THE AWAKENING BY KATE CHOPIN-Choose a particular idea or concept from this novel

The Awakening by Kate Chopin

2006

The Awakening was Chopin ‘s major work and the most recognized in the literary world although added to the list of neglected American masterpieces . The work of an author who , soon after her death in 1904 was remembered , if at all , for the short stories set in New Orleans which she contributed to the local-color movement (e .g , Bayou Folk , a collection published in 1894 . The Awakening was long forgotten until Kenneth Eble rediscovered it for a limited American audience in 1956 The rediscovery of [banner_entry_middle]

The Awakening has been made and endorsed , and in the process the claims voiced for it have been very great indeed . The Awakening is a lightly plotted account of a young woman , Edna Pontellier , and contributes to the viewpoints as to how women were viewed at the time of the writing . Chopin did have a deep belief in the rights of freedom for women but not in the same context as active feminist . She expressed her interests were more aligned with freedom of self with regard to the roles women ‘s lives were involved in and the strength women had by standing by their belief in this freedom

Set in New Orleans in the summer resort the prosperous Creoles frequent . A Creole husband is `never jealous ‘ because the fidelity instilled in Creole women from birth ensures that a man ‘s possession of his wife will never be challenged (Creole . According to the Oxford Reference Online , a Creole is a name applied to American- born descendants of the French and Spanish settlers of Latin America (Hart . In the essay The Southern Woman in Fiction ‘ by Marie Fletcher , .the Creole girl lives to become a Creole wife she should marry once and once married , she should be a devoted and dutiful wife even though her husband and her life in general may prove anything but ideal (Fletcher 195

Adele Ratignolle epitomizes the ideal Creole woman . She is a devoted wife and mother who epitomizes womanly elegance and charm . Adele idolizes her children and worships her husband , centering her life around caring for them and performing her domestic duties . Even though Adele appears to be proper , she also portrays Creole mannerisms . Creole society imposes a strict code of chastity . Because the rules for behavior are so rigid , a certain freedom of expression is tolerated . The Creole women talk openly the intimacies of life such as pregnancy undergarments , and love affairs . Adele ‘s unintentional role in the main character ‘s awakening ‘ is the effect of her words which remind Edna of the romantic dreams and fantasies of her youth

Another supporting woman character is Mademoiselle Reisz who is characterized as a very eccentric , ugly , irritable woman who lives alone . Her interactions with the other guests on Grand Isle are distant and reserved . She is often called upon to entertain the other guests with her expert piano playing . Reisz recognizes that Edna is touched and truly moved by her music . This love of… [banner_entry_footer]