Kate Chopin

THE AWAKENING

Background (handout)•Author biography•Social context of novel

1899 Today

“fallen woman” concept

social class and gender relationships

societal response to novel

“local color” novel• Variance of the roles of women and their

relationships with men in different settings• Customs and beliefs of Edna Pontellier’s

society significant in relation to her psychological development

• Attitudes/tendencies in Creole characters in contrast with Edna’s (differences between speculation and action)

• References to religion – contrast in Edna, Creoles, and Kentucky Presbyterians

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Setting Grand Isle, LA

• A much freer place

Setting New Orleans, LA

• Society freer than Kentucky but still with social constraints

Character Study – relationship to EdnaFemales

• Mme. Adele Ratignolle – mother-woman

• Mlle. Reisz – her own person, misunderstood, artist

• Lady in Black – results of love (always following behind lovers)

• Mariequita – affairs don’t matter

• Mrs. Highcamp – female counterpart to Alcée

Males• Léonce – Edna married to escape her father, who was an alcoholic gambler

• Robert – contrasts with Alcée

• Alcée – contrasts with Robert

• Colonel – Léonce needs to “control” his woman

• Dr. Mandalet – intrinsically knows there is another man, but doesn’t tell Léonce

Literary Foils (representative of choice)•There is always choice. There is seldom perception of choice. Some choice make others harder or easier or necessary.

Adele Edna Reisz

Imagery•Nature

•parrot: “Go away” – Léonce wants to be left alone; Edna wants Léonce to go away

•expansive spaces: sea, meadow (freedom);

•confining spaces: pidgeon house•Music

•Reisz – plays with Edna/s emotions•Edna doesn’t want Victor to sing the song Robert sang

Imagery cont.•Color

•(yellow & red) – love; anger – w/ Robert

•dinner with yellow table cloth; happy color

•dinner party & beyond when she gets closer to destroying herself, the two colors blend

Symbolism•The Sea (how you interpret this depends on interpretation

of ending)

• freedom to Edna, when she learns to swim, death

•Birds/Wings•caged bird or free bird; weak or strong•mockingbird, parrot, pigeon

•Sleep/Dreams•Edna sleeps a lot; when sleeps in house with Léonce, she can’t sleep; sleeps soundly at a house with Robert, wakes feeling refreshed; sleeps soundly alone

Symbolism cont.•Violets

•Madame Reisz’s fake violets•way she moves is crippled – result of being alone?

•The Lovers (not married?)•sooner or later, one is going to die; Lady in Black is result

Irony - the awakening as a trap

What choices did Edna

have?

Not act

By choice

By necessity

Act

Affair w/ Robert

shunned

Left by Léonce (no $)

Leave Léonce

Alone (no $)

Alcée

Robert

Is it better to have glimpsed and lost then never to have seen independence at all?

If she remains married or with a lover, she is back to the beginning of the Awakened circle (because she is man’s perception).

Point of View vs. Perspective•How does the point of view affect the novella?

•How would the novella be affected if it were narrated by Edna?

Edna as Heroine•Ending as result of Edna’s strengths or weaknesses

•Ending as victory or defeat•Ending as result of other characters•Edna as a realistic character

Themes•Rebellion (defiance vs. defiant acts)

•Edna•Alcée•Reisz

•Awakening (conscious vs. unconscious) •understanding lacked before

•The Definition of Womanhood•What qualities are valued as a woman? “home happy”?