Unbearable boredom grips a woman alone in her living room. She sits with her legs crossed, one elbow on the faded armrest in beige and the second resting against her thigh. She waits patiently for her children to return from school, sighing with frustration. She knows exactly what she is supposed to do and greets him mechanically, even though his demeanor smells of vanilla. She is also in good spirits. He says he’s overexerted and that the day has been long. He is sleeping soundly. His chest rises and falls evenly. She, on the other hand, is wide awake, lamenting her lack of purpose in life. She turns away from her husband in a state of discontent, as the children sleep in different realms.
It is a tragedy that a modern classic has grappled in a way. Kate Chopin completed The Awakening at the age of 49. In modern society, The Awakening is hailed for its diversity of viewpoints and strong feminism. Chopin’s book, which was published during Chopin’s time, received terrible reviews. Many of these critics were men in their 60s and 70s, who deeply disapproved her writing style. It was condemned by those who were of an 18th or 19th-century mindset, who called it “morbide, vulgar, disagreeable” along with “trite” and “sordid” (Koloski). Women’s self discovery in Victorian times is detrimental. It seems to guarantee a lifetime of loneliness. The Awakening is not a feminist novel because of its symbolism, irony and allegory. Edna, who cannot emancipate from men, has dramatic and mercurial changes between accepting herself and trying to live for others. Edna’s inability to break free from patriarchal society and its constraints, as well as her mercurial fluctuations between accepting herself and living for others, demonstrate that The Awakening does not conform to the feminist ideal.
Edna Pontellier fights patriarchy with every second she has. Chopin critiques the absurdity of the passiveness displayed by women in this novel. She implies subtly how husbands treat their wives in any way they choose, and what should be done to stop this. This is the reason why Edna stays so resilient. Edna’s refusal to let go of the male constraints is what makes The Awakening not a feminist story. A feminist, yes, is someone who believes that women are equal in all aspects of life, such as politics, social equality, and economic equality. But, a true feminist will also not let any man pin her down. This “pinningdown” refers both to entrapment as well as the “cage”, into which Victorian Era women were confined and therefore unable of escape. The birds are the first symbols that show this folly. The book starts with the sound of a parrot in a cage outside Pontellier’s house. The cage is metal and the parrot’s squawking can be heard through it. The cage of a green-and-yellow parrot outside the door was constantly reiterating: “Allezvousen! Allez vous-en! Sapristi! It is all right!” Which translates into “go, go away!”. And, of course, the “mocking-bird” that hung from the other side, whistling out his fluty tunes on the breeze, with maddening perseverance, was “that language”. The parrot symbolizes Edna and gives her voice, as it articulates her feelings. Edna is also imprisoned in a cage, which represents her unrhetorical confinement. Due to its beautiful whistling and odd markings, the mockingbird in a cage also represents Mademoiselle Reisz. The mockingbird can only understand the parrot’s Spanish when it speaks. Mademoiselle Reisz understands Edna the best, near the end of this novel when Edna’s about to commit her suicide. Chopin’s caged birds are an attempt to illustrate the limited role women played in Victorian times. When one thinks about cages in general, and specifically, cages for birds, they may assume that cages exist only to provide comfort and decoration. It’s foolish to imagine that the bird could escape the cage.
Edna’s Wedding Ring is the second example of this absurdity. Wedding rings signify fidelity, loyalty and eternal love. Noreen says that “giving a woman an ring symbolizes eternal and never-ending love”. Edna always removes her wedding wings before going to sleep or swimming. Edna was deeply offended by Leonce’s foul remarks and attitude at dinner when he returned from work after a long absence. She fled from the dining room and began pacing in anger the room she had fled her husband. Then, “stopped and took off her wedding band and [threw] it on the floor.” After she found it on the carpet, she stamped down her heel, trying to crush it. It was only when she stamped her heel on it that the circlet became indented. The idea of indestructibility behind the circlet suggests that women will never be able to leave their marriages. The Victorian marriages and Victorian society are mocked by this symbol because of how passive and unimportant women were. Chopin tells the reader in a subdued way that marriages can’t be destroyed, and the bond between wives and husbands is irrevocable. Edna struggles fiercely to destroy her wedding band as she grows increasingly aware that she’s “seeking and finding herself”. Edna Pontellier’s wedding rings is a symbol for the marriage between Edna and Leonce. It is a symbol of the vows that they made when they were married. Edna’s attempt to free herself from her husband, his toxic behavior and the ring she was wearing is not working. This criticism is intended to show her “denial” of her role as wife and mother (Kaplon). Even at this early stage of modern feminism, it sends a message that is unambiguous to all women. It says, without hesitation, that women do not have to be bound by marriage. Chopin makes a very important point but does not carry it through.
Edna is forced to confront her own sexuality after she realizes that Robert is the love of her life. She begins to question the traditional marriage rules. The novel begins with Edna’s opposition against the rigid boundaries that come with marriage. Although she has a few moments of rebellion and anger, the feminist criterion never takes off. Edna, after discovering her secret dislike for her husband Robert, engages in “dates” before he leaves the Isles. Alcee is a womanizer who she decides will satisfy her sexual needs. She then realizes she cannot satisfy her sexual needs because Robert is the one that she loves and has a great fear of being unreturned. Edna is demonstrating that her happiness and life’s purpose are still dependent on men by acting in this manner. This is the opposite of the feminist struggle, since a true feminist would never hesitate to say that they do not need a man’s approval and presence to achieve success and have a sense of purpose. Edna’s gradual awakening is exacerbated by the fact that she feels a sense of enslavement to her husband and children.
Edna Pontellier is in a constant state of flux throughout the book. In some instances, Edna Pontellier embraces her mothering role with passion and then regrets it shortly thereafter. Edna’s erratic behavior leads readers to think that she’s not emotionally stable. Edna has no doubt subconsciously ignored her motherly responsibilities, as she only wants to enjoy life and live it for herself. She does this because she has a desire to ignore rules and disregard responsibility. Edna, Chopin 8, says that she is not a mother. Once Raoul, Etienne and their parents were no longer in her view, they also ceased to exist. She was “a child that followed an unquestioning impulse in those times.” She was “a little unthinking child in those days, just following a misleading impulse without question.” Edna is trying to explain why she does not follow the “shoulds” of women or how they “should act”. She feels like she has been driven by her habit. Edna uses the term “misleading” to describe the way women are conditioned. Although she refused to admit it, the absence of her kids was a blessing. It was a relief to be freed from a responsibility that she had blindly accepted and for which her fate did not fit her. Her “habitual negligence of the children”(Chopin 24), proves her constant self preoccupation caused her to act selfishly and childishly. Her “drive-by habit”, along with “habitual negligence of the children”(Chopin 24,) proves her constant self preoccupation, which makes her act childishly and selfishly. She isn’t a fit mother because she neglects her children too much. Lydia Lovric likens Edna “to women who give birth and immediately leave their child with a daycare provider or nanny in order to return to their office so that they feel fulfilled.” You should never love your child and then neglect them. She does show compassion to her children, but only sporadically. Close analysis reveals that she is only in a trance when she shows her affection for them. She does not show it with motherly affection. She is “fond of her children, but in a haphazard and impulsive manner” (Chopin, 75).
Through the use of allegory and storytelling, Edna can show her sons that they will be forced to accept rigid and unchangeable gender roles due to Edna’s constant absence. Edna’s actions make readers believe Edna doesn’t really love them. “She [puts] in her arms, and [feels] on my shoulder blades. She wants to know if the wings of my bird are strong. The bird who [soars] over the plain of prejudice and tradition must have strong wings. It is a sad scene to watch weaklings fall to their knees exhausted and bruised. Chopin describes Edna’s efforts to rise above prejudice and tradition as a bird that soars. To do this, Edna has to be resilient and valiant. Madame Reisz’s “weaklings”, in comparison, are Edna and her two children. Reisz refers to the children in question as “weaklings”, mainly because they do not conform to the rigid standards of society. She implies subtly that the children will become “normal” by growing up like everyone else. In this case, normal is not a good word, as it implies that one has to act like a machine, without any real control of their life. When the “weaklings”, who are assimilating Victorian Era social regulations, realize that it’s demoralizing and restrictive, they return to Earth “bruised” or “exhausted”. In the same way, “weaklings”, Victorian Era females, were also marginalized and sexist. Edna’s constant absence is the reason for her “weaklings”, as she cannot educate them about her awakening and how it could be to their advantage. Mrs. Pontellier keeps her mind “quite settled” when it comes to the current material necessities of her family (Chopin, 33), showing that she’s not present mentally or emotional. She “sometimes gathers the children to her with passion; [and] other times, she forgets them”(Chopin76). Her love is only for acquisitive things, and it is shown through a trancelike, dreamy state. Edna believes that her inward life and identity are not important enough to be considered by her. She is too focused on the family. This is a perfect example of how Edna’s “sporadic expressing of her love to them” is proportional with her growing dissatisfaction in her role as wife and mother.
Chopin created Edna to accompany him on his journeys through the land of nonconformity. Edna’s purpose was to make Victorian women uncomfortable and disgruntled old men. Chopin enjoyed the confusion that men went through when they read Edna’s texts. This was because her aim to undermine society had worked. The feminist experience is inclusive and does not discriminate between men, women, or children. The novel’s feminism was shattered by Edna’s constant denigration of her only children. Edna’s children are not the primary source of her happiness. She also does no take pride in their accomplishments. When she is with her child, it’s often in a fake way, without context. Edna’s sexual and emotional desires are what led her to suicide. Readers will be left wondering whether Edna committed suicide out of cowardice or as a triumphant act of liberation. Edna was driven to suicide by her feelings that she had been unfulfilled in life. A woman’s perseverance will guide her through any obstacle she may face or when she feels overwhelmed by her burdens. Her unwavering persistence is a model of what feminism should be. Edna committing self-harm is the same as her submission to society’s malevolent demands. The Awakening is a work that heavily incorporates situational irony. Edna’s multiple awakenings are both a blessing as well as a curse. Edna is cursed by knowledge, because she concludes she can never be satisfied with society’s rigid standards. Edna, who was angry, rebellious, and passionate about life, is the irony. She mocked the norms and went above them. But, based on its ethnic and religious values, it was in the ocean that she chose to take her own life.
Edna is able to see a bird that has a broken leg, “fluttering, reeling in the air, and then circling down disabled, until it reaches the water”, just moments before she dies (Chopin 421). Edna, now a woman, is not sure of her identity. Edna has no security in her life, and she is limited by the horizon. The inevitable fate of a female-defined creature drives her to despair and she takes her own life. Edna is portrayed as a bird that has broken wings, a bird which cannot fly. Edna’s suicide at sea is a defiant act of rejection against Victorian womanhood. Ironically, she is killed in the exact waters in which she first learned to swim. She was “overconfident and daring” when she first learned to swim. She wanted swim as far out as possible, where she had never swum. She realizes Robert will never satisfy her desires due to their lack of love. After that, Edna steps into an ocean and starts to swim far away, claiming the “touch” of the sea as sensuous. In the middle of the book, the character Mlle. Reisz explains to Edna how her wings need to be strong if she is going overcome prejudices and bravely defy known. Ironically, Reisz says that the “weaklings,” like the bird falling to the ground, are the ones who flutter down. Chopin’s quotation, which has multiple meanings, alludes not only to Edna, but also her children. The bird, like Edna, only realizes their true potential too late. The sea represents freedom and escape. Edna only has the strength to conquer this vast expanse after discovering herself and being alone. Edna becomes aware of her place in the universe when she is submerged. Edna’s novel is dominated by the seductive sound of surf. Water can be associated with baptism and cleansing, which is a reference to rebirth. This is especially true in Christianity. Edna is reborn by the sea. The sea used to be a sacrosanct heavenly realm of endless potential. Now it is an empty void which both threatens and promises. The sea’s vastness is a symbol of the independence, robustness and splendor that comes with achieving it.
Edna and Adele are friends with Robert Lebrun. While Leonce is away, Edna falls in love. She slowly starts to love him romantically as they spend time together. Robert is also aware of this, so he flees for Mexico. Edna’s surprise breaks when Robert leaves. She then turns to Alcee, a local womanizer and flirt. Edna flirts with Arobin for the whole summer. But it’s clear that she only does so to satisfy her sexual needs. She doesn’t love or admire him. Edna explains that Arobin’s kiss was the first time in her life that “her nature really responded.” Edna uses him as a toy to express her desires and passions. Edna had the option of verbalizing her dissatisfaction towards her family and husband. Together, they would have been able to resolve their problems gradually and indefatigably. Instead, Edna chooses selfishly to shun her family and ignore her husband. Her fornication may be considered as a type of sexism or misandry. She is thus defying the very essence of feminism. Edna’s lack of respect for men is why she treats men like disposables. Edna claims, “today Arobin will be the one; tomorrow another.” Edna’s statement that Leonce Pontellier is meaningless, and therefore irrelevant, shows how she views men. While feminism can take many forms, intersectional is not the same as radical. In fact, radical feminism advocates a radical change in society by eliminating male dominance in all contexts, including social and economic ones. She uses men to accomplish what she desires, whether that is to satisfy her family or for sexual purposes. Ironically, her last thoughts just before she commits suicide seem to be about Robert, the man who is the only one in her life that she can’t live without. “There was nothing she wanted in this world.” It was only Robert that she wished to have near her. She knew the day would arrive when Robert would be gone, as well as the thought of Robert. Edna dismisses every man that she meets except one. He cannot love Edna because of Leonce’s overly sexist beliefs. Robert can’t love Edna as he won’t commit adultery, which would violate the social code for marriage. Edna’s adultery is lauded as a panegyric act. Arobin is considered a womanizer when he acts sexually flamboyant. Edna wills Alcee arobin to the trash when she is done with him. Even claiming that he is “absolutely nothing to her.” Men, on the other hand, are often ostracized if they commit the exact same crime. Infidelity is a sin that should be avoided by both men and women. Marriage should be a partnership between the two partners, not a relationship of dominance or submission. It would not be right to pretend otherwise. Edna displays her mentality by displaying the situational humor accompanied with adultery. She kills her self in the waters where she was born, whispering a promise in hope for better days to women trapped in a life of encumbrance and oppression.
Chopin’s use of irony and symbolism in his music shows that Edna can not free herself of the many men who have shackled her to domesticity. The Awakening shows that Edna is not completely a feminist. Her mood swings, where she can be compassionate towards her kids and then view them as diabolical obstructions to her goal and hypocritically commit adultery are proof of this. The Awakening is a work of great symbolism. Edna is entrapped and wants to speak out. The wedding rings and the sea are symbols of this. Edna’s mood fluctuates and determines her feelings toward her children and others in her family. She rejects her lovers and wishes instead for the man who will not fulfill her desires. Edna ‘[drowns] himself in water because it is impossible to extinguish a fire without water’ (Pollard 44). The feminist ideology was not followed in this novel. However, the depth of the story will always remain with those who identify as modern feminists.