by Greg Bernard

Created on: May 16, 2008

The Awakening

Kate O'Flaherty Chopin's life was plagued by one loss after another. By the time she was thirty-three, her father, mother, brother, half-brother, great-grandmother, and husband had all died. She had no means of support, and turned to writing to make her living. When she wrote "The Awakening", it was criticized for being vulgar and morbid. It wasn't until the 1950s with the feminist movement that this book was finally seen as an important book for feminism.

In the book, Edna Pontellier is caught by the contradictions between the way others see her and the way she sees herself. I think the most obvious example of this at the end of the book. It started when Robert left the note that said: "I love you. Goodbye, because I love you." Robert tried to keep away from Edna because he knew it was wrong to love a married woman. That's why he distanced himself from her in Mexico. The realization of this may be what caused her to drown herself.

One interesting contrast is between how her husband sees her and how she sees herself. Her husband sees her as just the same kind of wife anyone else has. And he passionately loves her. But she doesn't see him the same way. She sees him as more of a "friend." That's why she seems to think it's alright to love other men. Her husband never suspects that she doesn't deeply love him. Not even after Edna spends so much time with Robert on Grand Isle.

After her night at the beach, Edna tries to have complete freedom from her daily routine and her husband. She slowly grows farther and farther away from these things as the book progresses. Finally, though, she realizes that it is impossible to completely distance herself from her husband and chores. Everyone would always think of her as Mrs. Pontellier, not Edna.

It's hard to say exactly what brought about Edna and Robert's love affair. One main thing that brought about their affinity most likely was how constantly they were near each other on Grand Isle. Madame Ratignolle had warned Robert not to become too attached to Edna. He scorned her advice, however, and spent too much time with Mrs. Pontellier until he became more-or-less infatuated.

Her love affair ended when she realized he could never love her as long as she was married. Back then, divorces were not common. She would at least need a good reason for the divorce to happen; which she did not. It would have devastated her children and husband and would have been unfair to them. That is why she felt locked into the life that

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