The Awakening | Kate Chopin | Extremely Modern Woman of 19th Century [50]

The Awakening | Kate Chopin | A cutting edge novel for its time

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The Awakening

	The Awakening Kate Chopin Avon, 1982 - 192 pages average customer review:based on 354 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Extremely Modern Woman of 19th Century [50]

Some marriages do not work - sometimes they commence well enough but people drift apart. In this book, the protagonist, Edna Pontellier, watches her marriage dissipate for nontraditional reasons - ultimately ending with traditional tragedy.

None of the classic reasons for failed marriage exist. Husband was not violent toward her. He was not demanding upon her. In fact, he granted her as much slack as any man of that time period would ever have allowed. He was a good man. "As the devoted wife of a man who worshiped her, she felt she would take her place with a certain dignity in the world of realty, closing the portals forever behind her upon the realm of romance or dreams."

Like "Wide Sargasso Sea" this entails the life off continental United States and customs of those identified as Creole. Unlike Sargasso's emotionally abused wife, Antoinette, Edna is 28, turning 29, and is just . . . just . . . very confused. Her 40-year old husband seeks to aid her in this time of maturation, but is really helpless. Beautiful and unsure of her previous decision to marry, she is wooed by others - all knowing that societal customs will not allow her to engage in illicit passion unless she makes a rash decision to leave her anointed responsibilities to her children and husband. What will she do when her lover, Robert, returns? "Do? Nothing, except feel glad and happy to be alive." But is this enough for Robert? Is it enough for her?

Of course not. "[S]he felt the old ennui overtaking her: the hopelessness which so often assailed her, which came upon her like an obsession, like something extraneous, independent of volition." Her life became a lingering heart-breaking bore.

She is neither free nor in servitude. She is neither chattel of; nor an equal to her husband. She is a prisoner of her emotions, not of societal constraints. She lives in a relatively free society, and is permitted to roam about relatively freely. But, she is not happy with this. Little can engage her sensibilities in this period of malaise which is constantly questioned by hormonal and philosophical desires. She wants a divorce although her husband did nothing wrong. But, in her days - the 19h century - divorce was not an alternative. Moreover, her husband and her society are Catholic.

So she had to lead the remainder of her life with self-hatred - about how she got where she is and where she is going with what she has. She reasons, "I am no longer one of Mr. Pontellier's possessions to dispose of or not. I give myself where I choose." And, so she shows the most demanding act of volition: suicide.

My Bantam edition came with a forward by Pulitizer-winning author Marilynne Robinson ("Housekeeping" and "Gilead") who wrote, "'The Awakening' should be read as a meditation on the experimental basis of romantic consciousness, the sense that the world has a numinous life that is addressed to human perceptions and that it has a meaning humankind is competent to interpret. . ." Robinson is correct, and this book is truly generations ahead of its time in addressing this extremely undiscussed topic of female self-recognition against the male's world of control.

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A cutting edge novel for its time

If you enjoy novels that address the social norms and conventions of a given time period, this is one you won't want to miss. I was first introduced to this book as a sophomore in college in my "Women Writers of the 20th Century" English class. Kate Chopin masterfully paints a picture of a woman desperately seeking more in her life; a woman who doesn't "fit the mold" of societal conventions at the turn of the 20th century. Chopin slowly builds Edna Pontellier bit by bit, painstakingly peeling away at the layers and the facades this woman has been taught to put on--and which her character throws off with fancy free and terrible heartache almost simultaneously. Edna is a flawed heroine, but perhaps that is why the reader becomes entranced with her. There is a little of Edna Pontellier in all of us--seeking the essence of life; seeking love and freedom.

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A person searching for meaning is NOT feminism

I purchased this book for my son's AP lit class. He read it and described Edna as an angry woman not happy with her life. I wondered how that made it a book about feminism and decided to read it. Now that I am done, I feel very sad for Edna. Given the description of Edna she could have depression. She loves her children, but not always...possibly postpartum depression that is continually getting worse. I believe the things Edna questions are not limited to women. I imagine many men of that time and now get married because it is the thing to do. Pursue jobs they do not like, but must take. Have children because that is what is expected. I believe Chopin is questioning societal expections of her time for both men and women. Clearly Leonce is floundering. The rug has been pulled out from under him. He was following the plan and now it has changed. No, this is NOT a book about feminism. This is about an individuals struggle to find him or herself. About accepting responsibility or being selfish. I can't wait to read the book that is paired with this for his AP class: Memoirs of a Geisha.

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a love story

the heroine's husband has a leading role in the novel.he is the authotity and the main ignition that leads to the path of awakening. I think Robert was naive in the beginning. Well, he is like an angelic male servant always ready to serve his lady master, but later he fell in love with the lady and left the country. when he came back, things have changed, like the autumn leaves lying on the ground.
the title suits well. the charecters fullfil their roles as they are supposed to but at a sudden momment, the links and roles got loose. it is a philosophic novel. we see who is courageous and who ain't. awakening resembles freedom but the following moments are unplesant for the ones remaining. who are to blame? the marriage institution, pride, suspicion or love?the routines we suffer,pain?

the language is so simple and lucid . after reading the book, i felt a kind of relief like having a walk after hours of sitting.

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