Status
Available
Call number
Call number
F Cho
Genres
Collection
Publication
W W Norton & Co Inc (1994), 190 pages
Description
Unsatisfied with the expectations of Creole society and unhappy with her family life, Edna Pontellier begins to fall in love with the dapper Robert Lebrun. Lebrun's flirtations, along with the lifestyle of renown musician Mademoiselle Reisz, rejuvenates Edna's sense of freedom and independence. However, an affair with the womanizer Alcee Arobin provides Edna with a taste of the danger that comes with living outside of social convention. Trapped between the life she is expected to live and the life she longs to lead, will Edna find happiness?
Subjects
Original publication date
1899
Similar in this library
User reviews
LibraryThing member gbill
This is a landmark work, ahead of its time, and with themes on marriage, adultery, and most importantly the pursuit of one’s own identity and control of one’s own life in spite of societal pressure which resonate today.
In 1899, a woman questioning her feelings of sadness in a marriage and then
Powerful stuff and very well written, with the Louisiana setting adding to its charm. Deserves a higher average rating on LT!
Quotes:
On adultery, and seduction, I love the light touch of these words, and how they scandalized the world at the time:
“His hand strayed to her beautiful shoulders, and he could feel the response of her flesh to his touch. He seated himself beside her and kissed her lightly upon the shoulder.
‘I thought you were going away,’ she said, in an uneven voice.
‘I am, after I have said good night.’
‘Good night,’ she murmured.
He did not answer, except to continue to caress her. He did not say good night until she had become supple to his gentle, seductive entreaties.”
On divorce, and ‘owning oneself’, again, shocking at the time:
“She took his face between her hands and looked into it as if she would never withdraw her eyes more. She kissed him on the forehead, the eyes, the cheeks and the lips.
‘You have been a very, very foolish boy, wasting your time dreaming of impossible things when you speak of Mr. Pontellier setting me free! I am no longer one of Mr. Pontellier’s possessions to dispose of or not. I give myself where I choose. If he were to say, ‘Here, Robert, take her and be happy; she is yours,’ I should laugh at you both.”
On infatuation:
“As Edna walked along the street she was thinking of Robert. She was still under the spell of her infatuation. She had tried to forget him, realizing the inutility of remembering. But the thought of him was like an obsession, ever pressing itself upon her. It was not that she dwelt upon details of their acquaintance, or recalled in any special or peculiar way his personality; it was his being, his existence, which dominated her thought, fading sometimes as if it would melt into the mist of the forgotten, reviving again with an intensity which filled her with an incomprehensible longing.”
On love, and separation:
“Does he write to you? Never a line. Does he send you a message? Never a word. It is because he loves you, poor fool, and is trying to forget you, since you are not free to listen to him or to belong to him.”
On marriage, and settling:
“She was a grown young woman when she was overtaken by what she supposed to be the climax of her fate. 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 air of genuineness. The hopelessness of it colored it with the lofty tones of a great passion.
…
Her marriage to Leonce Pontellier was purely an accident, in this respect resembling many other marriages which masquerade as the decrees of Fate. …. He pleased her; his absolute devotion flattered her. She fancied there was a sympathy of thought and taste between them, in which fancy she was mistaken.
…
The acme of bliss, which would have been a marriage with the tragedian, was not for her in this world. As the devoted wife of a man who worshipped her, she felt she would take her place with a certain dignity in the world of reality, closing the portals forever behind her upon the realm of romance and dreams.”
On self-knowledge, on awakening:
“A certain light was beginning to dawn dimly within her – the light which, showing the way, forbids it.
At that early period it served but to bewilder her. It moved her to dreams, to thoughtfulness, to the shadowy anguish which had overcome her the midnight when she had abandoned herself to tears. In short, Mrs. Pontellier was beginning to realize her position in the universe as a human being…
…
The voice of the sea is seductive, never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inner contemplation.
The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace.”
And this one:
“It sometimes entered Mr. Pontellier’s mind to wonder if his wife were not growing a little unbalanced mentally. He could see plainly that she was not herself. That is, he could not see that she was becoming herself and daily casting aside that fictitious self which we assume like a garment with which to appear before the world.”
And:
“…perhaps it is better to wake up after all, even to suffer, rather than to remain a dupe to illusions all one’s life.”
Lastly, I like this description of a night walk to the beach:
“There were strange, rare odors abroad – a tangle of the sea smell and of weeds and damp, new-plowed earth, mingled with the heavy perfume of a field of white blossoms somewhere near. But the night sat lightly upon the sea and the land. There was no weight of darkness; there were no shadows. The white light of the moon had fallen upon the world like a mystery and the softness of sleep.”
In 1899, a woman questioning her feelings of sadness in a marriage and then
Show More
doing something about it was shocking, both to characters in the novel (her husband thinks she’s losing her mind when she moves out, and her own father suggests to his son-in-law that authority and coercion are needed), and to readers, who rejected and vilified The Awakening, leading Chopin to spend the remaining five years of her life in relative seclusion prior to her premature death at the age of 54.Powerful stuff and very well written, with the Louisiana setting adding to its charm. Deserves a higher average rating on LT!
Quotes:
On adultery, and seduction, I love the light touch of these words, and how they scandalized the world at the time:
“His hand strayed to her beautiful shoulders, and he could feel the response of her flesh to his touch. He seated himself beside her and kissed her lightly upon the shoulder.
‘I thought you were going away,’ she said, in an uneven voice.
‘I am, after I have said good night.’
‘Good night,’ she murmured.
He did not answer, except to continue to caress her. He did not say good night until she had become supple to his gentle, seductive entreaties.”
On divorce, and ‘owning oneself’, again, shocking at the time:
“She took his face between her hands and looked into it as if she would never withdraw her eyes more. She kissed him on the forehead, the eyes, the cheeks and the lips.
‘You have been a very, very foolish boy, wasting your time dreaming of impossible things when you speak of Mr. Pontellier setting me free! I am no longer one of Mr. Pontellier’s possessions to dispose of or not. I give myself where I choose. If he were to say, ‘Here, Robert, take her and be happy; she is yours,’ I should laugh at you both.”
On infatuation:
“As Edna walked along the street she was thinking of Robert. She was still under the spell of her infatuation. She had tried to forget him, realizing the inutility of remembering. But the thought of him was like an obsession, ever pressing itself upon her. It was not that she dwelt upon details of their acquaintance, or recalled in any special or peculiar way his personality; it was his being, his existence, which dominated her thought, fading sometimes as if it would melt into the mist of the forgotten, reviving again with an intensity which filled her with an incomprehensible longing.”
On love, and separation:
“Does he write to you? Never a line. Does he send you a message? Never a word. It is because he loves you, poor fool, and is trying to forget you, since you are not free to listen to him or to belong to him.”
On marriage, and settling:
“She was a grown young woman when she was overtaken by what she supposed to be the climax of her fate. 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 air of genuineness. The hopelessness of it colored it with the lofty tones of a great passion.
…
Her marriage to Leonce Pontellier was purely an accident, in this respect resembling many other marriages which masquerade as the decrees of Fate. …. He pleased her; his absolute devotion flattered her. She fancied there was a sympathy of thought and taste between them, in which fancy she was mistaken.
…
The acme of bliss, which would have been a marriage with the tragedian, was not for her in this world. As the devoted wife of a man who worshipped her, she felt she would take her place with a certain dignity in the world of reality, closing the portals forever behind her upon the realm of romance and dreams.”
On self-knowledge, on awakening:
“A certain light was beginning to dawn dimly within her – the light which, showing the way, forbids it.
At that early period it served but to bewilder her. It moved her to dreams, to thoughtfulness, to the shadowy anguish which had overcome her the midnight when she had abandoned herself to tears. In short, Mrs. Pontellier was beginning to realize her position in the universe as a human being…
…
The voice of the sea is seductive, never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inner contemplation.
The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace.”
And this one:
“It sometimes entered Mr. Pontellier’s mind to wonder if his wife were not growing a little unbalanced mentally. He could see plainly that she was not herself. That is, he could not see that she was becoming herself and daily casting aside that fictitious self which we assume like a garment with which to appear before the world.”
And:
“…perhaps it is better to wake up after all, even to suffer, rather than to remain a dupe to illusions all one’s life.”
Lastly, I like this description of a night walk to the beach:
“There were strange, rare odors abroad – a tangle of the sea smell and of weeds and damp, new-plowed earth, mingled with the heavy perfume of a field of white blossoms somewhere near. But the night sat lightly upon the sea and the land. There was no weight of darkness; there were no shadows. The white light of the moon had fallen upon the world like a mystery and the softness of sleep.”
Show Less
LibraryThing member jacketscoversread
The Awakening is a well-crafted, articulate novel that is considered a classic. {Why else would I be reading it for AP Literature?} But it’s a classic not only because it is considered to be one of the earliest feminist novels, but because this is feminist literature at its finest. Chopin’s
I very much enjoyed Chopin’s writing style. I would be leisurely reading along, watching the plot develop, and then she would suddenly surprise me with a very profound statement about society, identity, or duty. If an author who wrote in 1899 can still connect with a reader of 2008, that’s skill.
“I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children; but I wouldn’t give myself. I ain’t make it more clear; it’s only something which I am beginning to comprehend, which is revealing itself to me.” {pg. 80}
The Awakening is also a very personal work. The novel is about Edna, not all women. It may raise questions about the identity of women and their role in society, but the novel is, ultimately, about Edna.
Yet, what worries me about The Awakening is that it’s the first “Feminist” introduced to students, at least at my school. There’s no denying The Awakening is a Feminist text because it does challenge the vastly unquestioned (in 1899 and still, by some, today) belief that a successful woman must marry, have children, stay home, and love it. Edna is unsuited for and unhappy in this lifestyle, suggesting, very forcibly, that not all women are Adeles, beaming at their husbands and planning when to have their next child. {Two years apart at all times!}
My problem is, in Edna, feminism takes the form of self-absorption. She throws duty out the window, and compassion and consideration too. She reaches the point where she lacks any consideration for others outside of what others can do for her. She cares only for herself.
Apart of me can understand how a woman unfit for the domestic family life, under extreme pressure from society, can choose to hide away in herself but I fear that, rather than encouraging my fellow students awakening, it hinders it and they will dismiss Edna as mad. And that will only continue to lead to a feminism is bad mentality.
Show More
story of a housewife who, feeling unhappy and unable to continue in her current course of action, takes the steps necessary to forever break the ties that bound her to the life she loathed, is way better than those with moaning, groaning, and a “whoa is me” mentality. A part of me, though, shutters to think that The Awakening is sold as a Feminist novel to students who are still working to define what Feminism is. Feminism does not involve throwing duty, responsibility, your marriage, and your children to the wind to go “find yourself.”I very much enjoyed Chopin’s writing style. I would be leisurely reading along, watching the plot develop, and then she would suddenly surprise me with a very profound statement about society, identity, or duty. If an author who wrote in 1899 can still connect with a reader of 2008, that’s skill.
“I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children; but I wouldn’t give myself. I ain’t make it more clear; it’s only something which I am beginning to comprehend, which is revealing itself to me.” {pg. 80}
The Awakening is also a very personal work. The novel is about Edna, not all women. It may raise questions about the identity of women and their role in society, but the novel is, ultimately, about Edna.
Yet, what worries me about The Awakening is that it’s the first “Feminist” introduced to students, at least at my school. There’s no denying The Awakening is a Feminist text because it does challenge the vastly unquestioned (in 1899 and still, by some, today) belief that a successful woman must marry, have children, stay home, and love it. Edna is unsuited for and unhappy in this lifestyle, suggesting, very forcibly, that not all women are Adeles, beaming at their husbands and planning when to have their next child. {Two years apart at all times!}
My problem is, in Edna, feminism takes the form of self-absorption. She throws duty out the window, and compassion and consideration too. She reaches the point where she lacks any consideration for others outside of what others can do for her. She cares only for herself.
Apart of me can understand how a woman unfit for the domestic family life, under extreme pressure from society, can choose to hide away in herself but I fear that, rather than encouraging my fellow students awakening, it hinders it and they will dismiss Edna as mad. And that will only continue to lead to a feminism is bad mentality.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Jemima79
Edna Pontellier, a resident of New Orleans, is on holiday at a Louisiana holiday resort on Grand Isle. She is with her husband and children as well as the various other guests. Their summer time activities consist of swimming, sitting on the beach, dining and participating in evening social
Kate Chopin portrays her protagonist Edna as a woman who has a unique sensitivity to life and a particular appreciation for music. After the vacation the family moves back to their home in New Orleans. Now that she has awakened to her new sense of self she finds that she cannot settle back to her former life. So she moves out of her husbands home into a tiny cottage and pursues her desire to be an artist. She shuns all her responsibilities and delves into a life of freedom. It does satisfy like she had hoped it would though. Edna takes one last trip back to the resort where she notes that, "The voice of the sea is seductive, never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander in abysses of solitude."(p.154)
This novel reminded me of Anna Karenina by Tolstoy, but it was a much easier and shorter book to read. It is a good choice if you are looking to read some 'true' classics but do not want something difficult. Chopin is not a 'wordy' writer who goes into great detail. She gives her impressions and ideas in such a way as to spark many questions in your mind rather than to cover all the themes thoroughly. The focus is on the inner psychology of the protagonists mind. I really enjoyed this novel. I loved the subtly of the writing, the interesting characters and the mysterious ending. Chopin's skillful writing captures the essence of the internal awakening of her protagonist without being too dramatic or obvious. The whole book portrays the development of Edna like a gentle unfolding as she opens herself to the influences of art, music, friendship and environment.
The Awakening raises the interesting dilemma of being true to the self versus social responsibility. Chopin's character Edna goes so far as to state, "...she would give up the unessential, but she would never sacrifice herself for her children." When thinking of her husband and children she says, "They were a part of her life. But they need not have thought that they could possess her body and soul."(p.155) Kate Chopin does not give a simple answer to this issue, leaving it open to the reader to interpret the nature of Edna and her choices.
Show More
activities. The guests are all Creole and know each other from New Orleans. Edna strikes up some comfortable friendships, including spending a lot of time with Robert, the son of the resort owner. Eventually she realizes that she has gradually fallen in love with him. Not only that, but she has begun to recognize herself as an individual with her own unique sensibilities. "She felt as if a mist had been lifted from her eyes, enabling her to look upon and comprehend the significance of life, that monster made up of beauty and brutality."(p.112)Kate Chopin portrays her protagonist Edna as a woman who has a unique sensitivity to life and a particular appreciation for music. After the vacation the family moves back to their home in New Orleans. Now that she has awakened to her new sense of self she finds that she cannot settle back to her former life. So she moves out of her husbands home into a tiny cottage and pursues her desire to be an artist. She shuns all her responsibilities and delves into a life of freedom. It does satisfy like she had hoped it would though. Edna takes one last trip back to the resort where she notes that, "The voice of the sea is seductive, never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander in abysses of solitude."(p.154)
This novel reminded me of Anna Karenina by Tolstoy, but it was a much easier and shorter book to read. It is a good choice if you are looking to read some 'true' classics but do not want something difficult. Chopin is not a 'wordy' writer who goes into great detail. She gives her impressions and ideas in such a way as to spark many questions in your mind rather than to cover all the themes thoroughly. The focus is on the inner psychology of the protagonists mind. I really enjoyed this novel. I loved the subtly of the writing, the interesting characters and the mysterious ending. Chopin's skillful writing captures the essence of the internal awakening of her protagonist without being too dramatic or obvious. The whole book portrays the development of Edna like a gentle unfolding as she opens herself to the influences of art, music, friendship and environment.
The Awakening raises the interesting dilemma of being true to the self versus social responsibility. Chopin's character Edna goes so far as to state, "...she would give up the unessential, but she would never sacrifice herself for her children." When thinking of her husband and children she says, "They were a part of her life. But they need not have thought that they could possess her body and soul."(p.155) Kate Chopin does not give a simple answer to this issue, leaving it open to the reader to interpret the nature of Edna and her choices.
Show Less
LibraryThing member aethercowboy
The Awakening is a defining work of feminism. It features the awakening of Edna Pontellier from her role as a traditional wife, mother, and woman in Louisiana.
After taking a trip to a resort for a summer, she falls in love with the handsome Robert Lebrun, who in turn falls in love with her. Upon
Chopin's prose here wishes to free women from their labels, and let the world know that they are not property, or childbearers, or arm candy, but are in fact living, breathing people with the same rights as men.
This book is recommended for readers of feminist literature (such as Charlotte Perkins Gillman).
After taking a trip to a resort for a summer, she falls in love with the handsome Robert Lebrun, who in turn falls in love with her. Upon
Show More
returning to her world, she determines that her life is not to be made up by societal roles, or by any sort of label, and one by one, she sheds the layers of her former self.Chopin's prose here wishes to free women from their labels, and let the world know that they are not property, or childbearers, or arm candy, but are in fact living, breathing people with the same rights as men.
This book is recommended for readers of feminist literature (such as Charlotte Perkins Gillman).
Show Less
LibraryThing member EmScape
The Awakening is the story of a young woman, wife and mother, living in New Orleans in the late 1800s. At one point, she decides she’s not going to do anything except whatever she wants to do. Fortunately for her, she has the financial means to do so and her husband takes off on business and his
I can’t really tell how I feel about this book .On the one hand I think it’s completely lame for this woman to have just drifted along in life with her focus only becoming clear when presented with some man or other (not her husband) to amuse and divert her. On the other hand, I feel sorry for her. I think today’s young women are encouraged to “find themselves” much sooner than waking up at 28 and realizing you’re trapped in a situation you don’t much care for. (At least I hope they are).
I know this book is considered a “classic” and there is much commentary to be found on the internet and scholarly journals about how it was considered shocking and a precursor to feminism, but to think of it like that is depressing. Edna is fickle, unfaithful, capricious and vain and to think that she was held out as an example of what really goes on in women’s heads makes me irritated. The Awakening is also one of the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die, but I think I could have died having not read it and been just fine.
Show More
mom takes the kids. How nice to be so unencumbered! I can’t really tell how I feel about this book .On the one hand I think it’s completely lame for this woman to have just drifted along in life with her focus only becoming clear when presented with some man or other (not her husband) to amuse and divert her. On the other hand, I feel sorry for her. I think today’s young women are encouraged to “find themselves” much sooner than waking up at 28 and realizing you’re trapped in a situation you don’t much care for. (At least I hope they are).
I know this book is considered a “classic” and there is much commentary to be found on the internet and scholarly journals about how it was considered shocking and a precursor to feminism, but to think of it like that is depressing. Edna is fickle, unfaithful, capricious and vain and to think that she was held out as an example of what really goes on in women’s heads makes me irritated. The Awakening is also one of the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die, but I think I could have died having not read it and been just fine.
Show Less
LibraryThing member varwenea
Far, far ahead of its time, this absolutely incredible book addresses a woman’s trapped feelings in an era where, once married, she has little say in her choices, and her primary job is to do as told by her husband. For bringing to light the unspeakable possibility that a woman may not designed
The novel begins with what seems to be an idyllic life of summer beach house, servants, and gifts. But clues of frustrations are sprinkled liberally in the pages including troubles with her husband. She breaks daily traditions, then settles into her own household, and establishes her own income. When she finds reciprocated love, it’s still a disillusion: “…you never consider for a moment what I think, or how I feel your neglect and indifference.” I honestly can’t tell if her love was a coward or being kind with: “Good-by, because I love you.” – Wtf. You decide.
It may have been in a different era with different expectations to match, it’s still very relatable for anyone who are stuck in a situation and don’t know how to break free. The thoughts and emotions of Edna saddened me; her darkness penetrated me. Just because one is in a seemingly good life, it doesn’t mean one is happy. Edna describes “periods of despondency and suffering” – depression. In her own way, Chopin minced no words in her expressions, and it was abominable for 1899. (It was pulled from bookshelves!) Not everyone will agree with the ending, but for me, it’s understandable and hinted early on.
Favorite Character: Mademoiselle Reisz – Described as “disagreeable”, she is likely blunt, which is a perfectly good trait. She is independent and has observant eyes for Edna’s evolving needs.
Least Favorite Character: Robert Lebrun – Aforementioned coward… I hope he regrets what he did to her.
Some Quotes:
On the passionless husband:
“… the Creole husband is never jealous; with him the gangrene passion is one which has become dwarfed by disuse.”
On depression:
“An indescribable oppression, which seemed to generate in some unfamiliar part of her consciousness, filled her whole being with a vague anguish.”
On settling in marriage – this is cripplingly familiar:
“She was a grown young woman when she was overtaken by what she supposed to be the climax of her fate. 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 air of genuineness. The hopelessness of it colored it with the lofty tones of a great passion…
Her marriage to Leonce Pontellier was purely an accident, in this respect resembling many other marriages which masquerade as the decrees of Fate. …. He pleased her; his absolute devotion flattered her. She fancied there was a sympathy of thought and taste between them, in which fancy she was mistaken…
The acme of bliss, which would have been a marriage with the tragedian, was not for her in this world. As the devoted wife of a man who worshipped her, she felt she would take her place with a certain dignity in the world of reality, closing the portals forever behind her upon the realm of romance and dreams.”
On one-self and identity:
“I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children; but I wouldn’t give myself. I can’t make it more clear; it’s only something which I am beginning to comprehend, which is revealing itself to me.”
And
“…he could not see that she was becoming herself and daily casting aside that fictitious self which we assume like a garment with which to appear before the world.”
On awakening:
“A certain light was beginning to dawn dimly within her – the light which, showing the way, forbids it.
At that early period it served but to bewilder her. It moved her to dreams, to thoughtfulness, to the shadowy anguish which had overcome her the midnight when she had abandoned herself to tears. In short, Mrs. Pontellier was beginning to realize her position in the universe as a human being…
On the confusion of love:
“Does he write to you? Never a line. Does he send you a message? Never a word. It is because he loves you, poor fool, and is trying to forget you, since you are not free to listen to him or to belong to him.”
On infatuation:
“As Edna walked along the street she was thinking of Robert. She was still under the spell of her infatuation. She had tried to forget him, realizing the inutility of remembering. But the thought of him was like an obsession, ever pressing itself upon her. It was not that she dwelt upon details of their acquaintance, or recalled in any special or peculiar way his personality; it was his being, his existence, which dominated her thought, fading sometimes as if it would melt into the mist of the forgotten, reviving again with an intensity which filled her with an incomprehensible longing.”
On strength:
“The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings. It is a sad spectacle to see the weaklings bruised, exhausted, fluttering back to earth.”
On not-being-owned:
“You have been a very, very foolish boy, wasting your time dreaming of impossible things when you speak of Mr. Pontellier setting me free! I am no longer one of Mr. Pontellier’s possessions to dispose of or not. I give myself where I choose. If he were to say, ‘Here, Robert, take her and be happy; she is yours,’ I should laugh at you both.”
I call this the blue pill, red pill:
“…perhaps it is better to wake up after all, even to suffer, rather than to remain a dupe to illusions all one’s life.”
Show More
to be a wife, a mother, and the desire for true love, Kate Chopin was ostracized since the book’s publication in 1899, dying 5 short years later in 1904. Now, in my modern set of eyes, this work is easily a feminist trailblazer with Edna Pontellier seeking personal freedom. The novel begins with what seems to be an idyllic life of summer beach house, servants, and gifts. But clues of frustrations are sprinkled liberally in the pages including troubles with her husband. She breaks daily traditions, then settles into her own household, and establishes her own income. When she finds reciprocated love, it’s still a disillusion: “…you never consider for a moment what I think, or how I feel your neglect and indifference.” I honestly can’t tell if her love was a coward or being kind with: “Good-by, because I love you.” – Wtf. You decide.
It may have been in a different era with different expectations to match, it’s still very relatable for anyone who are stuck in a situation and don’t know how to break free. The thoughts and emotions of Edna saddened me; her darkness penetrated me. Just because one is in a seemingly good life, it doesn’t mean one is happy. Edna describes “periods of despondency and suffering” – depression. In her own way, Chopin minced no words in her expressions, and it was abominable for 1899. (It was pulled from bookshelves!) Not everyone will agree with the ending, but for me, it’s understandable and hinted early on.
Favorite Character: Mademoiselle Reisz – Described as “disagreeable”, she is likely blunt, which is a perfectly good trait. She is independent and has observant eyes for Edna’s evolving needs.
Least Favorite Character: Robert Lebrun – Aforementioned coward… I hope he regrets what he did to her.
Some Quotes:
On the passionless husband:
“… the Creole husband is never jealous; with him the gangrene passion is one which has become dwarfed by disuse.”
On depression:
“An indescribable oppression, which seemed to generate in some unfamiliar part of her consciousness, filled her whole being with a vague anguish.”
On settling in marriage – this is cripplingly familiar:
“She was a grown young woman when she was overtaken by what she supposed to be the climax of her fate. 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 air of genuineness. The hopelessness of it colored it with the lofty tones of a great passion…
Her marriage to Leonce Pontellier was purely an accident, in this respect resembling many other marriages which masquerade as the decrees of Fate. …. He pleased her; his absolute devotion flattered her. She fancied there was a sympathy of thought and taste between them, in which fancy she was mistaken…
The acme of bliss, which would have been a marriage with the tragedian, was not for her in this world. As the devoted wife of a man who worshipped her, she felt she would take her place with a certain dignity in the world of reality, closing the portals forever behind her upon the realm of romance and dreams.”
On one-self and identity:
“I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children; but I wouldn’t give myself. I can’t make it more clear; it’s only something which I am beginning to comprehend, which is revealing itself to me.”
And
“…he could not see that she was becoming herself and daily casting aside that fictitious self which we assume like a garment with which to appear before the world.”
On awakening:
“A certain light was beginning to dawn dimly within her – the light which, showing the way, forbids it.
At that early period it served but to bewilder her. It moved her to dreams, to thoughtfulness, to the shadowy anguish which had overcome her the midnight when she had abandoned herself to tears. In short, Mrs. Pontellier was beginning to realize her position in the universe as a human being…
On the confusion of love:
“Does he write to you? Never a line. Does he send you a message? Never a word. It is because he loves you, poor fool, and is trying to forget you, since you are not free to listen to him or to belong to him.”
On infatuation:
“As Edna walked along the street she was thinking of Robert. She was still under the spell of her infatuation. She had tried to forget him, realizing the inutility of remembering. But the thought of him was like an obsession, ever pressing itself upon her. It was not that she dwelt upon details of their acquaintance, or recalled in any special or peculiar way his personality; it was his being, his existence, which dominated her thought, fading sometimes as if it would melt into the mist of the forgotten, reviving again with an intensity which filled her with an incomprehensible longing.”
On strength:
“The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings. It is a sad spectacle to see the weaklings bruised, exhausted, fluttering back to earth.”
On not-being-owned:
“You have been a very, very foolish boy, wasting your time dreaming of impossible things when you speak of Mr. Pontellier setting me free! I am no longer one of Mr. Pontellier’s possessions to dispose of or not. I give myself where I choose. If he were to say, ‘Here, Robert, take her and be happy; she is yours,’ I should laugh at you both.”
I call this the blue pill, red pill:
“…perhaps it is better to wake up after all, even to suffer, rather than to remain a dupe to illusions all one’s life.”
Show Less
LibraryThing member bookworm_naida
Kate Chopin's The Awakening is one of my favorite pieces of literature and I thought it was finally time to re-read it.
The New Orleans coastal setting during the nineteenth century is at the heart of this novella. Chopin sets the mood just right and as I read, I felt like I was in Louisiana by the
The story is about a woman named Edna Pontellier who is in her late twenties. Edna is a married mother of two small boys. Her husband Leonce gives her a seemingly satisfying lifestyle. Yet Edna is unhappy, often feeling restless and unfulfilled.
As the story unfolds, Edna falls in love with a man named Robert Lebrun while on summer vacation at the Grand Isle resort in the Gulf of Mexico.
She begins to awaken to feelings and thoughts within herself she never knew existed. In an attempt to resist temptation and heartache from an affair that can lead nowhere, Robert leaves abruptly for Mexico.
When the summer is over, Edna and her family return to New Orleans. While Robert is gone, Edna misses him and finds herself beginning to feel even more dissatisfied. She begins to paint, considering herself an artist.
Edna's husband leaves on a business trip and while he is away, she ends up moving out of their home and renting an apartment by herself. Edna meets a man named Alcée Arobin, who is known for his womanizing. She enjoys flirting with him and the two eventually have an affair.
When Robert returns to New Orleans, he and Edna both confess their feelings for one another. At this point, Edna knows she no longer loves her husband and wants to be 'free'.
I like how Kate Chopin broke convention and wrote stories that challenged the norm. Her stories dealt with issues that weren't openly accepted or spoken about when she was alive.
In this story, a married woman decides she no longer wants to be tied down by her husband and even by her own children. She takes a lover and moves into her own apartment, all with no remorse. Although I didn't agree with Edna's behavior, I found myself almost mesmerized while reading Chopin's beautiful prose.
"The voice of the sea is seductive; never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation.
The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace."
I admire how Chopin pushed the envelope. The ending is harsh and poignant and not something I would think the reader is expecting.
The story that caused so much uproar in Chopin's day, is now considered a classic of feminist fiction. That counts for something.
The New Orleans coastal setting during the nineteenth century is at the heart of this novella. Chopin sets the mood just right and as I read, I felt like I was in Louisiana by the
Show More
coast. I could almost smell and hear the ocean. The story is about a woman named Edna Pontellier who is in her late twenties. Edna is a married mother of two small boys. Her husband Leonce gives her a seemingly satisfying lifestyle. Yet Edna is unhappy, often feeling restless and unfulfilled.
As the story unfolds, Edna falls in love with a man named Robert Lebrun while on summer vacation at the Grand Isle resort in the Gulf of Mexico.
She begins to awaken to feelings and thoughts within herself she never knew existed. In an attempt to resist temptation and heartache from an affair that can lead nowhere, Robert leaves abruptly for Mexico.
When the summer is over, Edna and her family return to New Orleans. While Robert is gone, Edna misses him and finds herself beginning to feel even more dissatisfied. She begins to paint, considering herself an artist.
Edna's husband leaves on a business trip and while he is away, she ends up moving out of their home and renting an apartment by herself. Edna meets a man named Alcée Arobin, who is known for his womanizing. She enjoys flirting with him and the two eventually have an affair.
When Robert returns to New Orleans, he and Edna both confess their feelings for one another. At this point, Edna knows she no longer loves her husband and wants to be 'free'.
I like how Kate Chopin broke convention and wrote stories that challenged the norm. Her stories dealt with issues that weren't openly accepted or spoken about when she was alive.
In this story, a married woman decides she no longer wants to be tied down by her husband and even by her own children. She takes a lover and moves into her own apartment, all with no remorse. Although I didn't agree with Edna's behavior, I found myself almost mesmerized while reading Chopin's beautiful prose.
"The voice of the sea is seductive; never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation.
The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace."
I admire how Chopin pushed the envelope. The ending is harsh and poignant and not something I would think the reader is expecting.
The story that caused so much uproar in Chopin's day, is now considered a classic of feminist fiction. That counts for something.
Show Less
LibraryThing member RealLifeReading
I once tried to read this book, quite some years ago, when I wasn't ready for it and I didn't finish it. But today, many years older (and hopefully wiser), I finally understood it. And it was everything. While I didn't actually like anyone in the book, I have to admire Chopin's determination to
Show More
write something like this, to write Edna's boldness in wanting to be more than just a wife and a mother. Show Less
LibraryThing member CassandraT
If only we might all be so irresponsible in the name of emancipation.
LibraryThing member dwsampson
Awfully dry and a chore to get through. We read this in a Literature class as an example of writing from a woman's perspective... but there are better examples of the female perspective. Opinions of this book seem to be pretty divided in my experience.
LibraryThing member BelleBooks117
First posted on bellesbeautifulbooks.blogspot.com
I didn't finish this book at about 70 pages. I just couldn't get into the writing, and story. The characters were very blah. I can't side with a woman who cheats on her husband, and I can't side with a husband who treats his wife as his property. I
I can see why people love this book, but it just wasn't me. It is a feminist piece of literature, and I'm not a feminist. I did not like reading this for school.
I didn't finish this book at about 70 pages. I just couldn't get into the writing, and story. The characters were very blah. I can't side with a woman who cheats on her husband, and I can't side with a husband who treats his wife as his property. I
Show More
don't like reading about a cheater.I can see why people love this book, but it just wasn't me. It is a feminist piece of literature, and I'm not a feminist. I did not like reading this for school.
Show Less
LibraryThing member LynnB
I read this book because I'd heard it was an early example of feminist literature. In that aspect, I was not disappointed. Writing in the late 1800s, Kate Chopin describes a young woman's dissatisfaction with her roles as wife and mother and wanting something different from what society expected
As a novel, I thought the book was beautifully written. Edna Pontellier, the main character, was portrayed with great depth and in many ways, I identified with her sense of longing and questioning the cultural "givens" of her times. Her husband, Leonce, wasn't as richly portrayed, but I had some sympathy for him as well. After all, he too was trying to conform to the normes of his culture. I found him, at worst, benign, and not oppressive.
In the end, the story left me depressed. I wish something other than a man had awakened Edna's need to examine her marriage. And most of all, I wish Edna had been able to enrich her life rather than end it.
Show More
her to want.As a novel, I thought the book was beautifully written. Edna Pontellier, the main character, was portrayed with great depth and in many ways, I identified with her sense of longing and questioning the cultural "givens" of her times. Her husband, Leonce, wasn't as richly portrayed, but I had some sympathy for him as well. After all, he too was trying to conform to the normes of his culture. I found him, at worst, benign, and not oppressive.
In the end, the story left me depressed. I wish something other than a man had awakened Edna's need to examine her marriage. And most of all, I wish Edna had been able to enrich her life rather than end it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member cinesnail88
This was an English class assigned read, but really I think it might have been the nicest one all year. Despite how much I disliked the character of Edna, the book itself brought up excellent points and was written exceedingly well. Definitely worth the time spent on it.
LibraryThing member tapestry100
A novel of growth, both personal and emotional, Kate Chopin's The Awakening follows the journey of Edna Pontellier, who after spending a summer vacationing with her husband and children, decides to give up the archetypical role of wife and mother and strikes out on her own, realizing there is more
When The Awakening was first published, is was looked on as being "unwholesome," both in its independent attitude towards women and its rather frank attitude towards Edna Pontellier's sexual nature. In today's regard, the novel wouldn't be seen as being all that shocking, but it still speaks clearly for the need of independence and freedom in one's own life.
To be frank, I had a hard time getting into the book. I think I found the flow of the writing to be distracting, and halfway through reading switched to an audio book, and was able to follow the story much more clearly this way. The story did prove to be powerful in its telling, and in how Edna finally moves forward with her life.
Show More
to life than what society deems appropriate for a woman. The principal reasoning for her "awakening" is the realization that she is in love with another man, and believes that he loves her in return. Feeling overpowered by her own life and obligations to family, she does what few women did in that time, and moved out of her home into another house, and begins a life that is her own.When The Awakening was first published, is was looked on as being "unwholesome," both in its independent attitude towards women and its rather frank attitude towards Edna Pontellier's sexual nature. In today's regard, the novel wouldn't be seen as being all that shocking, but it still speaks clearly for the need of independence and freedom in one's own life.
To be frank, I had a hard time getting into the book. I think I found the flow of the writing to be distracting, and halfway through reading switched to an audio book, and was able to follow the story much more clearly this way. The story did prove to be powerful in its telling, and in how Edna finally moves forward with her life.
Show Less
LibraryThing member JenJambon
I have always loved this book. I am from Louisiana and we have a vacation home on Grand Isle (where I am sitting now and writing this). I know that many think of this as a feminist work and I do agree. However I have always had a problem with the ending. Chopin must let Edna die because that is
Show More
what the readers of that time needed. Any other ending for Edna would have been even more scandalous. I would have loved to know what Chopin was thinking here. Was it to satisfy her readers moral expectations, or was there another meaning that was more personal? This is one I have read more than once and will read again I am sure. Show Less
LibraryThing member Mothwing
Trapped in a loveless marriage Edna Pontellier finds herself waking up when she discovers her feelings for her friend Robert. Her married life does not fit her, even though her husband probably would have been considered a good catch at the time - he doesn't interfere with her past-time activities,
She is going through the motions of being a wife and mother, caring for her children, occasionally with love, occasionally with indifference, and she is obedient with to her husband in the same manner:
She would, through habit, have yielded to his desire, not with any sense of submission or obedience to his compelling wishes, but unthinkingly, as we walk, move, sit, stand, go through the daily tFinishedmill of the life which has been portioned out to us.
However, she comes to realise that this is not enough for her.
I would give up the unessential, I would give my money, I would give my life for my children, but I wouldnÂt give myself. I canÂt make it more clear, itÂs only something which I am beginning to comprehend, which is revealing itself to me.Â
ÂI donÂt know what you would call the essential, or what you mean by the unessential, said Madame Ratignolle, cheerfully, Âbut a woman who would give her life for her children could do no more than thatÂyour Bible tells you so. IÂm sure I couldnÂt do more than that.Â
ÂOh, yes you could! laughed Edna.
Her husband does not take it well.
Mr. Pontellier had been a rather courteous husband so long as he met a certain tacit submissiveness in his wife. But her new and unexpected line of conduct completely bewildered him. It shocked him. Then her absolute disregard for her duties as a wife angered him.
With that being their relationship - her side absent-minded submission, his taking her for granted in her role rather than taking her seriously as a person, who could be surprised that she doesn't want to keep being married to him? They have no relationship, they are both in it merely out of convenience and tradition. I don't think that she is a good role-model, but so many people still force themselves to stick it out in unhappy marriages because they can't fathom any alternatives, and neither can Edna.
Edna has to give up her life for her children, because she can't give up herself. She won't be dragged into the "soul's slavery" for their sake, but also can't undo the change in her that has taken place. I feel for her, though I wouldn't have made her choice, and I can't understand the hatred that people are aiming at her.
Show More
sends her gifts, doesn't seem interested in other women, isn't abusive, which her father seems to have been with her mother. She is going through the motions of being a wife and mother, caring for her children, occasionally with love, occasionally with indifference, and she is obedient with to her husband in the same manner:
She would, through habit, have yielded to his desire, not with any sense of submission or obedience to his compelling wishes, but unthinkingly, as we walk, move, sit, stand, go through the daily tFinishedmill of the life which has been portioned out to us.
However, she comes to realise that this is not enough for her.
I would give up the unessential, I would give my money, I would give my life for my children, but I wouldnÂt give myself. I canÂt make it more clear, itÂs only something which I am beginning to comprehend, which is revealing itself to me.Â
ÂI donÂt know what you would call the essential, or what you mean by the unessential, said Madame Ratignolle, cheerfully, Âbut a woman who would give her life for her children could do no more than thatÂyour Bible tells you so. IÂm sure I couldnÂt do more than that.Â
ÂOh, yes you could! laughed Edna.
Her husband does not take it well.
Mr. Pontellier had been a rather courteous husband so long as he met a certain tacit submissiveness in his wife. But her new and unexpected line of conduct completely bewildered him. It shocked him. Then her absolute disregard for her duties as a wife angered him.
With that being their relationship - her side absent-minded submission, his taking her for granted in her role rather than taking her seriously as a person, who could be surprised that she doesn't want to keep being married to him? They have no relationship, they are both in it merely out of convenience and tradition. I don't think that she is a good role-model, but so many people still force themselves to stick it out in unhappy marriages because they can't fathom any alternatives, and neither can Edna.
Edna has to give up her life for her children, because she can't give up herself. She won't be dragged into the "soul's slavery" for their sake, but also can't undo the change in her that has taken place. I feel for her, though I wouldn't have made her choice, and I can't understand the hatred that people are aiming at her.
Show Less
LibraryThing member N.T.Embe
I'm more than a little annoyed. The first part of this book was just... well, you're just ambling along, and nothing is really happening. You get about halfway through, and then our main character, Edna, finally starts to--dun dun DUNNNN!--awaken. And it causes quite the stir and it makes things
But there's the flaw in Edna. She ALMOST does things, she never goes the full length, never completely embraces her decisions. Every single thing she does seems half-hearted! Oh wooow, you decided not to listen to your husband and to do what you like. Great! Good! Won't make a difference either way! But you didn't divorce him. You didn't give him a chance to remarry and get a new wife and mother for his kids if you didn't want to do either of those jobs anymore. And what about you moving out of the house, Edna? You took all your things and didn't use any of your husband's money. Nice move of independence! But you moved down the street, in the same neighborhood, perfectly in reach of your husband. If you REALLY wanted to leave this life behind, why not change towns? Change states? Heck, you didn't have to move DOWN THE BLOCK. What kind of person does that when they're trying to show their independence?! Down the block. SHEESH. Could ANYONE make a more pathetic move as a show of INDEPENDENCE? *Rolls eyes* On top of that! She tries to take a lover, twice. And yet, as far as we know, she never gets as far as even SLEEPING with them! Mind you, I'm not complaining about that. I think cheating on your husband is a despicable action, especially since in Edna's case it was HER choice to marry him. If you commit yourself to something like that, and then have two kids with the man, then you PROBABLY know what you're getting yourself into, and you should at LEAST have the dang decency to be RESPONSIBLE for it! D:
And she just does this over and over and over. All these pathetic efforts to rebel against whoever it is she's trying to prove a point to, and they never quite send the message. She never goes far enough, and I'm not sure if it's because she just doesn't have the capability to be that forward, or if she was never planning to be that obstinate in the first place. *Shrugs* It just leads to this ridiculous feeling of growing and peaking irritation at the end of the book with the STUPID decision she makes to "solve" everything once and for all. *Rolls eyes* I'm not going to tell you what the ending is, since I don't believe in spoilers, however, know this: Her solution is just as ridiculous as all her efforts have been before, and, in my eyes, it's the ULTIMATE STUPID ACTION A PERSON COULD TAKE. She ought to be slapped for being such an idiot!!!!
This book, while I get the message it was trying to send, juts does a poor, POOR job of conveying a woman of any strength at all. The ending completely destroys whatever message that the book is trying to send, and Edna's overall determination to BE PATHETIC and make that choice is influenced by what? By the fact that the guy that she's loved for, oh, how long? Since... JUST THIS WEEK (if we're to go by how she felt at the start of the book, for not even a year passes from beginning to end)!! The point is, she makes a majorly LIFE-CHANGING, STUPID decision... JUSTBECAUSESOMEGUYDOESN'TWANTTOMAKEBABIESWITHHER. =__= .......my intense annoyance is RADIATING INTO A NUCLEAR BOMB.
I am IMMENSELY upset at this book for the message it sends. For an author who was supposedly of the feminist persuasion, she sure does a pathetic job of arguing for her beliefs! What a crock!
Listen, it's a decent book. It's short, it's easy to read, and it's really not hard to get through, regardless the way the main character acts. It's not as unbearably pathetic and moronic as are many of the books being written today with similarly half-assed main female leads. If you want to check it out, then I say go for it! It's a book that's a decent enough read, if you're not going to give any credit to storyline or the message it's sending, which, essentially beats the purpose for why the book is written, but hey, who's checking now-a-days anyway. It's still a far cry better written and less painful than some of the similar-in-theme stories written today, and at least Edna gets an ending that suits her pathetic nature, unlike in stories today where the Stupid Girls get the "Good Endings" and so on.
Read it! But don't buy it before you've checked it out. It just may be your cup of tea, but then again, it also may not be. You'll have to experience it for yourself before you decide.
Show More
much more entertaining because she's doing what she wants, when she wants, and nobody can stop her or tell her otherwise what she can and can't do, or what she will and won't do. She follows no one else's desires but her own and it's only her judgment that reigns supreme. Hell, she goes so far as to almost have a lover even!But there's the flaw in Edna. She ALMOST does things, she never goes the full length, never completely embraces her decisions. Every single thing she does seems half-hearted! Oh wooow, you decided not to listen to your husband and to do what you like. Great! Good! Won't make a difference either way! But you didn't divorce him. You didn't give him a chance to remarry and get a new wife and mother for his kids if you didn't want to do either of those jobs anymore. And what about you moving out of the house, Edna? You took all your things and didn't use any of your husband's money. Nice move of independence! But you moved down the street, in the same neighborhood, perfectly in reach of your husband. If you REALLY wanted to leave this life behind, why not change towns? Change states? Heck, you didn't have to move DOWN THE BLOCK. What kind of person does that when they're trying to show their independence?! Down the block. SHEESH. Could ANYONE make a more pathetic move as a show of INDEPENDENCE? *Rolls eyes* On top of that! She tries to take a lover, twice. And yet, as far as we know, she never gets as far as even SLEEPING with them! Mind you, I'm not complaining about that. I think cheating on your husband is a despicable action, especially since in Edna's case it was HER choice to marry him. If you commit yourself to something like that, and then have two kids with the man, then you PROBABLY know what you're getting yourself into, and you should at LEAST have the dang decency to be RESPONSIBLE for it! D:
And she just does this over and over and over. All these pathetic efforts to rebel against whoever it is she's trying to prove a point to, and they never quite send the message. She never goes far enough, and I'm not sure if it's because she just doesn't have the capability to be that forward, or if she was never planning to be that obstinate in the first place. *Shrugs* It just leads to this ridiculous feeling of growing and peaking irritation at the end of the book with the STUPID decision she makes to "solve" everything once and for all. *Rolls eyes* I'm not going to tell you what the ending is, since I don't believe in spoilers, however, know this: Her solution is just as ridiculous as all her efforts have been before, and, in my eyes, it's the ULTIMATE STUPID ACTION A PERSON COULD TAKE. She ought to be slapped for being such an idiot!!!!
This book, while I get the message it was trying to send, juts does a poor, POOR job of conveying a woman of any strength at all. The ending completely destroys whatever message that the book is trying to send, and Edna's overall determination to BE PATHETIC and make that choice is influenced by what? By the fact that the guy that she's loved for, oh, how long? Since... JUST THIS WEEK (if we're to go by how she felt at the start of the book, for not even a year passes from beginning to end)!! The point is, she makes a majorly LIFE-CHANGING, STUPID decision... JUSTBECAUSESOMEGUYDOESN'TWANTTOMAKEBABIESWITHHER. =__= .......my intense annoyance is RADIATING INTO A NUCLEAR BOMB.
I am IMMENSELY upset at this book for the message it sends. For an author who was supposedly of the feminist persuasion, she sure does a pathetic job of arguing for her beliefs! What a crock!
Listen, it's a decent book. It's short, it's easy to read, and it's really not hard to get through, regardless the way the main character acts. It's not as unbearably pathetic and moronic as are many of the books being written today with similarly half-assed main female leads. If you want to check it out, then I say go for it! It's a book that's a decent enough read, if you're not going to give any credit to storyline or the message it's sending, which, essentially beats the purpose for why the book is written, but hey, who's checking now-a-days anyway. It's still a far cry better written and less painful than some of the similar-in-theme stories written today, and at least Edna gets an ending that suits her pathetic nature, unlike in stories today where the Stupid Girls get the "Good Endings" and so on.
Read it! But don't buy it before you've checked it out. It just may be your cup of tea, but then again, it also may not be. You'll have to experience it for yourself before you decide.
Show Less
LibraryThing member VikkiLaw
I read this book in either junior high or high school and, even though my circumstances were very different than the protagonist's, I identified so strongly with the feeling of being confined and restricted and just wanting to break free.
LibraryThing member porch_reader
The theme for my book club this month was Choose Your Own Classic. I had lots of possibilities in mind, but didn't get one started until just a few days before the meeting. So, I found a list of classic novellas and chose [The Awakening] from that list. (I think that I'll read more from that list
One of the joys of reading a classic is being taken back to another time. Chopin does an amazing job of transporting her readers to the late 19th century. The novel chronicles Edna Pontellier's awakening during a vacation at a summer resort and later back in New Orleans. While her husband is focused on business and pays little attention to Edna, Edna develops a friendship with Robert Lebrun and begins to want more from life than she has found in her roles as wife and mother.
Through telling Edna's story, Chopin not only provides a rich picture of life in the late 19th century, but also raises important questions about the discontent that comes with changing expectations. I didn't find the story itself that engaging, but I did appreciate Chopin's ability to use a year in Edna's life to illustrate the challenges faced by women at this point in history.
Show More
this year. I always intend to read more classics, but time gets away from me, so novellas seem like a good compromise.)One of the joys of reading a classic is being taken back to another time. Chopin does an amazing job of transporting her readers to the late 19th century. The novel chronicles Edna Pontellier's awakening during a vacation at a summer resort and later back in New Orleans. While her husband is focused on business and pays little attention to Edna, Edna develops a friendship with Robert Lebrun and begins to want more from life than she has found in her roles as wife and mother.
Through telling Edna's story, Chopin not only provides a rich picture of life in the late 19th century, but also raises important questions about the discontent that comes with changing expectations. I didn't find the story itself that engaging, but I did appreciate Chopin's ability to use a year in Edna's life to illustrate the challenges faced by women at this point in history.
Show Less
LibraryThing member AWCone
Depressing and inspiring at the same time. A very enjoyable summer read for me. I am sure I've read something of Chopin before but I can't say what. That's unfortunate. After reading The Awakening I will read more of her work - and soon.
What I found so amazing is how well I could identify with the
What I found so amazing is how well I could identify with the
Show More
main character, Edna. Her difficulty wrestling with the defined gender roles of society were the same, at the core, that many women today still wrestle with - and yet she spoke freely of them in a way that is still looked down upon today, more than a century later. What courage she had to speak to so frankly and what courage her publishers had to publish this work in 1899. Show Less
LibraryThing member YAbookfest
It is difficult for young women today to imagine a life in which they have virtually no control over their own lives, let alone power within the world. In the late 1800s, if you were not content with raising your children and managing your household, there was little that could be done about it. To
While I understand the historic significance of this novel, I'm afraid it read to my life a "True Confession" magazine, a la 1890s. Edna primarily finds herself in relation to the men in her life. Although she takes to paintiing for personal expression, this creative effort is not enough to sustain her.
There are other pieces of fiction that address the difficult confines of traditional female roles during this time period, such as Madame Bovary, or, a bit later, the writing of Virginia Wolf. These alternatives may be more challenging reads, but well worth the effort.
Show More
break out of this mold was to break with convention and be viewed either as scandalous or unstable. Edna, a young discontent mother, finds her inner self during a summer vacation, when she discovers the freedom of swimming. She indulges a bit too far in a flirtation and can no longer live within the confines of her social setting.While I understand the historic significance of this novel, I'm afraid it read to my life a "True Confession" magazine, a la 1890s. Edna primarily finds herself in relation to the men in her life. Although she takes to paintiing for personal expression, this creative effort is not enough to sustain her.
There are other pieces of fiction that address the difficult confines of traditional female roles during this time period, such as Madame Bovary, or, a bit later, the writing of Virginia Wolf. These alternatives may be more challenging reads, but well worth the effort.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bragan
A short 1899 novel (or maybe it's technically a novella?) about a married woman who finds herself falling for another man and reaching longingly for freedom, self-actualization, and passion outside her duties as a wife and mother.
The dissatisfied housewife is practically a cliche now, but at the
The dissatisfied housewife is practically a cliche now, but at the
Show More
time, apparently, this novel caused a huge outcry and scandal. And given the things that society wanted to believe about women and motherhood and marriage at the time -- not all of which we've let go of today, now that I think about it -- I can see why. Because it feels so... true. There's no overwrought melodrama here, just the inner experiences of a woman who wants something more and different from the life she has, a life that she fell into almost by default, because it's what was expected of her. And those inner experiences are insightfully observed, well-conveyed, and utterly truthful. Show Less
LibraryThing member Jessika.C
WTF????? This book left me SHOOK. Also I guess I should add a trigger warning because Edna does struggle with not being able to see better days for herself and it did lead her to pick suicide
Edna wants more out of life. After a vacation in the Mexican Gulf she goes home feeling unsatisfied with
So this was part of the trifecta of IB/AP/Honors English Literature being swapped out from a pool of A Doll's House, Their Eyes Were Watching God, or I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Every year the English teacher would choose three of those books to read and analyze and all that jazz except when it came time for my group to study three of them, Awakening was not a part of the trio. But I kind of wish it had beat out Doll's House that one was really annoying to analyze.
Honestly, this book was really close to getting a two because of how annoying I found Edna Pontellier but then it ended. Okay so with that out of the way what did I like? For one, I liked the exposition into Edna's life. She didn't have it all that bad but it wasn't ideal either especially for a woman that clearly wasn't happy as a wife or mother. It rang true to life. Also her love affair with music was just as juicy as her love affair with Alcée Arobin. The symbolism of certain things were also clever to the point I kicked myself for not noticing where it was all heading.
So why such a low rating? I hated Edna. Yeah, I know, a good feminist would feel a connection with Edna and her breaking gender roles and all that but she was so childish. I'm all for a self aware character that knows they are different from what society expects from them but Edna's reactions to certain situations drove me mad. Okay so she's shocked that Robert's leaving, I get it, but did she have to go insane about it? Her lover wants her but she tries to reject him only to pounce on him the next chance she got. Her sister's getting married and she doesn't want to go because REASONS. To me it just felt like an excuse the author picked to get her to be alone and able to have her first physically sexual awakening. At some point Madame Adèle Ratignolle calls her out on her behavior and I had to take a pause and really think about it. Is it a good thing because I wasn't wrong that it's exactly how she was behaving? Or have I been conditioned just as Mdm R to perceive Edna's behavior as such? SHOOK.
Also, I didn't think Mr. Pontellier was all that bad either. He did seem to care for her wellbeing but again, have I just been conditioned to think Edna the bad guy here or was Mr. P really just one of those nice white guys that wants us to clap for him just because he's not a bad guy? But then again I really liked Robert but was it just because he was able to act on what he wanted which made him so likeable, unlike Edna who couldn't do anything because of societal norms?
- clearly I wish this had been used in my time at school because I have a lot to say about this book. But I'm sorry I didn't like it more.
Edna wants more out of life. After a vacation in the Mexican Gulf she goes home feeling unsatisfied with
Show More
her role as dutiful wife and doting mother. Why? It all begins with an emotional affair she enters with a man named Robert Lebrun. When he sets off for Mexico Edna realizes how deep she is in her feelings for him and things just go downhill from there. Though Madame Adèle Ratignolle is a dear friend and a great role model to her she can't help but feel a stronger connection to Mademoiselle Reisz the type of woman she wishes she could've been.So this was part of the trifecta of IB/AP/Honors English Literature being swapped out from a pool of A Doll's House, Their Eyes Were Watching God, or I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Every year the English teacher would choose three of those books to read and analyze and all that jazz except when it came time for my group to study three of them, Awakening was not a part of the trio. But I kind of wish it had beat out Doll's House that one was really annoying to analyze.
Honestly, this book was really close to getting a two because of how annoying I found Edna Pontellier but then it ended. Okay so with that out of the way what did I like? For one, I liked the exposition into Edna's life. She didn't have it all that bad but it wasn't ideal either especially for a woman that clearly wasn't happy as a wife or mother. It rang true to life. Also her love affair with music was just as juicy as her love affair with Alcée Arobin. The symbolism of certain things were also clever to the point I kicked myself for not noticing where it was all heading.
So why such a low rating? I hated Edna. Yeah, I know, a good feminist would feel a connection with Edna and her breaking gender roles and all that but she was so childish. I'm all for a self aware character that knows they are different from what society expects from them but Edna's reactions to certain situations drove me mad. Okay so she's shocked that Robert's leaving, I get it, but did she have to go insane about it? Her lover wants her but she tries to reject him only to pounce on him the next chance she got. Her sister's getting married and she doesn't want to go because REASONS. To me it just felt like an excuse the author picked to get her to be alone and able to have her first physically sexual awakening. At some point Madame Adèle Ratignolle calls her out on her behavior and I had to take a pause and really think about it. Is it a good thing because I wasn't wrong that it's exactly how she was behaving? Or have I been conditioned just as Mdm R to perceive Edna's behavior as such? SHOOK.
Also, I didn't think Mr. Pontellier was all that bad either. He did seem to care for her wellbeing but again, have I just been conditioned to think Edna the bad guy here or was Mr. P really just one of those nice white guys that wants us to clap for him just because he's not a bad guy? But then again I really liked Robert but was it just because he was able to act on what he wanted which made him so likeable, unlike Edna who couldn't do anything because of societal norms?
- clearly I wish this had been used in my time at school because I have a lot to say about this book. But I'm sorry I didn't like it more.
Show Less
LibraryThing member LukeS
This spare 19th century novel tells the story of Edna Pontellier of New Orleans, who discovers she wants something more out of life. She is married to a prosperous and respectable stockbroker, but takes a lover when her husband is away on business. The story isn't that simple of simplistic, but
This doesn't seem like enough of a literary or social transgression to ruin its author's career, but that's what it apparently did. Perhaps it's the lead character's attitude throughout, that was just too much to countenance. Not recommended, not from this quarter.
Show More
it's close. Chopin's evocation of place and person leave something to be desired, and takes our understanding of the mores of the time very much for granted.This doesn't seem like enough of a literary or social transgression to ruin its author's career, but that's what it apparently did. Perhaps it's the lead character's attitude throughout, that was just too much to countenance. Not recommended, not from this quarter.
Show Less
LibraryThing member annekiwi
I hated this book. I know, it's supposed to be the great feminist tome, but I think it was awful. If she was so unhappy, she should have left. She should have packed herself up and taken herself off. It just makes me crazy that anyone would think that suicide would be some great feminist gesture.
Show More
Death preferred to the "awful" life she had. Give me a break! Life has possibilities - not all of them great, but at least there are options. Death, you're pretty much done. I don't even know why I still have this book. I'm going to have to get rid of it. Show Less
Pages
190