The Awakening. One of the most recurring themes in her works is marriage and how it affects women. She wrote works of feminist nature before the feminist movement had even begun. The Story of an Hour is a short story centred on a young married woman as she reacts to the news of the death of her husband. It covers the one hour of Louise Mallard’s life, in which she is told of her husband’s death, deals with it, realises that she is free, finds happiness and freedom, loses it and dies. Mrs Mallard was afflicted with a “heart trouble” and so, the news of her husband’s death was broken to her gently. Her immediate reaction was to weep with “sudden wild abandonment” and then later, she goes up to her room to be alone. There she comes to terms with the realisation of her freedom and experiences great joy. When she finally goes downstairs, she sees her husband walking in through the door and dies of a heart attack which, the doctor’s said, was brought on by the joy of seeing her husband alive. The irony here is that the heart attack was brought on not by the joy of seeing her husband alive, but by the loss of the joy of freedom, on seeing her husband alive. Once the news that Mr Mallard is dead reaches Mrs Mallard, the “true woman” inside her, the wife, the “Angel in the house” part of her, dies along with him...
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