Term Paper on "Chopin's Title Selection in "The Awakening" Kate"
Term Paper 5 pages (1407 words) Sources: 1
[EXCERPT] . . . .
Chopin's Title Selection in "The Awakening"Kate Chopin's the Awakening is a novel that emphasizes Edna's realization that she is a woman held back because of societal norms. Chopin utilizes Edna's setting and characters to wake Edna up to certain facts about life. Edna awakens to the reality that life is a prize and that the world is full of options for men and women. She also becomes fully aware that she is living in a time where women are expected to be content living the life of a wife and a mother and not want for anything else. Edna has a painful awakening in that she sees the opportunities that life has to offer yet she is unable to reach for them.
Early in the story, Chopin positions Edna for moments of precise realization and clarity. The most significant situation that forces Edna to reflect upon her immediate situation is her marriage. We know that marriage and family do not fulfill her. Her husband seems to be aware of Edna's disenchantment and that is expressed in his disapproval of her motherly duties. For example, he reprimands her for "her habitual neglect of the children" (Chopin 7) and asks, "If it was not a mother's place to look after children, whose on earth was it?" (7).
What is significant to note about Mr. Pontellier's behavior is the fact that the does not try to reach out to his wife during this difficult time. We see that Edna retreats to the porch where she can cry. We are told, "Such experiences as the foregoing were not uncommon in her married life" (8). In addition, Edna undergoes an "indescribable oppression" that "filled her whole being with anguish" (8). Additionally, we read:
there were days when
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From these opening scenes, we know that Edna is open to change.
Chopin also uses the setting of Edna's surroundings to bring her to a place of enlightenment. Perhaps unaware, Edna welcomes an awakening and one way she finds it is being outside her home. We know she loves being around and near the sea. We read that when she is by the sea she can "realize her position in the universe as a human being, and to recognize her relations as an individual to the world within and about her" (Chopin 17). We even read that the sea seduces her in such a way that it invites her "soul to wonder for a spell in abysses of solitude" and she can lose herself in "mazes of inward contemplation" (17). Her moments of contemplation are what awaken Edna to what the world has to offer. These things are not exactly what the world deems acceptable for a woman in the nineteenth century and though Edna is awake in one sense, she is also very much trapped in another.
Chopin also uses certain characters to open Edna's eyes. While she is in an unhappy marriage, Edna does not make things better when she allows herself to fall in love with Robert. This relationship is a mirror of Edna's life in that it is doomed for disappointment because the world is not ready for a free-spirited woman like Edna.
There is also something different about Edna's demeanor, even when she is with Robert that discloses something about her character. For instance, she tells Robert that even if Mr. Pontellier were to tell Robert he could have her, she "would laugh at you both" (143). In saying this, Edna is declaring that she would never be happy being anyone's wife, regardless if she loved him or not. She does give Robert the credit he deserves, however, when she tells him, "It was you who… READ MORE
Quoted Instructions for "Chopin's Title Selection in "The Awakening" Kate" Assignment:
Discuss the significance of the title of The Awakening. It might have a positive connotation and refer to Edna's awakening to life and love, and toward new potentials within herself. Or it may have a negative connotation, and refer to the "rude awakening" of Edna, as when one awakens from a delusion or false dream. Or it could have both connotations, the one depending on the situation. Any of these three approaches can be defended; just make sure there are examples from the BEGINNING, MIDDLE, AND END of the story to make the case of where you stand on the question.
Must include a thesis statement at the END of the introduction paragraph, also include a little background information about Edna in the introduction.
Must use at least 8-10 quotes (none of which in the introduction).
The book, "The Awakening" by ***** Chopin, is a short novel that CAN be found in a local library.
How to Reference "Chopin's Title Selection in "The Awakening" Kate" Term Paper in a Bibliography
“Chopin's Title Selection in "The Awakening" Kate.” A1-TermPaper.com, 2008, https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/chopin-title-selection/6641241. Accessed 5 Oct 2024.
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