In modern American culture, many find that trying to comprehend something as complex as one’s identity can be a lifelong endeavor. Through both of their literary works, Kate Chopin, author of The Awakening, and Zora Hurston, writer of Their Eyes Were Watching God, each vividly depict what this struggle of finding one’s identity can be through the main characters of each novel, Edna Pontellier and Janie Crawford. Throughout the plot of Chopin’s novel, Edna experiences a progressive “awakening” in which she develops an enlightened knowledge regarding her own desires and interests, even though the conventions of Victorian society clearly oppose her behavior. Likewise, after living a life governed by the views of those around her, Janie dramatically
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To begin with, Edna and Janie progress similarly because both women separate themselves from the expectations of the society they live in, seeking to rid themselves of the feelings of oppression and unfulfillment associated with a life restricted by convention. After reviving her previously dormant inner self at Grand Isle, Edna engages in genuine romantic relationships to explore her growing independence, but her societal duties to her stifling marriage with Léonce restraints her from fully doing so. When she is back in New Orleans, Chopin reveals that Edna seeks to create a division between herself and her ties to Léonce when she states, “Without even waiting for an answer from her husband regarding his opinion or wishes in the matter, Edna hastened her preparations for quitting her home on Esplanade Street and moving into the little house around the block.” (93) By living separately in a place filled with her own possessions without even consulting with her husband, Edna enables herself to express her freedom while being further detached from her husband’s …show more content…
For Edna, her development toward individualism is more personal and is not highly associated with any other figure except herself. During her stay at Grand Isle, where her “awakening” began, the experiences that substantially contribute to her discovery of her own desires and passions are observed in isolation. For instance, when Edna swims for the first time, Chopin describes how Enda “swam out alone…” and “turned her face seaward to gather in an impression of space and solitude… .” (31) As seen when she is swimming alone, Edna is essentially exploring her identity and testing the limits of her freedom and independence without significant direction from anyone. Although Robert, Madame Reisz, and Alceé do have some roles in her maturation, she is the one who actually initiates and has sovereign control over her search for identity. On the other hand, Janie’s journey to find fulfillment is characterized mostly by her experiences with Tea Cake. By marrying Tea Cake, Janie, in effect, fuels her own self-discovery because he facilitates her individuality whereas her previous husbands, Logan Killicks and Joe Starks, kept her caged within their own boundaries of what they thought a woman should be. When the two first meet, Tea Cake
To begin with, Edna and Janie progress similarly because both women separate themselves from the expectations of the society they live in, seeking to rid themselves of the feelings of oppression and unfulfillment associated with a life restricted by convention. After reviving her previously dormant inner self at Grand Isle, Edna engages in genuine romantic relationships to explore her growing independence, but her societal duties to her stifling marriage with Léonce restraints her from fully doing so. When she is back in New Orleans, Chopin reveals that Edna seeks to create a division between herself and her ties to Léonce when she states, “Without even waiting for an answer from her husband regarding his opinion or wishes in the matter, Edna hastened her preparations for quitting her home on Esplanade Street and moving into the little house around the block.” (93) By living separately in a place filled with her own possessions without even consulting with her husband, Edna enables herself to express her freedom while being further detached from her husband’s …show more content…
For Edna, her development toward individualism is more personal and is not highly associated with any other figure except herself. During her stay at Grand Isle, where her “awakening” began, the experiences that substantially contribute to her discovery of her own desires and passions are observed in isolation. For instance, when Edna swims for the first time, Chopin describes how Enda “swam out alone…” and “turned her face seaward to gather in an impression of space and solitude… .” (31) As seen when she is swimming alone, Edna is essentially exploring her identity and testing the limits of her freedom and independence without significant direction from anyone. Although Robert, Madame Reisz, and Alceé do have some roles in her maturation, she is the one who actually initiates and has sovereign control over her search for identity. On the other hand, Janie’s journey to find fulfillment is characterized mostly by her experiences with Tea Cake. By marrying Tea Cake, Janie, in effect, fuels her own self-discovery because he facilitates her individuality whereas her previous husbands, Logan Killicks and Joe Starks, kept her caged within their own boundaries of what they thought a woman should be. When the two first meet, Tea Cake