Houses as Motif Kate Chopins the Awakening - 2783 Words

Houses as Motifs in Kate Chopin’s The Awakening Linda Catte Dr. Kathryn Warren ENGL 2329: American Literature March 22, 2012 (KateChopin.org.) (Krantz’s Grand Isle Hotel Picture of painting by Tracy Warhart Plaisance) (Reflechir: Vol.1. Les images des prairies tremblantes: 1840-1940 by Chà ©nià ¨re Hurricane Centennial Committee) It is not new or unique that an individual is looking for one’s purpose and meaning in life. Nor is it unique that men and women imitate the norms of society. In Kate Chopin’s novella, The Awakening, Edna Pontellier, the antagonist, knocked against the societal norms of the late 1800’s. Houses represent Edna’s search for her inner self. The houses which Chopin uses in The Awakening come in pairs which contrast†¦show more content†¦7) She desired passion as expressed in her daydreams prior to marriage, â€Å"It was when the face and figure of a great tragedian began to haunt her imagination and stir her senses. The persistence of the infatuation lent it an aspect of genuineness. The hopelessness of it colored it with the lofty tones of a great passion.† (Chopin, ch. 7) But she had no passion in her life. â€Å"As the devoted wife of a man who worshiped her, she felt she would take her place with a certain dignity in the world of reality, cl osing the portals forever behind her upon the realm of romance and dreams.† (Chopin, ch. 7) (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images) Marriage did not bring fulfillment or satisfaction to Edna’s life, nor did being a mother. â€Å"She would sometimes gather them passionately to her heart; she would sometimes forget them.† (Chopin, ch. 7) When her children were away with their grandmother, they were not missed by their mother. â€Å"Their absence was a sort of relief, though she did not admit this, even to herself. It seemed to free her of a responsibility which she had blindly assumed and for which Fate had not fitted her.† (Chopin, ch. 7) What mother forgets her children and does not miss them when they are gone? Edna was searching for meaning in her life, she wanted happiness. (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images) (http://www.loyno.edu/~kchopin/Album10.html)Show MoreRelatedKate Chopin s Life And Feminism1281 Words   |  6 PagesKate Chopin’s Life and Works- Feminism Kate Chopin, born on February 8th, 1850, was a progressive writer in the midst of a conservative and unequal time. She exposed the unfair undertones of society in such a way that made people outrage and condemn some of her works. However, in the early 1900s, her works were examined again and people started to listen to her ideas. One of these main motifs that Chopin’s works kept bringing up were feminism and equality. In The Awakening, Edna Pontellier, a radicalRead More Symbolism in Kate Chopins The Awakening Essay1467 Words   |  6 PagesSymbolism in Kate Chopins The Awakening Chopins The Awakening is full of symbolism.   Rather than hit the reader on the head with blunt literalism, Chopin uses symbols to relay subtle ideas.   Within each narrative segment, Chopin provides a symbol that the reader must fully understand in order to appreciate the novel as a whole.   I will attempt to dissect some of the major symbols and give possible explanations as to their importance within the text.   Art itself is a symbol of both freedomRead MoreThe Awakening By Kate Chopin1633 Words   |  7 Pages1. Title of text (underline novels/plays) author’s name The Awakening by Kate Chopin 2. Characterization Character Development (a) 1.Edna Pontellier- Edna is the main character of the novel who is married to a businessman. 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HerRead More The Awakening and The Yellow Wallpaper2395 Words   |  10 Pages   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kate Chopins story The Awakening and Charlotte Perkins Gilmans story The Yellow Wallpaper draw their power from two truths: First, each work stands as a political cry against injustice and at the socio/political genesis of the modern feminist movement. Second, each text is a gatekeeper of a new literary history. Kate Chopin and Charlotte Perkins Gilman seem to initiate a new phase in textual history where literary conventions are revised to serve an ideology representative of theRead MoreReview Of Edna s 1637 Words   |  7 Pageshas kids who takes care of them and perform her domestic duties. Adele is simple because when Edna told her that she would give up her life for her children, Adele just asked her why she would do such a thing. b) The main character in Kate Chopin, The Awakening is Edna Pontellier. Her society was based on womanhood where the mother and wife stays home with their children while the husband goes to work. When Edna lived with her husband and kids, she was expected to be like a mother and wife, butRead MoreWomen are not only Beautiful, but Equal: The Awakening by Kate Chopin1284 Words   |  6 Pagesservility, and moved toward their valuation as individuals of intellect, talent, and independence. The culture about women’s empowerment has been reflected in literature and history throughout many ages. In a famous 20th century novel –The Awakening by Kate Chopin– Edna, the protagonist of the novel, exemplifies the domestic identity of women. She is forced to stay home with her two children, but when she decides to relieve herself of her domestic responsibility, she is frowned upon by society. She