The Awakening by Kate Chopin - Literary Analysis Essay

Introduction

Certain characters hinder Edna's longing for independence in a suppressive society. Leonce Pontellier, Edna's devoted husband, symbolizes the traditional view of society toward the roles women should undertake. Leonce follows society's expectations, acting as the loving husband and caring father who earns the money needed to support his family. In turn, Leonce expects Edna to follow society's mold of the perfect mother, always pestering her about "her habitual neglect of the children" (Chopin 48). Through Leonce's constant reminder of Edna's role as a mother, Edna is unable to explore her own identity. Her independence is restrained by Leonce constantly forcing her into a mold women are expected to pursue. In addition, since the men are the head of the house because they make the money, Leonce expects Edna to depend on him instead of finding her own independence in society. He views her as "a valuable piece of personal property" because in the traditional views of society, women's own thoughts and feelings are replaced by a strong dependency toward the male power in the house. The Colonel, Edna's father, also symbolizes the repressive views towards women independence. He exclaims how "authority, coercion are what is needed . . . to manage a wife" (Chopin 125). His belief that the husband needs to enforce control over his wife displays how Edna's desire for independence is just a fleeting delusion that the men are suppose to erase with their control. In the novel, the men dominate society whereas the women are expected to depend on the men.

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Setting symbolizes the repressive nature of society in physical form. Edna's home in New Orleans does not provide her with comfort and a place of enjoyment. Rather, her home acts as a barrier that cages her inside from freedom and independence. For example, "On Tuesday afternoons-Tuesday being Mrs. Pontellier's reception day-there was a constant stream of callers... this had been the programme which Mrs. Pontellier had religiously followed since her marriage, six years before." (Chopin 100). Edna cannot become who she truly is since her "home" imprisons this desire and welcomes the ideal hostess image Edna is expected to become. Within her house, Edna is unable to look past the solid walls of her home and make decisions for herself because her home conceals the windows that lead to independence. In addition, because this is her home, Edna's confinement is permanent. When Edna is allowed to go out and visit people like Madame Reisz whose home allows Edna to express her true self, Edna's brief moment of independence is shortly lived, since she eventually will have to return to her own "home". Just like her "very charming home . . . [with] the softest carpets and rugs . . . rich and tasteful draperies . . . cut glass [and] silver ", Edna is just another one of the luxurious objects displayed in her home, a decoration that fits the perfect societal mold on the outside but displays no individual character on the inside (Chopin 100).

The recurring images of birds symbolize Edna being trapped by society's cage. In this cage, the birds are suppressed by society's idea that a woman should commit to two roles-a mother and a wife. At the opening of the novel, there is a parrot cooped up inside a cage screeching "Allez vous-en! Allez vous-en!", or "Go Away!" (Chopin 43). Its cries of "Go Away" are not only being directed at the people passing by, but it is also a cry toward society's constraints, exclaiming how it needs to "Go Away". Just like the bird, Edna is repressed by society's control over women. In an effort to try and break free from this oppression, Edna talks back and refuses the demands of her husband in one scene in the novel, trying to display a control over her life. In addition, the parrot speaks in "a language which nobody [understands]", similar to how Edna's desire for independence is incomprehensible in the conservative, Creole society (Chopin 43). While birds are meant to represent a flight to freedom, the birds depicted in this novel try to become free, but are attached to a string connected to society's rules. Edna's wish of becoming the controller of her own life failed, like "a bird with a broken wing beating the air above, reeling, fluttering, circling disabled down, down to the water" (Chopin 175). Much like the bird, Edna carries a disillusionment of being able to obtain independence in her society. However, reality shows that Edna's society represses any women who tries to deviate from the "determined path" society has set out for her, rejecting any new ideas that could give women some power towards independence. In the end, Edna's desire for independence is shattered, leaving her with a broken wing that is unable to help her survive in her society. These similarities between the birds and Edna display how the birds symbolize the confinement of Edna and her independence in society.

Conclusion

Edna is unable to obtain her independence in the Creole society due to the boundaries it places on women. In the Creole society, "socially acceptable behavior" can present one with a favorable status. However, the joy of freedom is not worth being sacrificed in order to gain society's acceptance.