One of the more hidden motifs in the novella The Awakening by Kate Chopin is horses.
Horses are specifically mentioned in only two chapters, but they are a part of one of the bigger themes. The Awakening is about Edna moving away from society and galloping in her own track. Being from Kentucky she knows the ups and downs of the races, her expertise is even more than some men. At the races she is brought to the same level as men, who have the freedom to do what they like without society guiding them. “There were possibly a few track men out there who knew the race horse as well as Edna but there certainly none who knew it better.” Edna is highly respected at the races, which isn’t something she normally gets from men she isn’t well acquainted
Horses are specifically mentioned in only two chapters, but they are a part of one of the bigger themes. The Awakening is about Edna moving away from society and galloping in her own track. Being from Kentucky she knows the ups and downs of the races, her expertise is even more than some men. At the races she is brought to the same level as men, who have the freedom to do what they like without society guiding them. “There were possibly a few track men out there who knew the race horse as well as Edna but there certainly none who knew it better.” Edna is highly respected at the races, which isn’t something she normally gets from men she isn’t well acquainted