The Awakening Is More than "Sex Fiction" The audience was scandalized. The critics condemned the book as immoral. Some went so far as to call it "essentially vulgar" and "sex fiction" (Literature 20). This was the public outcry that Kate Chopin's The Awakening caused upon its publication in 1899. The reviews were overwhelmingly negative, denouncing the novel for its daring discussion of matters such as female sexuality and extramarital affairs. Since then, The Awakening has taken on a new significance in the light of the women's movement and is widely accepted as an important work of early feminism. The controversial themes of female sexuality and desire are no longer considered vulgar; they are an essential part in Edna Pontellier's discovery
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Both the religious expectations and the societal norms allow female sexuality only as a part of motherhood. But Edna refuses to conform to the traditions and define her sexuality through her family. She is not willing to displace her sexual desires into production of children and conversations about pregnancy, thus making her sexuality into an element of the family (Wolff 94). Instead, she needs to keep it private, a precious piece of her newly discovered identity. James H. Justus calls Edna’s awakening to sexuality “sufficient, indulgent, enclosed” (74). Her sexuality is selfish: it does not serve the reproductive and familial goals of the society but is rooted solely in Edna’s desires. Challenging the accepted social notions, Edna Pontellier recognizes her physical desires and seeks to act upon them—not with her husband, but with other men. Unable to get in touch with her romantic interest, Robert, she welcomes the company of Alcee Arobin, a notorious philanderer. In her affair with Alcee, Edna ultimately achieves her goal in fulfilling her physical needs: his kisses are the first ones to which her body truly responds (Chopin 116). In a society that "has eliminated the very concept of sexual passion for normal women," Edna is able to both discover and fulfill her sexual desires (Wolff 90). Moreover, she does so in a way that defies all social norms and instead allows her to take charge of her own
Both the religious expectations and the societal norms allow female sexuality only as a part of motherhood. But Edna refuses to conform to the traditions and define her sexuality through her family. She is not willing to displace her sexual desires into production of children and conversations about pregnancy, thus making her sexuality into an element of the family (Wolff 94). Instead, she needs to keep it private, a precious piece of her newly discovered identity. James H. Justus calls Edna’s awakening to sexuality “sufficient, indulgent, enclosed” (74). Her sexuality is selfish: it does not serve the reproductive and familial goals of the society but is rooted solely in Edna’s desires. Challenging the accepted social notions, Edna Pontellier recognizes her physical desires and seeks to act upon them—not with her husband, but with other men. Unable to get in touch with her romantic interest, Robert, she welcomes the company of Alcee Arobin, a notorious philanderer. In her affair with Alcee, Edna ultimately achieves her goal in fulfilling her physical needs: his kisses are the first ones to which her body truly responds (Chopin 116). In a society that "has eliminated the very concept of sexual passion for normal women," Edna is able to both discover and fulfill her sexual desires (Wolff 90). Moreover, she does so in a way that defies all social norms and instead allows her to take charge of her own