Now that you have finished reading Kate Chopin's novel, The Awakening, you should now reflect on the various motifs that permeate the story in order to advance the overall theme of the work. A motif is a recurring subject or theme, especially in a literary work. It is a distinctive and recurring form, shape, symbol, or figure in a design. It is a dominant idea or feature in that literary work. You should develop one motif by supporting with at least three quotations from the novel, and show how that motif advances the understanding or interpretation of the novel.
I think one prominent reoccurring motif or subject is the idea of sexuality or sensuality. Edna's awakening does not deal singly with her becoming a more independent individual, but herself exploring her own sexuality.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 6, Edna's desires start to awaken. The chapter uses very distinct imagery such as the sea to describe this sensuality emerging from Edna. It says that, "The voice of the sea is seductive, never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude, to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation" (pg 29). Words like "seductive" and "whispering" are all words that appeal to the senses. In this chapter, Edna really starts to feel the "light beginning to dawn dimly inside her." I think part of this light has to do with her own sexuality awakening inside herself.
In my personal opinion, part of this started when she was on the beach with Adèle. I got a sense that in chapter seven when it describes the two walking in their white outfits, removing their collars, fanning themselves, their skirts fluttering, Edna resting her head on Adèle's shoulder. The two seemed very comfortable with each other, very close. Not suggesting that Edna was thinking about any sexual relations with Adèle, but simply describing a very tender moment where Edna looks upon the shore and sees "Two young lovers exchanging their hearts' yearnings beneath the children's tent" (pg. 33). Here in this moment Edna starts to really think about her life, which Adèle questions. She observed Edna's pensive countenance and was curious. Edna's response? "Nothing." She recalls that she "was not really conscious of anything," meaning she was simply relaxing into a moment of thought. I think here is a moment of sensuality for Edna.
Of course, there Robert who acts as Alex put in class "a catalyst" for Edna. Edna feels a sort of passion and infatuation for Robert that ignites inkling and ember of sexuality she felt earlier in the novel. Robert is attractive, charming, and seems to admire Edna greatly. This really excites Edna, and I think we can all agree that forbidden love is always the most delicious. For Edna however, it was bittersweet.
I don't think we could call what Edna had with Robert was really love. I think it was Edna becoming filled with this new found sexuality and passion that she became overwhelmed and lost her control with Robert. She became so immersed in her own confidence and image that she delves into completely.
The novel itself isn't a love story. I think a major part of Edna's awakening was her finding herself in her sexuality. It was her discovery her own being, her confidence, her senses sparking, and then slowly losing it all in a quest for something I don't think she could ever really have.
Sophie: The first thing I thought about when I read this novel was not really Edna discovering her sexuality. But I guess the more I think about it, she is. In the beginning she was described as handsome, burnt beyond recognition and basically a damaged piece of property. This image is not one you would think about a women ,as the story progresses she gets a more elegant description, especially after she buys the ‘pigeon house’ and has the party. You also made a good point about the two young lovers, I personally think she is jealous, I think she feels like she is not loved and she wants attention. Also I believe that Robert is for sure a catalyst that really makes Edna awaken.
DeleteSophie,
DeleteChoosing the idea of sexuality and sensuality is a great topic for your blog. When I read this prompt I immediately thought all of the main things we have been discussing in class such as the sea, birds, society, ect. I think your blog has dug a little deeper on a subject that can be somewhat difficult to discuss in school. The sea does play a big role in Edna's sexuality as it is enhancing her sexual feelings that she experiences with Robert and Alcee. I think that when Edna looks at the lovers she is exploring and experiencing sexuality, but I disagree that she felt any form of sexuality while relaxing and talking with Adele. I simply think that Edna was having a good time with her friend and was so relaxed because she was escaping her husband and her children. Robert is absolutely a driving force in Edna's sexuality, but I also think it is important to include Alcee when talking about Edna's sexuality.
This week’s blog is very interesting, there are many reoccurring themes and ideas that appear though out the novel, but in my mind there is one motif that I thought about during the whole novel. Thought out Edna’s whole life I think that a reoccurring theme appears at all most all stages of her life and this is a controlling male figure. There are three main controlling males in her life that all help advance the meaning and story of the novel in different ways. The three men included her husband Leonce, her father the colonel, and her summer love Robert. Each man controlled her in a different way, but they all helped lead to the same foreboding ending.
ReplyDeleteThe very first man that is introduced to us in Edna’s life is Leonce her husband. At the beginning of the novel we get a sense of what their marriage is like. He sends her various gifts and impresses all the ladies around her, but as we continue to read we start to think to our selves is this all for show? After Leonce comes home one night we see how can be around Edna when other are not watching. After coming home late one night and awakening Edna (could this be her awakening to her awakening???) just so he could talk to her but he finds it quite disheartening when he realizes that she is not fully listening and answering to him he then doubts her abilities as a mother, “He reproached his wife with her inattention, her habitual neglect of the children. If it was not a mother’s place to look after children, whose on earth was it?” This shows how Leonce does not think that his wife is doing a good enough job with their children doubting what Edna’s caring capabilities are. As I read this I thought how important this was to the overall idea and theme of the story. When Leonce says that Edna may not be the best mom is this where she truly starts to think that she can no longer take her life how it is. She is not meant out to be a mother and wife. All other ladies obey and listen to their husbands, but Edna does not liked to be bossed or pushed around, and this is exactly what is happening with her husband, who we later see to be so concerned about their image that he would go to great lengths to cover up the secret that Edna has experienced something that few women experienced in this time. This also show how pressing and controlling that Leonce can be. He will not even allow his wife the time she needs in order to really sort her feelings without being worried about what others are thinking. If Leonce would have relaxed and backed off and not have been only concerned about himself and his image he could have talked to Edna or better yet let her go to sort everything out without having to be bothered. This time of no one pressing at her and controlling her could have been the difference of the end of the book.
Blog Continued...
ReplyDeleteThe next controlling male figure that we meet in Edna’s life is Robert. He is the young boy at Grand Isle that she has become attached to. He is the one who has flirted with and became attached to other women previous summers at Grand Isle. But when I think of Robert as being a controlling male figure in her life he is not one who was there in a physical sense, but in a mental sense in Edna’s mind and heart. As Edna starts growing close to Robert and feels that he had become someone she needs and trusts Robert leaves with no explanation or when he is returning. He does not even tell Edna that he will right her. When he goes that is all the Edna can think about, she will do almost anything to hear about Robert or from Robert. No one notice this mental control that someone has over Edna except for the Doctor, all though he will never tell Leonce he knows that Edna has another man. The way she acts as if she needs to get out. She cannot live in the big house that she has onced lived in with her husband, she cannot care for her own children. Her days are bad and good she has based all her happiness off of one person, Robert, and at the end of the novel this all falls apart Robert has such a mental control on Edna that he has sparked the fire of an awakening that has been burning inside of Edna. But Robert realizes that this is not right and he must get out but he does not realize that he already has control of Edna just like all other men in her life. “Good-by – because I love you. He did not know; he did not understand. He would never understand.” This is a perfect example on how what Robert wrote effected Edna so much these were among her last thoughts before she slowly let her self go, and even her last thoughts were the products of one of the controlling men in her life.
The last and final controlling male figure in her life who was actually the first one was her father. Her father was the one who matched her Leonce, forcing and controlling who she married. He came to visit Edna to control her too, to force her into going to her sisters wedding, but this time Edna stood up for herself not allowing him to push her around anymore. We then hear in the story “The Colonel was perhaps unaware that he had coerced his own wife into her own grave.” This truly shows has controlling he could have been during Edna’s childhood. I think that his is one of the most important lines in the book because it shows what Edna grew up with. It shapes the novel because Edna at a young age saw how women could be controlled and have no thoughts of there own. This is what I think truly sparked her awakening many years ago. She saw how her mother and other women of the time could not have an awakening, but the sad thing is she was still controlled by men her whole life which just like her mother put her to her grave.
Taylor: I think that the “male authority” is a main theme in the story. This is what Edna was fighting, she didn’t want to be a piece of property, that many other women were ok with at this time. Society at the time made women lesser individuals, and to be mothers and listen to their husbands. When I think of her ruling father, I can see her running away with Leonce because she want to get away from him, but I bet she did not really think of marrying him or having kids really, just getting away from her father and getting attention. I also think Robert and Arobin take advantage of her mental state of mind almost like Edna was more of a prize to be won… not really a person to be loved. But, I do think the whole point of the book was to show women “breaking away” from tradition, into individuals not so much controlled by men or by society.
DeleteI believe that the most used symbol is the sea. I know we covered many of the quotes and symbols about the sea and water in class, but I feel that it needs a little more discussion because it is so important in this novel. This motif of the sea is used from the moment you lay eyes on the book, on the cover; the use of the sea continues all the way to Edna’s final moments. In chapter nine a ways in (page 43 in class set) Edna has a mental image of the sea that is brought forth by Mademoiselle Reisz playing the piano. This scene is right at the beginning of her “awakening” when she starts to see other things or people being more “free” than she, who is “stuck in the role” of women at that time. When she is in her musical “trance” she sees a man standing by the ocean. He was standing near a desolate rock, naked, and looking toward a bird. She sees this man almost at peace with the sea, calm and free; she envies this “freedom and peace.” In chapter sixteen paragraph one, it mentions that “she spent much of her time in the water since she had acquired finally the art of swimming. To perfect something requires that you practice, so she obviously visited the sea often to swim. One can compare her frequenting the sea to an animal coming to a watering hole in the dessert. The water nourishes the animals, so they return often to get this refreshing energy. Edna comes to the sea often because she feels free as she floats, her awakening is nourished by this “floating feeling.” So, she like the animals to the waterhole, return for nourishment… but as many know… there are predators that lurk around the watering hole. In the final chapter shows both the sea’s seductiveness (as Edna wanders further out) and its deadliness (as she is taken by the waves). At the bottom of pg 159 it says the foamy wavelets curled up her feet, coiled like serpents around her ankles…( wow there are predators in the sea). One may also compare this to serpents in the bible; they are luring someone into danger. Also on 159 it said a bird with a broken wing, fell out of the air and crashes into the water, this goes with mademoiselle touching Edna’s shoulders asking if her wings were strong enough, and from the foreshadowing we know that like the bird, she too is not strong enough to soar fully to live her awakening, she is too weak and she crashes into the ocean. A final point is that I recalled the one poem about the stranger by the sea in where the stranger never returned to the shore. The end of the story made me think of this poem because you do not really know what else happened with the other characters and that Edna was swallowed by the sea.
ReplyDeleteDearest Elizabeth,
DeleteYes, we have talked a lot about the sea but I feel that there is so much more that hasn’t been discussed yet. Everyone gets different outlooks and aspects on symbols and quotes that’s why no two readers get the same exact feeling when they read the story because we all come from different backgrounds and lifestyles. I really liked what you had stated about the animals coming to the waterhole! This is great! I often think how Edna was first a little afraid of swimming and once she did it she really enjoys it. This reminds me how I was when I first got my permit; I didn’t really want to drive and I was timid about it. Now that I have been more experienced with it I found that I really can enjoy it.
Elizabeth,
DeleteYou had so many great point in your blog that I have never thought of before, it was very interesting to see other points of view. Yes we talked about the sea in class, but I feel like we didn't get a very good time to really relate all the sea mentions to their deeper meaning. But I absolutely love your comparison of Edna and swimming in the sea and a watering hole. I would have never compared those two things because they are so different, but in the same sense so much alike. The watering hole can be one of the most dangerous places because of all of the animals and predators that lurk there waiting for their prey, but it is a necessity to drink water for almost all animals.Just as Edna must keep going back to the water, but for her she was the waters prey and she never even saw it coming. I think that this is now my favorite explanation of the water theme in the book. Your blog was extremely help full I suggest that everyone reads it to maybe better prepare for the test and in class essay.
The motif that was used in the novel that was most evident to me was the arts. The arts were included in the plot of the novel and served to fulfill an extremely important part of the novel again and again. There were different types of art included in the novel such as painting and music. Once Edna’s awakening is begun she starts to try new activities and abandon many of the activities and roles that used to be a part of her life. She becomes less and less of a mother/wife while she develops into a more independent woman than she ever was before.
ReplyDeleteThe change in Edna’s behavior is shown in many ways, but one way is through her infatuation with painting. Before the awakening Edna would paint once in a while, but not like she does after it. “Mrs. Pontellier had brought her sketching materials, which she sometimes dabbled with in an unprofessional way. She liked the dabbling. She felt in it satisfaction of a kind which no other employment afforded her” (26). Now that Edna is experiencing something internally (her awakening) she begins to return to painting. “Edna spent an hour or two in looking over some of her old sketches. She could see their shortcomings and defects, which were glaring in her eyes” (78). She looks back at her old paintings and sees all of the mistakes that she had made. Ironically, she is not able to see one shortcoming or defect in her new way of life. It seems as if her painting is so clear to her, but her new actions are not. She uses painting to express all of the feelings that she has built up inside of her. Edna spends her time painting instead of doing her duties as a mother and a wife. She painted the children, the quadroons, the house-maid, and even her father. Edna is so moved by painting; “it moved her with recollections. She could hear again the ripple of the water, the flapping sail” (82). Painting draws her away from her old self and draws her closer to the free and independent woman that she desires to be. It also shows that something has happened inside of Edna because before she never really painted, but now she is painting everything and everyone insight. She needs this form of expression as she changes.
Morgan,
DeleteI think the use of the arts in this novel is a very important driving force of the novel because it influences Edna's creativity, which really enhances Edna's ability to leave her home and society. The music she hears and the paintings she creates enable her to be creative and "think outside the box." I agree with you when you say that her paintings help her express herself. I feel like she uses painting as an escape, or even as an excuse to get away from her maternal duties. I think that the music that Reisz plays her on the piano is also a very important part of the arts in this novel that you did not touch on too much. She feels so awakened and moved when she hears the songs on the piano.
Morgan,
DeleteI never even thought of the arts as being a motif in this novel, thanks for bringing that to my attention! I think that Edna's painting was a way for her to escape from reality. I think we can all agree that everyday we find ourselves doing something to escape the reality whether that be our sports practices, painting, music, or something as simple as taking a nap. I think Edna really used her creativity as not only an escape, but a catalyst to the rest of her awakening.
All of the quotes you picked are very nice to represent your ideas. I think you did a nice job! Awesome blgo!
Dearest Morgan,
DeleteThis was actually going to be the one I was going to do but I tried not to repeat. I’m not sure if you know or not but I have a very strong passion for writing and I always have ever since I was a really little kid. I understand how Edna feels. After I write something I get this new found sense of pride and satisfaction. I did it myself and no one else helped me. This is my feelings into work and no one else’s. Writing is a way of expressing yourself like how music and painting were used in the novel. Sometimes I become frustrated with writing and I rip it up and throw it in the garbage because I don’t really think that I am expressing it right. I really can relate to Edna in this sense she is confused. Writing also takes me into my own little world where no one else can interrupt. Edna is isolating herself and finding this new found independence.
Morgan, very good choice in quotes, your blog flowed very nicely. I honestly forgot about the influence art played on Edna’s awakening (talk about zoning out!). Watching the role art plays in Edna’s life and how her skills grow as she practices are great markers to use as she advances in her awakening. I like the connection you made between her ability to see the flaws in her art versus the flaws in her decisions. By the way, I loved how Kate Chopin used the words dabbled and dabbling when referring to Edna’s original sketches. I find it a very fun word that helps represents Edna’s carefree feelings towards her work.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI thought that this was posted with the rest of my blog but it must have been too long. Sorry to all who already commented, but I posted this earlier with the rest of my blog and just realized that the whole blog did not post! Ugh, sorry for any confusion.
DeleteEdna also is affected by music throughout the novel. “Edna was what she called herself very fond of music” (43). Before her awakening we know that Edna enjoyed listening to music because she would go listen to Madame Ratignolle play the piano sometimes. When she heard certain piano pieces that Madame Ratignolle played images appeared in her head. The images that Edna had when she heard the piano pieces were the naked man looking at the distant bird, the woman dancing, and the children playing were some of the images. These images show what was going on inside of Edna; what was on her mind. She desired a man and wanted to be a good mother for her children, yet she wanted to live freely, dancing. Edna is not only affected by Madame Ratignolle’s playing she is also affected by the playing of Madame Reisz. When Madame Reisz plays for Edna “she saw no pictures of solitude, of hope, of longing, or of despair. But the very passions themselves were aroused within her soul, swaying it, lashing it, as the waves daily beat upon her splendid body” (44). Edna is so vulnerable to music; it is like it speaks to her. It is almost as if the music is what stirs up her awakening when she starts to settle down again. Later on in the novel Edna goes to Mdame Reisz’s home, and Madame Reisz plays “Chopin Impromptu” as Edna reads the letter Robert sent to Madame Reisz. Edna’s feelings are stirred up by the music and the letter. She sobbed and “she arose in some agitation to take her departure” (89). The “Chopin Impromptu” really affects Edna it stirs up her feelings for Robert amongst others. Edna’s different reaction for the playing of Madame Ratignolle and Madame Reisz shows her internal change. As her awakening develops she is able no longer just pictures images in her head; she actually feels the emotions welled up inside of her. Robert may have been the catalyst of Edna’s awakening, but music really serves as the stirring rod that keeps Edna’s awakening mixing inside of her.
Edna uses painting to express the emotions that are being stirred up inside of her by the music that she experiences in her life. The arts in the novel are really essential motifs to keep the plot moving forward.
Kate Chopin uses a variety of motifs in her novel The Awakening to enhance the novel and develop her story of Edna’s awakening. She uses symbols, sounds, and sights to help readers have a deeper understanding of the novel. The sea, music, clothing, sexuality, and societal expectations are all very strong motifs in The Awakening, but I think the symbolism that Chopin uses in the form of birds is the most important and recurring motif in the novel. Chopin does not only use the symbol of birds as literal birds but she also uses the idea of wings throughout the novel.
ReplyDeleteI find Chopin’s use of birds extremely intriguing and interesting because she uses them in a variety of ways and threads that theme from the very first chapter of the novel to the very last chapter. The novel opens with the symbolism of birds in the very first sentence. “A green and yellow parrot, which hung in a cage outside the door, kept repeating over and over; “Allez vous-en! Allez vous-en! Sapristi! That’s all right!” He could speak a little Spanish, and also a language which nobody understood, unless it was the mocking-bird that hung on the other side of the door. . “ (p. 11) As we continue to read the novel we understand that Edna is the parrot wanting to break free and independent and that Mademoiselle Reisz is the mocking-bird because she seems to be the only other character in the novel that can truly understand Edna as a person and her feelings. This caged bird in the very beginning of the novel shows Edna’s internal confinement that societal expectations have on her. It also shows her inability to take flight and fly in her own direction. Caged birds are Chopin’s more literal symbols with the birds; later in the novel she uses wings to enhance the idea of the birds. Mademoiselle Reisz “felt my shoulder blades to see if my wings were strong, she said. ‘The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings. It is a sad spectacle to see the weaklings bruised, exhausted, fluttering back to earth” This quote from Reisz shows her understanding of Edna’s need to go beyond tradition and society, but she also wants Edna to know that she must have strong wings. This may also foreshadow Edna’s downfall. When Edna walks along the beach she sees a wounded bird. “A bird with a broken wing was beating the air above, reeling, fluttering, circling disabled down, down to the water” by the end of the novel Edna has essentially become this bird. She is not as strong as Reisz had thought and she cannot bear the burden of Robert’s frightened love and her inability to reach her full awakening and experience the life she longs for. She falls from the pressures she has built up, and like the bird she becomes broken and weak. Even though she tries to put up a fight she ends up in the water, drowning like the bird.
Kristin,
DeleteI like that when talking about the bird symbolism, you mentioned the wings in particular. I love that quote you used "felt my shoulder blades to see if my wings were strong." I think that that line is not only very powerful, but also essential to the ideas you presented in your blog of Edna's "Internal confinement that societal expectations have on her." I think that Edna can definitely be related to a bird this entire novel, and this all starts with the very first lines of the book in Chapter one. I think the caged birds really set the tone for the rest of the book.
You really picked out some nice quotes to enhance your ideas, Kristin. I agree with you completely.
Nice blog!
Kristin,
DeleteI like how you went into the bird symbolism it was very helpful to read some of the important points that you brought up. I really like how you compare her falling to the falling of the bird. I know that seems so simple, but it is so interesting with the way she compares everything. The whole book I kept wondering why would Chopin pick birds as such and important symbolism, when there are so many other animals. Ones that are known for their courage or strength, the two things that Edna portrays in this book, then I thought harder about it and realized it is more about Edna really opening up and awakening. This is exactly what birds do with there feathers. They may seem like small fragile animals with no special talents but then they open their wings and we can see their true colors. Their wings are often time full of brilliant colors and the can fly, Just like Edna they take leaps of faith and fly. I really like the way you helped show the symbolism, but even more i love how Chopin picked such a common bird and made it so special.
Kristin,
DeleteI enjoyed reading your blog. I read it after Laira’s blog and it seemed to enhance the knowledge that I had already read in hers so that is good. Anyway, as I read your blog I really thought about how much Chopin wants the reader to understand the life of Edna. As I told Laira we are blessed that we have so many opportunities. You mentioned the “societal expectations” that were placed on Edna. We do not really have as severe expectations for women as the Creole society did. Yes we expect women to take care of their children, to cook, clean, and love their husband’s, but in this day and age it is not looked down upon as much as it was in Edna’s life. Edna essentially left her husband. Today that happens daily. Women leave their husbands all the time. I am not saying that women should leave their husband’s whenever they feel like it, but it just shows that women are so different now. I think that part of the reason that women leave their husband’s more is because they can support themselves. In the past, women were not able to support themselves, but now that women go to college and earn jobs they can support themselves so they do not need to rely on a man which gives them more freedom. I do not think that women should just leave their husbands like Edna did. I understand that she dealt with a domineering dad and then married into a society where she was very confined. This would probably become annoying and one would probably feel like a caged bird, but no one forced Edna to get married and have children. She got married to spite her dad. She could have tried to learn about herself before she married, but she had to get back at her dad. It is not her children’s fault or her husband’s fault that she got married; it was her choice. I do not think that it is okay for women to leave their husband’s while they figure out who they really are. If you do not know who you are then you should not be deciding who you want to spend the rest of your life with. You need to have some idea of who you are and what you want or you may become someone that does not get along with their husband and you will have a bad marriage. We need to be accountable for our decisions. We all need to think about the consequences that come with our actions before we proceed. Kristin, you are right the was really symbolic of Edna’s entire journey throughout the novel.
Kristin,
DeleteI agree with you that the birds were definitely the most, if not important, but stand-out motifs throughout the novel. Chopin used the idea and symbol of the birds so well; to me she pretty much breaks Edna down into a bird and speaks of how she needs strong wings if she is going to be successful in her attempts to become a free woman. Sadly, Edna did not have quite strong enough wings to do that, and collapses under all of the trouble and turmoil she is facing in her life, choosing to end her suffering on her own terms by letting the sea take her away. I really felt a strong link to your blog Kristin, as I basically talked about some of the same topics. I guess great minds think alike, as they say (ha ha).
To me the motif that stood out the most and really connected with was the idea and theme of birds. Throughout the story birds are used for symbolism and I think play a vital part throughout the story. Birds are something that everyone knows everywhere and can understand the symbolism.
ReplyDeleteThe first sentence of the story starts out with a sentence about birds, “A green and yellow parrot, which hung in a cage outside the door, kept repeating over and over: ‘ Allez vous-en! Allez vous-en! Sapristi! That’s all right!’ ( page 11, chapter 1; the first sentence.) This bird in the cage serves as a constant reminder to Edna’s entrapment. The bird cannot spread its wings and fly freely as a bird should. Edna cannot be free either.
“The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings. It is a sad spectacle to see the weaklings bruised, exhausted, fluttering back to earth.” (Chapter 27, page 116; fourth paragraph.) This is my personal favorite throughout the entire book. Mademoiselle Reisz said this to Edna. She is saying that Edna must be strong to take this journey like a bird does the first time it takes flight. It is a scary thing. If Edna is not strong enough to follow through with this she will become wounded like the bird. I think it’s a truly amazing and symbolic quote.
And from chapter 9, bottom of page 43 and top of page 44, “When she heard it there came before her imagination the figure of a man standing beside a desolate rock on the seashore. He was naked. His attitude was one of hopeless resignation as he looked toward a distant bird winging its flight away from him.” When I first read this quote I got the idea that the bird flying way from him is something that we see but we cannot quite grab, it’s just in our reach but slipping through our grasp. Edna is struggling with her awakening. She can have it or is she going to let it slip through her reach. This also could be foreshadowing at the end Edna takes off her clothes before she goes out to the sea. Without clothes she is getting rid of the weight that she bears.
The final quote is from Chapter 29, page 120; “Ellen is afraid to mount the ladder. Joe is working over at the ‘pigeon house’- that’s the name Ellen gives it, because it’s so small looks like a pigeon house- and someone has to do this.” A pigeon house is a place where birds are domesticized and kept cooped up inside for the benefit of the people. This is symbolic because Edna was trapped and kept cooped up she is no longer doing what pleases everyone but herself.
It is clearly evident that birds are symbolic throughout the story as are many other things. Edna was awakened and birds were used to help that idea and explain some complications that Edna may encounter.
Laira, I almost thought about blogging about birds and then I saw you and a few others had blogged about it and I picked my second choice. I loved your second quote it was one of my favorites as well. I also enjoyed how Mademoiselle Reisz grabbed Edna by the shoulder blades when saying this; it really adds an extra emphasis to the scenario. I find it slightly disappointing that you did not reflect upon the importance of the owl in chapter three, however. I found that bird confusing and I could not put a meaning behind it until this morning while brushing my teeth. It finally hit me that owls are wise and nocturnal. They are awake at night when others are not symbolizing Edna’s awakening through restlessness. Also, the night can refer to more than just the night, but people being dormant to the societal changes that Edna was waking up to. The pigeon-house was a good point, though. I like how you described a pigeon house as “a place where birds are domesticized and kept cooped up inside for the benefit of the people.” This can also refer how Mr. Pontellier made an excuse to her new home “for the benefit of the people” or society.
DeleteLaira,
DeleteYou bring up some more interesting points on the motif of birds, as I and so many of our classmates have also chosen to discuss for this week’s blog. One of those points you wrote about was one that I had not talked about so it was most interesting to me. You talked about Edna’s imaginings of the naked man looking longingly at the bird flying away from him. I really like how you said that it is like the man is looking at something that he cannot quite reach, just like how Edna is reaching out for freedom, for a new life, but she cannot quite reach it. You brought up another point that I had not even considered, about how the ‘pigeon-house’is symbolic of how Edna is trapped in her life, not being able to do things for herself but she is expected to act a certain way, and do certain things, and be a certain kind of person and she obviously cannot stand living like this. Edna kind of reminds me a caterpillar. She starts out as a caterpillar and then when she makes her cocoon, or gets married and gets trapped into a certain life, she finds it suffocating, but it is so hard to get out. However, she tries and she tries to spread her wings and break free of the cocoon as she grows and evolves as a person, but she is not strong enough. She is not strong enough to escape completely, and succeeds only in entangling herself in a whole mess of trouble and she cannot handle it. So, rather than continue to suffer, she ends her life by letting the sea take her away.
Laira,
DeleteI liked how you stated the fact that birds are easily related to, because everyone understands them. Another major form of symbolism in this book is the sea. It would be very hard for someone who has never visited a beach to understand the waves and how they could be seductive, calling to Edna. However birds are almost everywhere, so someone reading this novel can understand just how birds need to be free and fly. I also liked your second quote. It really shows foreshadowing of Edna not being strong enough to finish her swim in the ocean.
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ReplyDeleteLaria,
DeleteI agree that the use of birds in the novel really adds to it. They really symbolize Edna’s struggles, awakening, and even her death. The birds at the beginning of the story are Chopin’s attempt to bring the reader into the world of the women at the time, specifically Creole women. She really wants us to understand where she is coming from. If we would not have understood the background of the Creole society then we would not have gotten as much out of the novel as we have. I for one did not know how restricted a Creole woman’s life was. I knew that women had much less freedom in the world. I know that we are all thinking about college and what we want to do with our lives. We are all trying to figure out who we are and where we fit in the world. Many women did not even know that they were different from other women; they all followed basically the same path. Some women would get married and have children. The only difference seemed to be if they were rich or poor and the amount of children that they had. We are so blessed to be able to be ourselves; each living our own unique life. I also agree that the quote that Madame Reisz said to Edna was very profound. I absolutely loved it just like you! It is so true, and not just with Edna’s situation. It is true in our lives. We are going out into the real world soon; even now we have more responsibility. We need to be strong if we want to succeed. We cannot falter. Maybe this week in class, after our testing is complete, we should see if the Advanced English III class has strong wings. I enjoyed reading your blog! I interpreted the quote with the naked man and the bird differently than you. I think that it shows how Edna is trying to fly away from Leonce. She is trying to stay out of his reach, and out of reach of maternal duties. Your insight also makes sense, but that is how I interpreted the quote. Great quotes!
In Kate Chopin’s novel, The Awakening, we experience the life of a young Victorian era mother who is struggling to discern her place in the world. She is trying to break free from the snares of society becoming her own being and not merely someone’s wife or a bird in a cage. Edna Pontellier goes through the transformation of her awakening, rising from an oppressed, obedient wife and mother to an independent imperial woman. Edna strives to become her own person in this novel just as Queen Victoria of England was an independent source of authority for her country. Women were not considered able to be of much use in affairs outside of the home. However, Queen Victoria is a prime example of women becoming more in this era. Edna, too, becomes more than simply Mrs. Pontellier in this novel. As seen in chapter thirty, page 125 (in our books), “There was something in her attitude, in her whole appearance when she leaned her head against the high-backed chair and spread her arms, which suggested the regal woman, the one who rules, who looks on, who stands alone.” One cannot help but imagine one of the hundreds of history book queens we have seen with a scepter or sword in one hand and sovereign’s orb in the other. Yet again Edna’s queenly freedom is seen of the next page when Mademoiselle Reisz whispers “Bonne nuit, ma reine; soyez sage,” or “Good night, my queen; be good.” This sentence also reveals that Edna’s judgment is not always the best and gives a sense of foreshadowing in Mademoiselle’s warning to “be good.” Later, in the final chapter of the story Victor is speaking to Mariequita about Edna’s party. Victor claims, “Venus rising from the foam could have presented no more entrancing a spectacle than Mrs. Pontellier, blazing with beauty and diamonds at the head of the board…” (page 157). This quotation compares Edna to Venus (Aphrodite), who is the most beautiful woman to exist. Venus is liberated from the control of men, but rather controls men through her manipulations.
ReplyDeleteMaura,
DeleteI think your blog was good, but I struggled to see what the first quotation led too. Do you think that means that she is a strong woman? Or that she has the sense about her to be one her own? I think this blog could have been a lot better if you had expanded on all of your points. The last quotaion also puzzles me. Yes, it shows that Edna was beautiful, but she never controls the men in her life. She escapes their control but that is about the only thing that quote could have led to, at least for me.
Wow!! Maura,
DeleteThank you for educating me more in a few sentences than the whole whole book did! The three sentences that you pick out to describe your points are really impressive. The way you connected these three points to "queenly freedom" was very abstract and interesting. I was unfamiliar to the connection to Venus in the final chapter and what you said really brings it to life. The comparison of Edna to Aphrodite who manipulated many men is an awesome part of the story that I completely missed! I think that throughout this story Edna, because of her wants and desires, completely messes with the heads of three men. The men being Leonce, Alcee, and Robert Edna uses her striking beauty and soft touch to keep them in her little circle of lust. Obviously, Edna like Venus was liberated from the control of men. This was basically the theme of the entire novel, as men really were the basis of most of the pressure put of by society. This blog was very unique and it really brought a lot of little facts into light for me! Great Job!
Maura, I liked how you saw the “queen” image in the book, because I will admit that I did not. Truthfully, even after reading your blog I did not think that she acted very queenly, as she got involved with various men while her husband was away. She did act very childish, and did not show the maturity that she should have.
DeleteThroughout The Awakening, Kate Chopin utilizes so many different motifs that it is hard to decide just which one to talk about and discuss for my blog. From the sea to all the expectations from all sorts of people and society, to all the mentioning of birds, each motif plays a crucial role in really constructing and showing us Edna’s awakening. However, for the purposes of this blog, I pick the birds. The birds to me have a really great symbolic role in the story.
ReplyDeleteFrom beginning to end, the bird imagery can be seen. On the very first page, of the very first chapter of the novel we get our first glimpse of the symbolism. “A green and yellow parrot, which hung in a cage outside the door, kept repeating over and over; “Allez vous-en! Allez vous-en! Sapristi! That’s all right!” He could speak a little Spanish, and also a language which nobody understood, unless it was the mocking-bird that hung on the other side of the door.” As we discussed in class, this image of the parrot and mocking-bird give us several ideas. The main being that they are both caged, showing us that they are not free to fly around as they please. This to me refers to Edna; she is stuck in her role, with all of society’s expectations weighing upon her shoulders. Also these birds are both birds that can speak but only say things that other people have said. I also think that this really kind of refers to Edna; as she is like restricted in what she is allowed to say and do. This is where Edna is in her role as a wife and mother, in her society’s time. From here on, however, we see Edna begin to break free of her cage, and ‘awaken’, becoming a more independent and free-thinking person.
Edna develops a deeper, closer relationship with Mademoiselle Reisz as the story goes on. Mademoiselle Reisz is the only character throughout the story who really appears to understand Edna and her new-found yearnings for freedom. I really got the feeling that Mademoiselle was trying to help Edna along her path to freedom, but that she was wary because she was not sure if Edna would be able to handle the freedom and all of the aftereffects of acquiring it. We can see this on one of Edna’s visits with Mademoiselle: Mademoiselle Reisz felt my shoulder blades to see if my wings were strong, she said. ‘The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings. It is a sad spectacle to see the weaklings bruised, exhausted, fluttering back to earth”. This is just another piece of bird symbolism from the novel. We see here Mademoiselle comparing Edna to a bird, with wings, and she speaking about how Edna will have to be very strong to be able to survive and live the life she is heading in the direction of. She also in a way warns Edna of what could happen to her if she is not strong enough; she warns her of the consequences of her actions and her new lifestyle that she may face. As we all know from reading the novel, it turns out Edna was unfortunately not strong enough and her life came to an untimely end. Right before her life comes to that end, we see the final bit of bird imagery. As Edna was going towards the ocean she sees “A bird with a broken wing was beating the air above, reeling, fluttering, circling disabled down, down to the water”. As soon as I read this sentence, I immediately had a very strong feeling that Edna was going to die, somehow, someway. This line refers to Edna, as a bird, being to weak to survive, just as Mademoiselle Reisz had warned Edna could happen. Edna could not withstand all of the issues and problems facing her despite her new sense of freedom and lifestyle, so she came down ‘exhausted, fluttering back to earth.’
Scott,
DeleteI agree with you that Mademoiselle Reisz was the person who most understood Edna. Other people, like Adele and her husband, tried to push her back into societys expectations of being a mother. However, I don't necessarily agree that she was "trying to help Edna along her path to freedom". In a way, I think Edna used her as an escape. She went to her house to listen to her play the piano and she could tell her about her drawings, she was also Edna's connection to Robert. I also think the quote was just saying that she knows Edna is strong, but she may also be weak. I think she was trying to support her no matter what she chose, just like any good friend would do for you today.
Also, your last paragraph about the injured bird was good. I guess I never really paid attention to that as much as I should have. Maybe if I had, the ending wouldn't have been such a shock for me.
Throughout the novel, Kate Chopin uses a variety of motifs, such as: the use of birds, sexuality, water, art, and many other things. The motif that I think is most prevalent is the suppression of women. I think that is what really sets Edna’s awakening into action. She wants to be more than what society thinks she should be. Her husband at one point shows what he thinks she should be, "He reproached his wife with her inattention, her habitual neglect of the children. If it was not a mother's place to look after children, whose on earth was it?" This quote shows that men did not think much of their wives. To me this shows that wives were used as instruments of procreation, and not much more. Edna was expected to spend all of her time with her children, much like Adele did. However, Edna was different. She thought different than other women and did not want to be grouped with them. I think she did love her children, but she wanted more than just to be a mother and sit around all day taking care of them. Mothers today don’t even do that, most have jobs and other activities.
ReplyDeleteThe second quote is, "’You are burnt beyond recognition,’ he added, looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage.” This quote shows that women were nothing more than property. Some places even had laws that considered women little about property. Women could not do much outside of the home, and some husbands controlled every aspect of their wives lives. Men wanted the prettiest wives and they wanted them to take care of themselves. Edna had to be the perfect wife and it was expected of her to stay in those boundaries.
The third quote shows Edna’s being something she really is not. “At a very early period she had apprehended instinctively the dual life—that outward existence which conforms, the inward life which questions.” Edna had to follow what was expected of her. She questioned it constantly, and having to be something she was not really pushed her towards her awakening. She realizes that she is much more than a woman trapped in a society that regards her as next to nothing. She wants more in her life and when she finally awakes, she realizes she can have that if she just breaks free of every expectation people have for her and if she is just herself.
Stephanie
DeleteI found it very interesting how you used "suppression of women" as a symbol. Instead of using a singular object as the symbol or motif, you used a type of feeling or action. I feel like this breaks the general rules of the definition of 'motif,' but I like it! I really agree with you to the fact that that if you were to pick the most prominent motif in the story it would have to be the different ways in which Edna is suppressed by the society that she lives. I think that because of the theme of the story is obviously "the awakening" the major motif would have to be the thing that propels Edna towards the Awakening, and I think that the suppression is what does this the most throughout the story. I think that the quotations you chose did a nice job of showing how the world around her held her to a standard that she was not comfortable with. This was a blog that offered a very interesting perspective from the common "water" theme of motif. Great work!
Stephanie, I liked your analysis on your last quote, but I want to add something to it. It is true that we should want to better ourselves, and to move up in life. It’s called ambition, and it’s what makes everything go (literally, because we wouldn’t have the inventions today if not for brave people that step up to the challenge). But we still need to be careful - throwing caution to the winds is never a good plan, and I think this is what Edna did. If she was more careful, then she probably wouldn’t have gotten into so much trouble and wouldn’t have ended her life.
DeleteStephanie,
DeleteYou picked a very unique topic to blog about. It is not a common symbol that I thought about through the novel, but thinking back and reading your blog, it is one idea that should have been more prevalent throughout the story, because it is one reason for Edna’s wanting to break free of society and be her own person. I do have to disagree on your statement that Leonce did not think much of his wife because she is suppose to be taking care of the children. Leonce worked during the day so there needed to be someone to take care of THEIR children. Edna should not have relied solely on the nanny, if she was home they are her children and she should be taking care of them while Leonce is away. It is her moral duty to take care of them.
I do like your statement that Edna feels that she has to do what society expects of her, which causes her awakening. This concept may be hard for some to understand because in today’s society, people do what they want and do not worry about being judged. Edna being a woman living in the wrong time period, is a rare person indeed. If she lived in today’s society, some of the things she did during the last year of her life would not have seemed so extreme. Good blog Steph.
Kate Chopin’s Awakening is full of symbolic meanings and further thought incorporated in even the smallest chapters. Two of the main uses of symbolism include the sea and birds, however the contrast of the woman in black and the two lovers are a good use of motif in this novel. They represent darkness and lightness along with Edna’s desires and they parallel her life.
ReplyDeleteBlack and white are commonly used as a contrast. Black being more dark and depressing, while white is more free and happy. I believe that these two sets of people in the background can be used to contrast not only to each other, but to Edna as well. One way being that two lovers are full of happiness, and they are something that Edna wants very much throughout the entire novel. Not exactly their love, but their happiness in life. Unfortunately, Edna’s awakening sometimes brings sadness, which can be represented by the woman in black. The two sets of people in the background may not be main characters to the novel, but they are still important to Edna’s life. On page 33, "Two young lovers were exchanging their heart's yearning beneath the children's tent, which they had found unoccupied." This is just one time where Edna saw in the two lovers what true happiness was between a couple, something she and Leonce did not have. Edna however did not find her happiness in this novel in a relationship, but in the finding of herself.
The two lovers can also contrast the two paths a person can take in life: the single life and the married life. To me, when I picture the woman in black, I see a catholic nun in her dark dress and devotion to prayer. The first example can be seen at the start of the story on page 12 “the woman in black was walking demurely up and down, tell her beads”. Also on page 33, the text states "the lady in black was reading her morning devotions on the porch of a neighboring bathhouse". In a more simple form a single person represents the woman in black, while the two lovers represent the married life. These two separate lives are both experienced in Edna. Although Edna technically has a perfect life like the two lovers, she does not see it that way. In reality, she finds her peace in the single life like the woman in black.
There are positive and negative forces working on Edna throughout her life. Most characters are negative forces on her, like Leonce or work Positive forces on her, like Robert. The woman in black and the two lovers however, can be viewed as both positive and negative forces that always linger over Edna. They bring on positive ideas such as finding happiness, and negative aspects like leaving her family to find this happiness. They can be viewed in different ways, but in the end all decisions were made by Edna.
Abby,
DeleteI like how you brought the two lovers and the woman in black into the picture. All three played key roles in how Edna's mood was affected. The two lovers, like you said, symbolized love and companionship. I think that was what Edna wanted most. She wanted to be loved for who she was and accepted for her individualism. The woman in black most definitely reminds me of a nun as well. I think of nuns as women who devote their whole lives to living religiously, letting go of many hopes and dreams they may have once had for themselves. Edna might have seen her in the same respect. She could have been afraid that she, by living the life she currently led, would end up living in solitude and following a schedule.
One of the themes that is used a lot in the Awakening is that of mothering. In chapter four, page 21, the author comes out and tells us that “In short, Mrs. Pontellier was not a mother-woman.” She does not necessarily dislike her children, but she certainly doesn’t love them. When one of her children gets hurt while playing, they have learned to just brush themselves off and move on, because they know that their mother will not feel any sympathy for them. She prefers the company of adults, and enjoys her time with her grown up friends. This is evident in chapter 7, page 31, when “… Edna had prevailed upon Madame Ratignolle to leave the children behind…” She convinces her friend to leave the children at home so they wouldn’t have to deal with them, and watch over them. Madame Ratignolle is a more caring mother than Edna, as she budgets her time evenly with them and her friends. She is also always making something for her family, unlike Edna who uses her time to paint and sketch for herself. But in the end, Edna’s view of mothering changes, and she cares a lot more for her children. She actually misses them when they spend time in Iberville, and enough that she goes and visits them. In chapter 32, page 133, she said “It was with a wrench and a pang that Edna left her children.” I think that this could have been because she knew deep down that she would not see them again, even if she consciously did not know that she would kill herself. It is like the saying that you will never miss something until it’s gone. I think that another aspect of the mothering theme would be in Mademoiselle Reisz. She is like a mother to Edna through her difficult time. Edna goes to her apartment to listen to her play the piano, and to just relax the worry that builds up inside of her. Edna tells Mademoiselle Reisz almost everything and really respects her, though sometimes she doesn’t really like her. They definitely have a mother-daughter relationship.
ReplyDeleteLinnea,
DeleteEdna was obviously not the best mother to her children. But was anyone during that time? Motherhood back then was usually left to the nanny, especially in the upper class households like the Pontellier's. Thankfully, Edna regains a sense of parenthood after Adele's labor experience. As Edna was leaving, Adele told her to remember the children.She goes to visit them in the hopes to regain a sense of her old self. The relationship between Mademoiselle Reisz and Edna could have been filling the void of motherhood lacking in Edna's life.
The short novel, “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin has as much symbolism within its short chapters as you could possibly want in any type of writing. From seductive water, to free birds, to enlightening paintings Chopin has a way of using everyday sights and sounds and making them connect to strong feelings of different desires inside of our protagonist Edna. There are many motifs that Chopin is very open with and makes quite obvious, such as the use of water in which is brought up again and again. One motif that comes to my mind that isn’t so obvious is the use of letters, as in letters in the mail from Robert to other characters in the book. When Edna reads letters from Robert we experience some of the most intense feelings in the whole story. Sometimes the letters fill Edna with a rush of anger when she realizes that she was not summoned upon directly by him. Then at another time Edna is left on the floor weeping at the words Robert has written to Madame Reisz. We can see that letters from Robert were obviously reoccurring and the emotions that poured from Edna as she read them definitely advanced the overall theme of the novel throughout the story by making it very clear how strong the feelings between the two characters were.
ReplyDeleteThe most powerful motif to develop the theme of the story in my eyes is “open spaces” usually by the simple object of “water.” Let’s first discuss the theme of the novel. I would be fairly confident to say that the unanimous decision would be freedom as the theme of the novel as related to Edna’s awakening. Often when we are brought to Edna’s awakening we are brought to the sea shore and we think of the vast space that you can look out upon when you are looking out into the open ocean. In the sea there are no limits you can swim as far as you could possibly dream of without any pressure from anything at all. Let’s now look at some key quotes from the story that back up the idea of open spaces and freedom using water. "The voice of the sea is seductive, never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude, to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation.” This quote is found on page 29 and really shows the attraction of Edna to the water. Not too many people would consider the sea to be seductive, but it is obvious that there is a strong want for the water by Edna. “she spent much of her time in the water since she had acquired finally the art of swimming.” This is a quote from paragraph 16 that shows that Edna spent much of her time in the water infatuated by her new found skill of swimming. Once she has learned to swim in the vastness of the sea’s waters she cans seem to want to spend her time doing anything else, once again showing the reader that something about the water entices her greatly. Later on in the story the motif of water is brought up again when Chopin refers to the tide around Edna’s feet as “coiled like serpents.” Serpents in the bible are devil like creatures that lure people towards wrong things. And the desirable freedom of the sea is pulling Edna towards things considered “wrong” in the eye of common members of society. The comparison of water to serpents makes a clear connection that the water is one of the main things that is pulling Edna toward her non-conforming awakening.
Mitchell,
DeleteEdna Pontellier undergoes a change that has the sea in the foreground. In the end, it is what takes her life. Do you think that the sea took her life? or do you think that Edna took her own life? Obviously Edna was weak and distraught but at the same time she wanted to attain complete freedom. Edna's pursuit of complete freedom was obviously futile so she possibly thought that she could only achieve that in the next life. On the other hand, Edna was going through some rough times and lacked the proper desire to do anything really. After Robert's "good-by - because I love you", Edna really had no desire to do anything. (160) In the end, Edna was living her life for Robert, and after he resisted, she simply knew that a complete awakening was not possible. The seductive sea could provide that though. The weak Edna could have possibly took it up on its offer. Which do you lean toward more?
Mitchell,
DeleteI never thought of the letters being used as symbols, but that is a very good observance by you. I also liked how you brought up the topic of open spaces. That is another symbol I never gave thought to. In my own life, an open space can often mean that there is room for improvement. Not being bound by certain restrictions and limitations allows me to let myself be who I am and do so in my own ways. I can understand the emotions Edna must have felt when she looked out into the vast, open waters of the sea.
The motifs of this short but sweet novel really drove the plot forward while creating a colorful depth. The sea is motif that struck me as the most interesting. The foreshadowing is clever. Many of my peers have thus far covered the motif of the sea and how it relates to Edna. I will delve deeper into the sea and its relation to the end of the story and Edna's demise.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the story, it became evident that the sea represented freedom and escape. Each and every time she 'braved' the sea, she was alone. The often times treacherous journey was only bearable by the strong Edna. So it seems that Edna did several tasks by herself. This simply accompanies her independent motivation.
In the end, Edna was naked, alone, and still very much bold. The nakedness adds to her freedom and rebirth. When one is born, he or she is naked. They are completely free and alive. Edna, in her own mind, saw this experience as her final awakening. The protagonist "felt like some new-born creature, opening its eyes in a familiar world that it had never known." (159) Similar to when one is baptized, Edna was cleansed with the waters of the sea. With this new feeling of nakedness along with the cleansing powers of the water, Edna was ready to enter the final part of her journey.
Earlier, Edna had the strength to swim back from her swim out to sea. While on her final swim, Edna "remembered the night she swam far out, and recalled the terror that seized her at the fear of being unable to regain the shore." (159) As Edna recalled, she once had the strength to return to her old ways but not now. Edna's current state of complete rebellion would not allow her to return to her corrupt lifestyle. Her facade of being strong was disproved by final swim, which took her life. It all boils down to the social norms. Edna tried to break away but was obviously unsuccessful. During that time, it may have been advisable to accept the world around her. The clash in Edna's mind lead to her demise.
In the closing paragraph of the story, the reader sees Edna's glimmer of hope still inside of her. Edna "looked into the distance, and the old terror flamed up for an instant, then sank again." (160) Now naked and free, Edna's opportunity to be fully awakened had fully presented itself, assisted by her rebellion of conformity, Edna drifted on into her dream.
Dearest Ryan,
DeleteI believe that what you called Edna's last glimpse of hope was false hope. I think it was a remembrance of her return to her old ways earlier in the book and for an instant, she remembered that old hope. Then reality set in again and she knew that she could not be happy unless she was free. The sea was her only way out, her only source of freedom, and her only escape.
The Awakening is a very traditional, but radical novel. It was banned from publication for years because of the storyline it possesses. Women were seen differently than they are today, but that did not come without hard work and struggle. Kate Chopin’s writing is intriguing and to-the-point in her own way. She rarely comes out and says directly her thoughts, but rather uses symbolism to express what she wishes to go unsaid.
ReplyDeleteThe theme that I picked up the most on was Chopin’s use of the sea and the birds. Instead of choosing only one theme to describe, I would like to elaborate on both since they seem to tie in together.
In the first chapter, the parrot’s squawking leads to the sentence “He could speak a little Spanish, and also a language which nobody understood…” (p.11) What this sentence reveals already is that Edna, like the parrot, has her own language which no one understood her whole life. Her constant depression and quick changes of mood seem to have gone unnoticed by almost everyone around her. Unlike Edna, women of her time were thought to be mother-women. “It was easy to know them, fluttering about with extended, protecting wings when any harm, real or imaginary, threatened their precious brood.” (p. 21) The description of the mother-women shows how different Edna was than the others. She did love her children, but the love that a bird has for her young was not alive in Edna. In her final moment, her own protecting wings were not enough to save her. Or were they?
“The voice of the sea is seductive; never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation.” (p. 29) Edna felt a great attraction to the sea. She would often lose herself in peering out across the never-ending body of water. Nothing was there to stop it. It seemed to go on forever. While Edna swam for the first time one night, the description “But to her unaccustomed vision the stretch of water behind her assumed the aspect of a barrier which her unaided strength would never be able to overcome” (p. 46), really states that Edna felt there was something restraining her freedom. This quotation is an obvious foreshadow of the end of Edna’s life. Or did her life not end?
The two questions I have asked were those that I asked myself. In saying that her “wings” did not protect her means that she fell due to weakness. I do not think that to be the case at all. I think that she let herself go as a statement of self-identity and freedom. Also, by saying that Edna’s life ended, means that her physical life was over. That may be true. I think that Edna’s new, free life was only began that night in the sea, when she spread her wings and let herself soar.
Kristy,
DeleteI agree that these two themes intertwine throughout the book. I think that Chopin does a great job in tying all of the themes and symbols together throughout the course of the book. The sea can represent freedom, which is connected to rebellion, or it can be viewed as a symbol for cleanliness and rebirth, which supports the theme of awakening that the whole book is based upon. Birds further add to the backdrop and mood of the novel, also tying into the symbols associated with Edna and the sea.
Kristy,
DeleteI love your blog. I could not agree with you more. In fact, my entire essay was done on the bird and on the sea. They just seem so key. Chopin makes a good use of her symbolism in the bird. It is a free entity that watches and guides Edna through the story. The sea is the temptress that calls to her and begs her to simply give in. In the final chapter, the sea is even compared to a serpent. Obviously, the two play into Edna's life more than she even realizes it. These two components help enhance our reading and give us a great amount of intel into the ways of Edna's mind. Great blog!
As I read this book, I noticed the reoccurring theme of freedom. Throughout the novel, Edna went on this journey of self-discovery in which she sought freedom. She wished to be free of the barriers and encasements of society and her husband and children. Her yearning for freedom is made evident through her rebellious actions. Every action she took was an attempt to escape. Even her desire for Robert was an attempt to escape her unhappiness and enslavement. From their love Robert wanted marriage but Edna wanted an escape. By chapter 36 Edna declares herself free. She says that she is “no longer one of Mr. Pontellier’s possessions to dispose of or not” (page 150) in response to Robert’s wishing that he should set her free. The theme of freedom is intertwined through other symbolisms and themes in the book. For example, the theme of rebellion is a cause of her extreme want for freedom. I also interpreted the sea to stand for freedom because “the voice of the sea is seductive” (page 29) just like the mere thought of freedom was seductive to her. In the end, Edna surrenders herself to the sea in turn, surrendering herself to sweet freedom. At the end of her journey, she decides that she is her own and can belong to no one but the sea, and freedom. She executes what she believes to be her only alternative and blames it on her slavery because her husband and children “need not have thought that they could possess her body and soul.” Edna finally sets herself free to the depths of the sea, and the depths of the universe.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, Maria, the first theme I had also thought of was freedom. It seems to be such a key component of the story. Edna spends the entire length of the novel looking for her own version of freedom. It is only in the end, like you said, that she finds freedom in the sea. As we read the novel, we see how everyone expects different things of Edna and all she wants is to be herself. I applaud her struggles to find it but find that I cannot support the way she frees herself. Great blog!
DeleteMaria,
DeleteI really loved your blog and I'm not just saying that. I think that you hit the nail on the head, when you called her actions rebellion. I often think that a person with really strict parents often rebel more. I think that this true of Edna, as she was held back by her husband and society instead of just her parents. Freedom is something she strived for until her end I think we can all relate to her search if we think about it. We are constantly worrying about other people's thoughts and not our own freedom, however when a person such as Edna earns it, it is appreciated more.
Well, most of my topics have already been discussed so I'm sorry but I may seem a bit repetitive. Chopin wrote a magnificent book that had plenty of themes and imagery. Many of the topics that she covered in her novel The Awakening led to its blacklisting. For years it was forbidden. Now, we can look at it as a great piece of literature with many great topics for discussion.
ReplyDeleteWhat I would actually like to talk about is the comparison between birds and freedom. I did not realize until I really stopped to think about it how much of a role birds played in Edna's freeing herself from societal bonds. Now, in retrospect, I wonder how I ever missed it. It may be one of the most important symbols used in the book.
Even from the very beginning of the book, the very first line in the very first chapter, birds are used to symbolize freedom. “A green and yellow parrot, which hung in a cage outside the door, kept repeating over and over; “Allez vous-en! Allez vous-en! Sapristi! That’s all right!”” As we stated before in class, this bird is the symbol of Edna at the beginning of the novel. It is trapped eternally in its cage and can only repeat what it has heard. It cannot voice thoughts of its own. As the story progresses, we never hear of this bird again. We only hear of magnificent birds flying high above the earth and sea, the free birds Edna wanted to become.
But Edna could not originally become like these birds. Pressed down by society, she had to put her wings to better use and be a mother. “It was easy to know them, fluttering about with extended, protecting wings when any harm, real or imaginary, threatened their precious brood.” (p. 21) She was forced to become a mother and use her wings to protect her children. She eventually breaks free from this mold though and uses her wings to soar in the sky. By abandoning others, she gains the freedom she wants. She can do what she wants and go as she wishes. She discards the thoughts of becoming a mother-woman and simply is herself.
My personal favorite comparison to the bird is this. “The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings. It is a sad spectacle to see the weaklings bruised, exhausted, fluttering back to earth.” (p.116) As I said in class, I compare it to the story of Daedalus and Icarus. They, in order to escape a prison, built wings of feather and wax. But when they flew too high, the wings crumbled and they fell to the earth, shattered. It is her weakness that leads to her downfall in the end I believe. The two stories follow a similar pattern of doing anything for freedom but once having it going too far.
The birds mimic Edna’s progression from a caged parrot or mockingbird to a soaring bird high above the water. These birds help symbolize Edna’s freedom in the novel. Without them, the book would lack a serious literary element.
Alex,
DeleteYour sentence "Pressed down by society, she had to put her wings to better use and be a mother" was extremely influential to the rest of your blog.I think that it is completely true that she was pressed down by society. I think Edna has so much more to offer the world than she would have gotten the chance to if she didn't break free and fly away from everything she was forced into.
I think that Kate Chopin’s short novel The Awakening, she creates a world that can be related to in many ways. I first really hated the book; I thought it was all about some miserable middle-aged women who was nothing extraordinary. All bad first impressions aside, I loved the book the end, in fact the end made the book for me. A once feeble, meek woman grew into an independent, brave one. It is quite inspiring for myself even in today’s society. I think that this is a predomiiant motif
ReplyDeleteBack in the good old day, Edna was a classic example of what their society was like. She was trapped in her life by other’s expectations; her husband, her children, her friends and family. Her husband Leonce, I think was the most influential character. She was taken advantage of by him. Always doing what he wanted, even when he woke her up in the middle of the night to just talk to her frivolously. He depends on her to fulfill his whims and when she doesn’t, he becomes extremely enraged with her. Especially when it involves the children; “"He reproached his wife with her inattention, her habitual neglect of the children. If it was not a mother's place to look after children, whose on earth was it?". In some ways I see Leonce’s point, even if he was harsh in his delivery. Which reminds me of what my dad always says, it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. Well it is true that a mother needs to take care of her children, but it shouldn’t just be because she has to but because she wants to with human compassion.
Caring for children is a mother’s first instinct, as we see in nature when the mother bear attacks anything that gets close to her cubs. It’s understandable for society to feel like Edna should put her family first, as that idea is even carried into today’s society. Edna, however, realizes it and still fights it. Edna says “I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children; but I wouldn't give myself. I can't make it clearer; it's only something which I am beginning to comprehend, which is revealing itself to me." At first a mind twister, I love this and can completely relate to it. Edna finds enough self-respect not to give up herself, but she would give everything else. Edna realizes he dreams at this point and I’m almost proud of her, as she goes against the current and swims away from society.
As Edna continues on her awakening journey, she finds things to do for herself like painting.Edna at this point completely broke away from society’s standards “Edna looked straight before her with a self-absorbed expression upon her face. She felt no interest in anything about her. The street, the children, the fruit vender, the flowers growing there under her eyes, were all part and parcel of an alien world which had suddenly become antagonistic” Edna not only broke away from society but now she hates it. She feels no longer a part of it, which is clearly illustrated in her final choice at the end. I think in the end Edna was determined to break free of her restrictions and she really would and did anything to get just that.