The Theme Of Individualism In Kate Chopins The Awakening

To Rebel or Not To Rebel, That is the Question Nineteenth century, a century that urged women to attain a sense of self awareness and dignity. The Awakening, published in 1899, was labeled as morbid, disagreeable, and vulgar, which then went through a massive controversy that led to the book being widely condemned. â€Å"Modern critics praise The Awakening for its daring treatment of traditional gender roles as they were defined at the turn of the century, and for its exploration of a womans search for self-fulfillment.† states Suzanne D. Green. Kate Chopin deliberately uses the theme of individualism vs. society to explain how the protagonist (Edna) rebels against society while incorporating still incorporating her antithesis, Madame†¦show more content†¦Mr.Pontellier certainly did not agree about her decisions but that did not stop Edna from pursuing what makes her happy. Unlike most women at the time, Edna refuses to conform to simply being a housewife. Edna tells Madame Ratignolle, â€Å"I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children; but I wouldn’t give myself.† indicating that even in the early stages of her awakening she had accounted herself more pretentious than society proclaims. At the end of the story Edna stands by her word by ending her life due to the level of unhappiness she was feeling. A housewife of those times would have simply lived her life unhappy and suffered until she possibly couldn’t. Edna on the other hand, chose to take actions into her own hands and take control of what is to happen in her life resulting in her suicide. On the contrary, Adele viewed motherhood and being a wife as the single handedly most important role in a woman’s life. When Edna was distressed she wanted to do something to fix the problem where on the other hand Adele would simply u se the piano to sooth her soul and relax herself in order to overcome the anger that is at that time bypassing her. Not only does Chopin use Edna and Adele’s views to contrast them, but also physically describes them as opposites. Edna is described as a sticking woman that is captivating â€Å"Mrs. Pontellier’s eyes were quick and bright; they were a yellowish brown, about the color ofShow MoreRelatedResearch Paper on Kate Chopin and the Feminism in Her Works2066 Words   |  9 PagesLicano 1 Maria Licano Mrs. Hummel Ap English 08 27 April 2012 Kate Chopin: Feminism in Her Works â€Å"Love and passion, marriage and independence, freedom and restraint.† These are the themes that are represented and worked with throughout Kate Chopin’s works. Kate Chopin, who was born on February 8, 1851, in St. Louis, was an American acclaimed writer of short stories and novels. She was also a poet, essayist, and a memoirist. Chopin grew up around many women; intellectual women that is. ChopinRead MoreKate Chopin s The Awakening1198 Words   |  5 Pageswoman’s freedom is the driving force behind Kate Chopin’s contextual objections to propriety. In particular, The Awakening and â€Å"The Story of an Hour† explore the lives of women seeking marital liberation and individuality. Mrs. Chopin, who was raised in a matriarchal household, expresses her opposition to the nineteenth century patriarchal society while using her personal experiences to exemplify her feminist views. Katherine O’Flaherty, later Kate Chopin, was born to Eliza and Thomas O’FlahertyRead MoreThe Awakening Ednas Suicide1304 Words   |  6 Pages Edna’s Victorious Suicide In the iconic debated novel â€Å"The Awakening†, Kate Chopin’s novel takes place in the Victorian Era, which is in the 19th- century, similarly the novel was published in 1899. Edna is depicted as a woman longing for more, a woman who was looking for more than just a life of complacency and living in the eyes of society. The story uses Edna to exemplify the expectations of women during this era. For example, a woman’s expression of independenceRead MoreNurse2025 Words   |  9 Pagesâ€Å" Common Themes Found in Kate Chopins Short Stories Kimberley J. Dorsey Stevenson University English 152, Writing About Literature 152-OME1 Charlotte Wulf November 14, 2010 Abstract Many of Kate Chopin’s short stories share the common themes of female oppression. The females in her stories are trying to find a way to escape their oppression and have a sense freedom and individuality. TheyRead MoreThe Awakening By Kate Chopin1188 Words   |  5 PagesJanuary 2016 The Awakening Essay In The Awakening, Kate Chopin ends the novel in a vastly different way than most authors would have at that time with her main character, Edna Pontellier, committing suicide by drowning herself. If one were to isolate this ending without any context whatsoever, it would feel tragic and depressing; however, the events leading up to her death actually explains to the readers her spiritual reassessment and moral reconciliation, both of which being themes significant to