"The Awakening"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses Kate Chopin's novel, "The Awakening." It begins by discussing the life of the author, in order to give us a background into the ideas that are presented in her book. The paper then discusses the book, in terms of its elements of feminism, patriarchy, child-rearing and sexuality. The paper ends with a message for men to read Chopin's book due to its current pertinence to male-female dynamics.

From the Paper:

"Is the typical American male today ready to accept a woman who might rebel against the things her husband expects of her? As for the character Edna, rather than follow the strict Victorian dictates of her wealthy husband, she tasted the fruits of extra marital relations because, in Chopin's words, Edna was attracted to "the animalism that stirred impatiently within her" (Chopin 78). According to Chopin's novel, because she was expected to follow the patriarchal demands of her husband, she became stronger as she escaped his clutches: "Every step which she took toward relieving herself from obligations added to her strength as an individual," the author writes (Chopin 93). "She began to look with her own eyes; to see and to apprehend the deeper undercurrents of life.""

Sample of Sources Used:

• Biggs, Mary. "'Sit u savais': The Gay/Transgendered Sensibility of Kate Chopin's The Awakening." Women's Studies, 33 (2004) 145-181.
• Chopin, Kate. The Awakening. London: The Woman's Press, 1977.
• Gray, Jennifer B. "The Escape of the 'Sea': Ideology and The Awakening." Southern Literary Journal / University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 37.1 (2004), 53-73.
• Tompkins, Jane P. "'The Awakening': An Evaluation." Feminist Studies 3.3/4 (1976): 22-29.

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