“the Awakening” from a Feminist Perspective
Running Head: “THE AWAKENING” FROM A FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE
In Kate Chopin’s novel, “The Awakening”, Edna finds herself in a society where women were socially confined to be mothers and wives. This novel embodies the struggle of women in the society for independence along with the presence of women struggling to live up to the demands that their strict culture has placed upon them. A part of Edna wants to meet the standards of mother and wife that society has set, however her biggest desire is to be a woman free from the oppression of a society that is male dominant. Readers will find that the foundation of “The Awakening” the feminist perspective because of the passion that Edna has for gaining her own identity, and independence, which was not customary in the era of the 1800s. Kate Chopin reveals the social construction of the setting in the novel in subtle phrases placed throughout chapter one. Readers start to understand that a male is the dominate gender from the choice of word Chopin uses to describe how Leonce’s expression after Edna returned home from bathing, “looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage” (Chopin, 2005). This description of the husbands expression in chapter one a vital phrase when analyzing the novel from a Feminist Perspective. Leonce viewed Edna as a piece of property that he owned rather than his partner in life. Feminism, in general, is the idea that people regardless of gender, should not oppressed and devalued by being treated as property. Reading further it is evident that, Edna is quite aware of what society expects of her. Because of this awareness of social demands and her own personal desires, Edna begins to struggle with her identity creating an inner turmoil when confronted about the care of their children. Edna becomes so overwhelmed because she is struggle to decide whether she should conform to societies demands of serving her family, or breaking free of
In Kate Chopin’s novel, “The Awakening”, Edna finds herself in a society where women were socially confined to be mothers and wives. This novel embodies the struggle of women in the society for independence along with the presence of women struggling to live up to the demands that their strict culture has placed upon them. A part of Edna wants to meet the standards of mother and wife that society has set, however her biggest desire is to be a woman free from the oppression of a society that is male dominant. Readers will find that the foundation of “The Awakening” the feminist perspective because of the passion that Edna has for gaining her own identity, and independence, which was not customary in the era of the 1800s. Kate Chopin reveals the social construction of the setting in the novel in subtle phrases placed throughout chapter one. Readers start to understand that a male is the dominate gender from the choice of word Chopin uses to describe how Leonce’s expression after Edna returned home from bathing, “looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage” (Chopin, 2005). This description of the husbands expression in chapter one a vital phrase when analyzing the novel from a Feminist Perspective. Leonce viewed Edna as a piece of property that he owned rather than his partner in life. Feminism, in general, is the idea that people regardless of gender, should not oppressed and devalued by being treated as property. Reading further it is evident that, Edna is quite aware of what society expects of her. Because of this awareness of social demands and her own personal desires, Edna begins to struggle with her identity creating an inner turmoil when confronted about the care of their children. Edna becomes so overwhelmed because she is struggle to decide whether she should conform to societies demands of serving her family, or breaking free of