Caged Birds In Kate Chopin's The Awakening

Kate Chopin 's novel, The Awakening, is seen as an enlightening novel based on young women from the 1800s. The ultimate goal for women during that time period was for them to live their life for themselves, which required them to break out of the various barriers that was expected from society and their own family. Chopin uses caged birds as a recurring theme to display the domestic lives of women, especially in the character, Edna Pontellier. Caged birds were frequently referenced as a concise representation of women during the Victorian Era. The stereotype of women that was expected from society was that women had no other role besides the role of being a wife and mother. The main assumption of women living their lives in “cages”, and taking care of the family was seen as common in the 1800s. The birds that appear throughout the novel are recurring symbols in the novel portray constant …show more content…
Edna 's husband Leonce also seems to agree with the idea that Edna is not a good mother. Leonce constantly criticized her for being a bad mother to their children. “He reproached his wife with her intentions, and her neglect of their children” ( Chopin 37).The symbol of birds reoccurs when the topic of motherhood is being discussed. “The women of Grand Isle are fluttering about with extended, protecting wings when any harm, real or imaginary, threatened their precious brood” ( Chopin 38). Edna, however, does not fit that description in any way. Edna is portrayed as careless when it comes to her boys. When her son was sick, Edna did not check up on him. This shows how she soon comes to the realization that her children are the reason she cannot live the life that she wants, but that never meant she did not love them. As soon as Edna had her boys her title became “mother” ,and once you are a given the role as a mother you cannot get rid of