Ednas Awakening Essay -- essays papers

Ednas AwakeningKate Chopins The Awakening is a work oflitature like none other I accept read. It is nothard to imagine why this major work of Chopins wasbanished for decades not long by and by its initialpublication in 1899. Most of society did not likethe fact that The Awakenings main character, EdnaPontellier, went against the socially acceptablerole of women at that time. At that time inhistory, women did just what they were expected todo. They were expected to be dangerous daughters, goodwives, and good mothers. Edna seemed to fit thismold at first, but eventually as the story developsEdna breaks free from that mold. Edna chose to do what society expected of her,she marries, and leaves her fantasies and dreams inthe depths of the shadows. The meridian of bliss, whichwould have been a marriage with the tragedian, wasnot for her in this world. As the devoted wife of aman who worshiped her, she felt she would take herplace with a sealed dignity in the world ofreality, closing the portals forever behind herupon the realm of romance and dreams. Aftermarriage, Edna faced the expectations of motherhoodand being a devoted mother, after all if it wasnot a mothers place to look after children, whoseon earth was it?The outward appearance of Ednas life lookedperfect, she was the envy of many women. And theladies, selecting with dainty and greatfingers and a little greedily, all declared thatMr. Pontellier was the best husband in the world.Mrs. Pontellier was forced to admit she knew ofnone better. The cover of her life was apicture of a fairy tale, but inside, the pages werefilled with the emptiness and the loneliness shewas feeling. During that ... ...obert, but he will not because it will disgraceher to leave her husband. Now, the wings that onceheld such possibilities for her new life wereshattered and a bird with a broken wing wasbeating the air above, reeling, fluttering,circling, disabled down, down to the water.In the end Edna takes a death walk down to thebeach. When she arrives at the shore, she caststhe unpleasant pricking garments from her. Thissymbolizing the shedding of her unpleasant andpricking life. She could hear the waves invitingher, and She felt like a new-born creature, arising its eyes in a familiar world that it hadnever known. As Edna swims towards eternity she thinks of many things. Now the shorewas far behind and her strength was gone, not onlyto swim, but live. Edna underwent an awakeningand as a result chose the endless sleep of death.