Oppression Of Women In Kate Chopin's The Awakening

(Chopin). This quote emphasizes Mrs. Mallard’s realization of her long awaited independence and individuality. Louise finally is casting off the old shackles of her oppressive relationship. Mrs. Mallard’s emotion is a highly unusual one, and is challenging to identify. Louise’s fit of sadness, until this point in the story, ends once she understands the weight of the situation and finds her true emotion for what has happened. It is natural for the reader to question Louise’s feelings towards her death of her husband until they understand the oppression of women during that time. Steve Taylor, a lecturer in psychology, suggests the men have oppressed women throughout history. He writes, “The oppression of women stems largely from men’s desire …show more content…
Chopin, indicating Louie’s position in the room, writes, “There stood, facing the open window, a comfortable, roomy armchair… She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air” (Chopin). Although this quote provides seemingly small detail, it reveals the entire process behind Louise’s transformation. One idea that the quote raises is the significance of Louise’s name. According to the Cornell Lab, a mallards “are large ducks with hefty bodies, rounded heads and wide, flat bills” (Cornell Lab). Mallard, Louise’s last name, is a type of duck. A parallel exists between a trapped duck wanting to be free and Mrs. Mallard. Louise’s unhealthy relationship with her husband symbolizes her entrapment. His mental and emotional abuse towards Louise destroyed her pride and spirt over the course of their marriage. The open window in the room represents the freedom for Mrs. Mallard to escape her situation. Brent’s death, in essence, “opened” her cage door. “The tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life” (Chopin) symbolizes a new life for Mrs. Mallard. The reader senses the recent peace and tranquility is new for Louise. In addition to room’s various symbols, Chopin also utilizes the imagery in the room to illustrate Mrs. Mallard’s feelings of …show more content…
Mallard’s enlightenment. Chopin, describing the setting, writes, “The delicious breath of rain was in the air…The notes of a distant song which some one was singing reached her faintly, and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves....There were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds that had met and piled one above the other in the west facing her window” (Chopin). The chirping birds symbolizes fresh beginnings (as birds chirp in the morning), and foretells the transformation she is about partake in. According to Dictionary.com, breath can be defined as “the power of breathing; life.” (Dictionary.com). In Mrs. Mallard’s case, the death of her husband brings her life, which is ironic. But in her case, his death means her freedom. The rain, a sign of rebirth, washes away the past and refreshes the