The Awakening

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Brianna Mayoka 9/30/14

AP Literature essay Nolan

Throughout history, women have been fighting for equality and independence. During the 19th century, the typical role for women was to cook, clean, and care for their families. In the novella, The Awakening by Kate Chopin, Edna Pontellier is not the typical woman. She strives throughout the book to become independent; but along the way Edna sacrifices several things and even surrenders in order to reach her full independence. Through characterization and setting, Edna truly affects the entire plot of the novel.

In the novel, Edna strives to be an independent woman. She is extremely selfish but at the same time is trying to become something that she had always wanted to become, independent. Edna cheats on her husband a couple of times in the novel. She is not loyal to her family and cheating is unusual for woman to do during that era.

English: Underwater photograph of a woman plunging...

Illustration for Cheating Français : Illustration...

English: First ed title pg

By doing this, Edna is ultimately sacrificing her marriage in order to reach her independence. By cheating, she feels that it is a way for her to almost escape and she thought by escaping for a brief time she believed she would begin having a free feeling; but she was never satisfied. So even though she was selfish enough to cheat on her husband, just so she could be free she could not escape the feelings of always being trapped.

Edna also sacrifices her children in the novel. Edna shows that she doesn't necessarily care about her children that she cares more about her own happiness. Generally, mothers are so selfless and care more about their children and satisfying their needs before their own. Edna is never really with her children in the novel. The reader hears about them very faintly because Edna...