Awakening

Awakening

Thesis statement

The writer though wanting to portray the feminist struggle in a favorable light fails to do so because of the many weaknesses that are rampant in her main protagonist character. Rather than speak in favor of feminism, the novel goes on to suggest the absurdity in feminist claims.

Discussion

The time setting of the novel takes place in the 19th century when the society had imposed restrictions on the women which are not in place today. The role of women at that time consisted of caring after her husband and grooming the children. She was expected to be a virgin before marriage and after marriage; she was supposed to show obedience towards her husband. Any deviation from this assigned role constituted a violation of the social norms which would generally result in attracting criticism. Most of the women continued to abide by the social norms, but still ached for gaining more and more independence. This was the historical setting in which novel was written.

Chopin in writing the novel defies the societal norms of her time as she employs her characters and their attitudes to converse on gender in a feminist rhetoric. The changes that the main characters undergo, the imagery, the plot and last of all Edna's suicide are all used to portray a feminist point of view (Ringe, 1972). The society at the time the novel was written required of the woman to confine their roles to being a housewife and a caring mother. The novel relays this stance of the society towards women. This is depicted through the characters of Edna, Madam Reisz, Leonce and Madam Ratignolle. The first two characters are used to illustrate what was acceptable to the society, while the last two characters reflect female desires that were then disguised in the society.

Edna's husband plays the role of a typical man of his time. He regards his wife as being one of his world possessions and desires of her to carry the same approach as desired by the society. The following line best illustrates his attitude towards his wife.

"Looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of property which has suffered some damage" (Chopin 3). For him, his wife is just one of his possessions.

"He greatly valued his possessions, chiefly because they were his" (Chopin 67).

He regards Edna's role as being caring for the children.

"If it was not a mother's place to look after her children, whose on earth was it? (Chopin 6).

This is the husband that Chopin sketches would be dictating Edna and Edna would rebel in a feminist fashion. Chopin describes his reaction on his wife's newly founded illusion as becoming discouraged which leads him to claim "She's got some sort of notion in her head concerning the eternal rights of women; and-you understand-we meet in the morning at the breakfast table." (Chopin 88).Chopin tries to explain that it was due to the historical setting, and the social norms and cultures followed at that time that he was ...