Which “awakening” is most important to Edna's growth as a character?
The essay revolves around the awakening of one of the central characters, Edna. The essay discusses the novel itself to portray the stages that Edna went through and how the awakening develops in her. Edna feels herself separated from the traditional social norms that according to her were forcefully imposed (Chopin, 1981).
In the beginning, Edna Pontellier spent the well-off holiday with her husband, and their two children on Grand Isle, an island near New Orleans. There they were housed in a common dining and living room. Edna developed a friendship with the 26-year old Robert Lebrun, one of the sons of the landlord Madame Lebrun. Over the summer, Edna realizes that her individual freedom is more important than to be the wife and mother. "Mrs. Pontellier began to realize her position in the universe as a human being, and her relations as to individual to the world within and about her." At a very early period she had apprehended the dual life-that outward existence, which conforms, the secret life (Chopin, 1981)." The awakening that is most important to Edna to grow as a character is “Self-awareness”. This process of self-awareness generates in different stages. There are serious conflicts at this point between Victorian society and she is judged harshly and condemned by almost everyone. She faces a number of conflicts at different stages of life where she gets depresses and generate awareness of failing the expectations laid upon her. Constantly, she wave concerns for her self-development (Chopin, 1981). The awakening that is important for Edna to grow as a character is characterized by the discussion about her life in the novel. The life that is portrayed also suggests Edna's awakening. The Awakening tells the progressive approach to freedom of Edna Pontellier, the wife of a wealthy merchant of New Orleans and mother of two children. While on vacation in Grand Isle, on the southern coast of Louisiana, becomes infatuated with a young man named Robert Lebrun, son of his host, which serves as a companion during his walks through the place, so there is no more than an innocent flirtation upsets the protagonist and thus irrevocably when he returns to New Orleans, Edna discovers that her feelings for Robert are strong, and that his life as he has conceived to date, makes no sense. Her decision to change things will lead ...