Kate Chopin: The Awakening
After reading the first part of The Awakening by Kate Chopin, many themes that we have been exploring in class were represented. The first quote that stood out to me was, “‘Leonce, go to bed, ‘ she said I mean to stay out here. I don’t wish to go in, and I don’t intend to. Don’t speak to me like that again; I shall not answer you.’” In this, Edna was relaxing outside on the hammock when her husband, Leonce, was yelling at her to come inside and go to bed. Edna stood up for herself and told him she didn’t want to go inside and that he should basically leave her alone. In this, we see that she has more power as a woman, specifically a wife, than other women have had in past readings. As we read more modern women’s literature, there is a trend in the more power that women are getting in comparison to men.
The second quote that I pulled was from Edna again and she stated, “I suppose this is what you would call unwomanly; but I have got into a habit of expressing myself. It doesn’t matter to me, and you may think me unwomanly if you like.” In this, she was speaking to Robert after her awakening, and based on her tone and word choice, it is evident that her confidence as a woman has increased substantially. She has turned against the social standards of women in her time and the behavior that was expected of her. I thought this quote was a good representation of Edna’s awakening and feminism.
Chopin, Kate. The Awakening.
I agree that Part One of The Awakening by Kate Chopin features many concepts that we have been discussing in class throughout the semester. Enda showed resilience when her husband was yelling at her to come inside and go to bed and she simply wanted to stay outside. We have discussed in class how women often supposed to be obedient and couldn't really stand up for themselves but here we see Edna doing that. This is a bit different from some of the other readings we have read and probably wouldn't have been tolerated in those other story realms. In your second quote, she specifically calls out the social norms in being a woman during that time. She doesn't care that she may seem unwomanly to people she is standing up for herself and taking full advantage of her rights. I believe Edna is a powerful figure in this writing and to anyone who is reading. I also agree that Edna represents the awakening of feminism. I believe that she could be viewed as a role model and a hero for women that would have read this during that time and beyond.
ReplyDeleteI like how you touched on the theme of Edna's "realization" or "awakening". I too wrote about this and I think Kate Chopin brings the idea of a woman being independent alive in this work. This idea is unlike any other, or most, readings we have discussed in class. It is often the woman being blamed or being ridiculed. Here we still see the defense to a man's disrespect to his wife and thats what I really like about this novel. Additionally, I see the character of Edna as a dynamic character, as she goes from a dependent - going with the flow person, to an independent woman looking to do what is best for her. I think you hit on a lot of these points and conveyed my similar ideas very well.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you brought up the fact that the more modern our readings get, the more power we see within women. I would say that this piece is one of the most modern, in terms of breaking marriage, maternal, and career ideals. I think your second quote was particularly well chosen in describing Edna's independence. The phrasing of "I suppose this is what you would call unwomanly" while stating her desire for expressionism is especially striking.
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