The Awakening

The book The Awakening by Kate Chopin was written in the late 1800’s. In that time period women were considered property. They were owned first by their fathers, and then after they married, their husbands. Most women had the same goals in life: to get married, and have children, oftentimes to a man they hardly knew, and have children some never wanted. Then throughout their lifetime they had to clean the house, take care of their children, and cook the meals. In the book, Edna was a typical woman, and she was sick and tired of having to fit the mold of what women were expected to be. When she sat down to hear Madame Ratignolles’ song, something inside of her changed. The fact that Edna titled the song that Madame Ratignolle played “Solitude” foreshadows her movement away from society, and her separation from that to find herself, all while developing the theme of struggle.

Edna wanted to separate herself from the society so that she and Robert might have a chance at love.

\"There was no human being whom she wanted near her except Robert;”624).

She knew that even after she was separated from her past life, she would be alone, even without Robert.

”…she even knew that the day would come when he, too, and the thought of him would melt out of her existence, leaving her alone.” (624).

This is the reason why Madame Ratignolles song makes her picture a sad and lonely life.

“When she heard it there came before her imagination the figure of a man standing beside a desolate rock on the seashore. He was naked. His attitude was one of hopeless resignation as he looked toward a distant bird winging its flight away from him.”(Lines 5-8)

The bird represents Robert. The man is separated from everything, and all that’s left is that bird, and even the bird is flying away from him. Edna was imagining solitude and the thought of loneliness while she listened to the song. She is struggling with the thought of not even having...