Sofia Blankenship
Mrs. Schroder
AP Literature and Composition
28 December 2016
The Price of Sacrifice: 2014 Prompt
In Kate Chopin’s novella, The Awakening, she addresses a variety of issues specific to the Victorian Era the scenes are set in, such as double standards or the deep divide between socioeconomic classes. Yet, one of the most prominent points Chopin approaches, is how values are exposed by what an individual is willing to sacrifice. She expresses this through her tragic heroine, Edna Pontellier. Chopin expresses to the audience through Edna the large expectations women are placed under in the time period and how that leads to drastic changes within them. These societal expectations placed on women leads to the amount of sacrifice …show more content…
However, this view proves to be incorrect, as Edna yearns for independence. Although she does love her children, she says that she will not sacrifice herself or her identity for them. Due to this thought process that she cannot live up to the standards Leonce has pressed for, she refuses to create a close bond to them, eventually viewing her children towards the end of the book as “antagonists” and “the soul’s slavery” (155). Edna recognizes that her children threaten the idea of returning to the roles of being a mother and a wife, which she so desperately attempted to flee from. In the end, the battle within herself and society towards independence, met a fatal end as her “awakening” reached a tragic yet logical culmination: the only way to free herself from societal pressures and housewife expectations, was to ultimately drown …show more content…
In this period, the idea of sexual desire connecting with love, is unheard of for a women. This is extremely reflective in her relationships with Robert and Alcee, as she finds difficulty in conveying her raw emotions to both, specifically Robert. In the beginning, she is confused that her affection for Robert is love. However, she is aware that continuing her thoughts for Robert and advances puts her at risk of ruining her reputation. Edna’s suppression of her sexual desires causes her to experience confusion of her feelings towards Robert. However, as she meets Alcee, she becomes awakened to the idea that the feelings she experiences are lustful and not the platonic love she once craved, as her emotions were clouded and stifled from the expectations held over her by society. As Edna begins to open her mind to the idea of her desires, she no longer has an emotional connection to Alcee or Robert, but would rather maintain an interactive
Mrs. Schroder
AP Literature and Composition
28 December 2016
The Price of Sacrifice: 2014 Prompt
In Kate Chopin’s novella, The Awakening, she addresses a variety of issues specific to the Victorian Era the scenes are set in, such as double standards or the deep divide between socioeconomic classes. Yet, one of the most prominent points Chopin approaches, is how values are exposed by what an individual is willing to sacrifice. She expresses this through her tragic heroine, Edna Pontellier. Chopin expresses to the audience through Edna the large expectations women are placed under in the time period and how that leads to drastic changes within them. These societal expectations placed on women leads to the amount of sacrifice …show more content…
However, this view proves to be incorrect, as Edna yearns for independence. Although she does love her children, she says that she will not sacrifice herself or her identity for them. Due to this thought process that she cannot live up to the standards Leonce has pressed for, she refuses to create a close bond to them, eventually viewing her children towards the end of the book as “antagonists” and “the soul’s slavery” (155). Edna recognizes that her children threaten the idea of returning to the roles of being a mother and a wife, which she so desperately attempted to flee from. In the end, the battle within herself and society towards independence, met a fatal end as her “awakening” reached a tragic yet logical culmination: the only way to free herself from societal pressures and housewife expectations, was to ultimately drown …show more content…
In this period, the idea of sexual desire connecting with love, is unheard of for a women. This is extremely reflective in her relationships with Robert and Alcee, as she finds difficulty in conveying her raw emotions to both, specifically Robert. In the beginning, she is confused that her affection for Robert is love. However, she is aware that continuing her thoughts for Robert and advances puts her at risk of ruining her reputation. Edna’s suppression of her sexual desires causes her to experience confusion of her feelings towards Robert. However, as she meets Alcee, she becomes awakened to the idea that the feelings she experiences are lustful and not the platonic love she once craved, as her emotions were clouded and stifled from the expectations held over her by society. As Edna begins to open her mind to the idea of her desires, she no longer has an emotional connection to Alcee or Robert, but would rather maintain an interactive