Reasearch Paper

Research Paper
In Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, and Virginia Woolf’s   A Room of One’s Own –{from Chapter Three}[“Shakespeare’s Sister,” both authors present main characters that are misfits in their respective societies. In fact, these authors focus on the theme of their characters’ self identity.   In Chopin’s work, she depicts Edna’s struggle with her self identity as she tries to reject the standar female role of motherhood. Similarly, Woolf portrays the fictional character of Judith who also faces obstacles in determining her own self identity when she runs away from home to become an actress and also to become independent. In this way, both female characters battle to find their true selves despite societal barriers.
In “The Awakening” Edna Pontellier is a respectable woman of the late 1800s who not only acknowledges her sexual desires, but also has the strength and courage to act on them. Breaking through the role appointed to her by society, she discovers her own identity independent of her husband and children. Edna desires her freedom she is in search for her true identity in a patriarchal society that expects women to be nothing more than devoted wives and nurturing mothers. At the beginning of the novel, Edna exists in a sort of semi-conscious state. She is comfortable in her marriage to Leonce and unaware of her own feelings and ambitions. The author uses this quote to best portray the situation Edna is in, “She is not like the Creole woman in being able to continue as along-suffering, self-sacrificing, faithful, and loyal wife and mother when love is gone”(Fletcher pg.194). Edna first begins to realize her unhappiness. The first sign of dissatisfaction is when Edna allows herself to feel that her marriage is unsatisfying, yet she must agree with the other women that Leonce is the perfect husband. She was not happy with her position in life. she admits she married Mr. Pontellier out of convenience rather than love. Edna knew he loved her, but she did... [continues]

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