What Does The Sea Symbolize In The Awakening

Women's rights is something that is often spoke on by many women in todays society but something that the true struggle is not known by many of the younger generation. Kate Chopin wrote her book The Awakening in 1899, when women began to wish to change the viewpoint society held on them. Most women at this time still lived in the traditional dogma that women were the homemaker and did not hold a place is social society, other than to support their husbands. However, there were a few at this time who choose to reject this notion and break free from the chains of societies expectations. Chopin uses symbolism from the opening line of the novel, until the closing lines. The use of these symbols of clothing, birds and the sea help further reinforce …show more content…
The first time she describes the sea “the voice of the sea is seductive…inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation” (Chopin, 550). It is clear that while Edna is in the ocean her mind is at wander about her existence in her world, symbolizing freedom and escape. Not only does the sea symbolize freedom and escape to Edna, but also water’s associations with cleansing and baptism make it a symbol of rebirth. Her rebirth is seen very clearly as she learns to swim. After she has conquered her goal of swimming and discovered her strength we are shown a scene of Leonce telling her to come to bed, at which she denies and wonders if she has ever stood up to him like this before. In the end, Edna chooses to end her life in the same place she was reborn. As she is swimming further and further away from shore, Edna is deep in thought of people from her life, most interestingly Roberts final note comes to her mind “Good-by-because I love you” (Chopin, 627). With a life that she so desperately wished to control this was truly Ednas rebirth as she ended her life to finally have control over