The Awakening By Kate Chopin - 1347 Words

The Theme of Identity in â€Å"The Awakening.† â€Å"The Awakening† was an interesting novel that investigated topics on self expression and identity in typical Victorian day society. The author, Kate Chopin revealed this idea through the perspective of the main character Edna Pontellier, a traditional married woman who is awoken to her senses of who she was as an individual. The plot centers on Edna, who steps out of the normal expectations for women in society. She meets characters that develop her awoken state like Robert, encourage her like Mademoiselle Reisz or pull her back into society like Adele Ratignolle. Anyhow, the story tragically ends with Edna committing suicide by drowning herself at sea. She takes steps to express her identity,†¦show more content†¦In particular, once in the story Edna states, â€Å"I would give up my money, I would give my life for my children, but I wouldn’t give myself. I can’t make it more clear, it is someth ing I am beginning to comprehend, which is revealing itself to me.† (Chopin 80). In the context for this quote, Edna is having a conversation with Adele Ratignolle, who is a role model mother woman, perfect in society’s standards for a mother. Edna and Adele are foil characters, and this shows truly in this quote. Edna is talking about how important her identity is to her. She states how she wouldn’t give her identity for anything, even her children, which back then was a controversial thing to say since women were expected to highly prioritize their children. Adele’s reaction of confusion from Edna’s words reveals how Edna’s views are different from typical Victorian day society. This foreshadows how the ideas Edna possesses will make Edna’s life a challenge in the society where women are viewed differently. In continuation, Edna is first awoken to the ideas of identity in Grand Isle, but she takes steps for her identity when she retu rns back to New Orleans. One step she takes is finding a hobby to express herself – painting. She decides to focus on painting rather than doing her household duties that her husband assigns her. But this choice might not yield positive feedback. Specifically, in the following quote, Edna is