Free at Last

Free at Last

      Men and women constrained by the pressure of society tend to reject it.   The stress of culture conforms the public into what is accepted and conventional.   Experiencing loss and loneliness can make a person hate these social norms, while others do not see the pain and struggle.   Those who liberate themselves from the social order become who they really are.   These people go against what is established as right and follow their own rules from within their hearts.   Such determination and steadfastness comes from a strong and courageous human being.   Who knew these individuals were woman?   These attributes are displayed in two of literature’s most famous and inspiring women, Kate Chopin and Emily Dickinson.   Kate Chopin’s novel The Awakening and Emily Dickinson’s poem “The Soul Selects her own Society” compare on the theme of independence as demonstrated by the author’s use of tone, symbolism, and characterization.

      In the novel The Awakening, by Kate Chopin Edna Pontellier is a high status woman who plays the roles of wife and mother.   She is not happy with being bound by society’s ideas for what a woman of her status should be.   While on vacation to Grand Isle Edna goes to the ocean for a late night swim.   Edna never swims, let alone very far in the ocean.   But this night, Edna’s fears leave her and she swims further than any woman before.   “The sea has opened up a new expanse of exploration for Edna-an expanse in which, ironically, Edna's loss of herself really marks the gaining of herself” (direct book analysis).   She frees herself of her role in society.   Another tone change to freedom is Robert Lubrun, the young bachelor falling in love with Edna.   From the beginning, Edna and Robert are inseparable.   Robert wants to retain the friendship, but he cannot avoid the inevitable shift from friendship to love.   Robert did not at first pursue Edna due to her marital status, but he cannot ignore his feelings for long (paraphrase book...