Natalie Jones
English 11
Ms. Emerson
February 18th, 2016
Escaping into the Welcoming Waves of Freedom
Is there anything more complicated for a woman in the 19th century than falling in love with a man who’s not her husband? To be in a marriage for years without realizing that she’s never truly been in love, only to suddenly find herself head over heels for another man is the epitome of complication and impossibility for Edna, and it’s exactly where she ends up. By realizing that there is more to herself than simply being a wife and mother, Edna embarks on a path of self-discovery, muddled by her husband and children. In The Awakening, Edna, the protagonist, has an ultimate moment of rebirth when her journey of self-discovery leads to her …show more content…
Once she finally opens herself to the possibility of something more than the dull life she’s been living, Edna is able to succumb to “the voice of the sea,” which is “seductive, never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting, the soul to wander in abysses of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation.” The sea represents an opportunity for rebirth into a world where she is not confined by the expectations and rules of a patriarchal society. Edna opts to leave the life that society has created for her in the only way she can find: she finally takes control of her life in the moment she ends it, thus dying with a sense of purpose and identity. Even though, by plunging herself into the sea, Edna is technically dying, she’s really been dead the whole time and is finally escaping the hell in which she’s been trapped. By specifically using the word “seductive,” Chopin allows the reader to join Edna in finally acknowledging and revelling in her womanly desires. The image of the soul “wander[ing] in abysses of solitude” demonstrates Edna’s freedom to finally explore her own needs and curiosities. The sea acts as a symbol for freedom and a place for the redemption of Edna’s
English 11
Ms. Emerson
February 18th, 2016
Escaping into the Welcoming Waves of Freedom
Is there anything more complicated for a woman in the 19th century than falling in love with a man who’s not her husband? To be in a marriage for years without realizing that she’s never truly been in love, only to suddenly find herself head over heels for another man is the epitome of complication and impossibility for Edna, and it’s exactly where she ends up. By realizing that there is more to herself than simply being a wife and mother, Edna embarks on a path of self-discovery, muddled by her husband and children. In The Awakening, Edna, the protagonist, has an ultimate moment of rebirth when her journey of self-discovery leads to her …show more content…
Once she finally opens herself to the possibility of something more than the dull life she’s been living, Edna is able to succumb to “the voice of the sea,” which is “seductive, never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting, the soul to wander in abysses of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation.” The sea represents an opportunity for rebirth into a world where she is not confined by the expectations and rules of a patriarchal society. Edna opts to leave the life that society has created for her in the only way she can find: she finally takes control of her life in the moment she ends it, thus dying with a sense of purpose and identity. Even though, by plunging herself into the sea, Edna is technically dying, she’s really been dead the whole time and is finally escaping the hell in which she’s been trapped. By specifically using the word “seductive,” Chopin allows the reader to join Edna in finally acknowledging and revelling in her womanly desires. The image of the soul “wander[ing] in abysses of solitude” demonstrates Edna’s freedom to finally explore her own needs and curiosities. The sea acts as a symbol for freedom and a place for the redemption of Edna’s