1. Introduction
Kate Chopin‟s the Awakening and especially its ending has been interpreted primarily in two different ways: There are those who believe that the ending, Edna‟s suicide, is Edna‟s final awakening (among them inter alia Rosowski, cf. “The Novel of Awakening.” p.47) and there are those who argue that the ending is Edna‟s final realization of her failure to find a place in society (for example Lattin, cf. “Childbirth and Motherhood.” p.44; Solomon cf. “Characters as Foils to Edna.” p.119). But beyond these contrasting angles of interpretation, there is one common belief: The Awakening is Edna‟s struggle to find her own identity, her genuine place in society or, in short, herself:
One of these days […] I‟m going to pull myself together for a while and think try to determine what character of a woman I am; for, candidly, I don‟t know. By all the codes which I am acquainted with, I am a devilishly wicked specimen of the sex. But some way I can‟t convince myself that I am. I must think about it. (p.103)
As the figures of Adèle Ratignolle and Mlle. Reisz show, it is, after all, possible for women to find an identity of their own. Patricia Hopkins Lattin and Deborah E. Parker have argued that these two women serve as role models for Edna. But both Lattin and Parker fail to give a role model-based explanation of Edna‟s failure to find her place in society. The question that shall be examined in the following is therefore the contribution of Edna‟s role models to her failure. It shall be analyzed why Edna, unlike Adèle and Mlle. Reisz, does not succeed in finding her place in society, and why she also does not succeed to model herself on Adèle or Reisz. In order to answer this question, especially the differences between Edna and each of her role-models shall be examined. Since many research papers have argued that Adèle Ratignolle and Mlle. Reisz serve as Edna`s role models, this view will not be verified in the following.
First of all, Edna‟s relationship with Adèle and, afterwards, with Mlle. Reisz will be examined. It will be analyzed to what degree Edna imitates these role models. By doing so, the discrepancies between the characters of Edna and Adèle Ratignolle and Edna and Mlle. Reisz will be presented, and it will be examined to what degree Edna would be able to lead the same life as her role models do. The last task will be to point out to what extend it is due to these role models that Edna fails to find her place in society.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Edna's role models
- Adèle Ratignolle as a role-model for Edna: The mother-woman
- Adèle Ratignolle and Edna Pontellier: Differences
- Adèle as Edna's role model
- Mlle. Reisz: The artist-woman
- Mlle. Reisz and Edna Pontellier: Two unlike characters
- Mlle. Reisz as Edna's role model
- Adèle Ratignolle as a role-model for Edna: The mother-woman
- Edna's failure to find a place in society
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper examines the influence of Edna Pontellier's role models, Adèle Ratignolle and Mlle. Reisz, on her inability to find a fulfilling place in society, as depicted in Kate Chopin's The Awakening. It analyzes the contrasting lifestyles and personalities of these three women, highlighting the factors contributing to Edna's unique struggles.
- The impact of societal expectations on women's identity.
- The contrasting roles of "mother-woman" and "artist-woman" as presented in the novel.
- The complexities of female friendship and mentorship.
- The exploration of individual identity versus societal conformity.
- An analysis of Edna's internal conflicts and her attempts to reconcile her desires with societal pressures.
Chapter Summaries
Introduction: This chapter introduces the contrasting interpretations of Edna Pontellier's suicide in Kate Chopin's The Awakening, focusing on the debate between it being an awakening or a final realization of failure. The central question posed is how Edna's role models contributed to her inability to find a place in society. The methodology involves examining Edna's relationships with Adèle Ratignolle and Mlle. Reisz, analyzing their differences, and exploring the extent to which Edna attempts to emulate them.
Edna's role models: This section delves into the roles of Adèle Ratignolle and Mlle. Reisz as potential role models for Edna. It explores the significant differences between Edna and Adèle, focusing on their contrasting approaches to motherhood, their relationships with their husbands, and their differing cultural backgrounds. The chapter highlights the contrasting lifestyles and how these differences reflect a broader societal expectation on women. It explores the nuances of their friendship and the ways in which Edna attempts to emulate, yet ultimately diverges from, Adèle's path.
Edna's failure to find a place in society: This chapter would analyze the reasons behind Edna's failure to find a place within the societal structures of the time. It would draw upon the preceding discussions of Edna's relationship with her role models to explain her inability to fully integrate into the expected roles of wife and mother, or to find fulfillment in the alternative path offered by Mlle. Reisz's independent artistic life. The chapter would likely offer a synthesis of the contrasting forces impacting Edna’s choices and her ultimate inability to reconcile her desires with societal expectations.
Keywords
Kate Chopin, The Awakening, Edna Pontellier, Adèle Ratignolle, Mlle. Reisz, role models, motherhood, artistry, societal expectations, female identity, conformity, individual expression, feminism, 19th-century American literature.
Kate Chopin's *The Awakening*: A Deep Dive into Edna Pontellier's Identity Crisis
What is this document about?
This document provides a comprehensive preview of an academic paper analyzing Kate Chopin's The Awakening. It focuses on Edna Pontellier's struggle to find her place in society, examining the influence of her two key role models: Adèle Ratignolle (the mother-woman) and Mlle. Reisz (the artist-woman). The preview includes a table of contents, objectives and key themes, chapter summaries, and keywords.
What are the key themes explored in the paper?
The paper explores several key themes, including the impact of societal expectations on women's identity, the contrasting roles of "mother-woman" and "artist-woman," the complexities of female friendship and mentorship, the conflict between individual identity and societal conformity, and Edna's internal conflicts and attempts to reconcile her desires with societal pressures.
Who are Edna Pontellier's role models, and how do they influence her?
Edna's main role models are Adèle Ratignolle and Mlle. Reisz. Adèle represents the traditional societal role of a wife and mother, while Mlle. Reisz embodies an independent and artistic life. The paper analyzes how these contrasting figures impact Edna's choices and her ultimate failure to find a fulfilling place within societal structures.
What are the chapter summaries provided in the preview?
The preview offers summaries for an introduction chapter discussing contrasting interpretations of Edna's suicide, a chapter focusing on Edna's relationship with Adèle and Mlle. Reisz and how these relationships shaped her, and a final chapter analyzing Edna's failure to find societal acceptance. Each summary highlights the key arguments and analyses within each section.
What is the central question addressed in the paper?
The central question is how Edna Pontellier's role models contributed to her inability to find a fulfilling place in society. The paper investigates this by examining the relationship between Edna, Adèle, and Mlle. Reisz, analyzing their differences and exploring how Edna tries to emulate them.
What are the keywords associated with this paper?
The keywords include: Kate Chopin, The Awakening, Edna Pontellier, Adèle Ratignolle, Mlle. Reisz, role models, motherhood, artistry, societal expectations, female identity, conformity, individual expression, feminism, and 19th-century American literature.
What is the overall objective of this academic paper?
The paper aims to examine the influence of Edna Pontellier's role models on her inability to find a fulfilling place in society, as depicted in Kate Chopin's The Awakening. It analyzes the contrasting lifestyles and personalities of these three women to understand the factors contributing to Edna's unique struggles.
- Quote paper
- Franziska Müller (Author), 2012, Kate Chopin’s “Edna” in "The Awakening", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/197346
