Kate Chopin’s The Awakening was a bold piece of fiction in its time, and protagonist Edna Pontellier upset many nineteenth century expectations for women and their supposed roles. The novel fulfils many of the requirements that a novel of literary merit should and for this reason is taught in high schools all around the country. It set an example for novels that followed it and recreated social and political views of the 19th century. The Awakening is taught in high school classrooms all over the world because it fosters the idea of critical thinking, something that every race, religion, or culture can relate to, all while demonstrating innovation in literary development.
Any novel that is considered to have “literary merit” has to meet certain …show more content…
Many people of the 19th century thought that the novel struck topics that set the wrong example for women of that time period. Edna, the main character, is fighting against the societal and natural structures that force her to be defined by her title as wife of Leonce Pontellier and mother of Raoul and Etienne Pontellier, instead of being her own, self-defined individual. Edna provoked women to rethink their idea of what they wanted to be. Edna states, “I would give my money, I would give my life for my children, but I wouldn’t give myself” (Chopin 53). A woman who cared more for herself than her children was hard to find if even real. This character created a huge social impact during the life of Chopin because it allowed other women to believe that there were women in the world who wanted more out of life; they were not the only ones. This idea is not only relevant in the US but can also be seen all over the world. Women were reshaped in one country which made other countries reconsider the role of women in their own. The themes of critical thinking and ascribed roles were not only relevant in the 19th century but are also valid in today’s society. Women’s rights are one of the most controversial issues in US government to this day. Both men and women are fighting for equal treatment of women, including equal pay. Men are no longer known as “the breadwinner of the family” but rather both
Any novel that is considered to have “literary merit” has to meet certain …show more content…
Many people of the 19th century thought that the novel struck topics that set the wrong example for women of that time period. Edna, the main character, is fighting against the societal and natural structures that force her to be defined by her title as wife of Leonce Pontellier and mother of Raoul and Etienne Pontellier, instead of being her own, self-defined individual. Edna provoked women to rethink their idea of what they wanted to be. Edna states, “I would give my money, I would give my life for my children, but I wouldn’t give myself” (Chopin 53). A woman who cared more for herself than her children was hard to find if even real. This character created a huge social impact during the life of Chopin because it allowed other women to believe that there were women in the world who wanted more out of life; they were not the only ones. This idea is not only relevant in the US but can also be seen all over the world. Women were reshaped in one country which made other countries reconsider the role of women in their own. The themes of critical thinking and ascribed roles were not only relevant in the 19th century but are also valid in today’s society. Women’s rights are one of the most controversial issues in US government to this day. Both men and women are fighting for equal treatment of women, including equal pay. Men are no longer known as “the breadwinner of the family” but rather both