Kate Chopin’s The Awakening is an artfully crafted piece of literature in the late nineteenth century. During this time, The Awakening is seen as vulgar and distasteful to many critics, but the book gave a much-needed “eye opener” to the perspective of women’s suffrage. This story is told in the eyes of Edna Pontellier, a wife and mother, who struggles with the ideas of freedom and self-awareness. Society’s expectations of women are to be a “stay-at-home” caretaker of the home and children and be a decent and loyal wife. Symbolism is one of many literary devices used in the novel. There are three prominent symbols recognized in the book: the birds, the house, and the ocean. These three symbols resemble Edna’s search in the ideas of self-awareness
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The parrot and the mockingbird, both caged, have different figurative meanings to Edna. In the beginning of the book, a parrot screeches at Mr. Pontellier and curses at him. The parrot represents Edna’s unexpressed feelings. The cage parrot signifies Enda’s figurative incarceration from speaking out. The mockingbird is the only creatures able to somewhat understand the parrot’s language. Mademoiselle Reisz symbolizes the mockingbird, as she is able to understand Edna’s point of view. The “caged birds” are limited to what they can do in society. “The birds that would soar above the level of plain tradition and prejudice must have strong wing” (Chopin, Chapter 27). Mademoiselle Reisz realizes what freedom is and understands that society won’t tolerate the amount of freedom women wish to have, but Edna lacks understanding of this concept. She tells Edna that if she really wants to be limitless from society than she must have the courage accompanying her on this freedom …show more content…
The broken wing symbolizes her defeat. She comes to this decision when she asked her distant lover Robert Lebrun. Robert and Edna flirt endlessly throughout the novel until Robert made the sudden decision to leave for Mexico. Torn by the departure, Edna pesters Madame Lebrun for the letters he writes to her so she can read them. Edna is jealous that Robert writes to everyone but her. She doesn’t understand why he wouldn’t write back. From Robert’s perspective, he really started to fall in love with Edna. His true feelings toward Edna are more than the affection he gave other women. This realization gave him a sense of pride and commitment by professing his love to her when he goes back to New Orleans. They both meet at Edna’s pigeon home and exchange mutual feeling amongst each other. Edna had to leave because her good friend Adelé was in labor and requested her presence. She asked Robert to wait for her to get back. Robert took this time to comprehend what all had taken place. He quickly knows that he’s in over his head with Edna and he can never have her. He understands that he can’t dismiss the rules of society and follow through with wanting to ask Leoncé to give Edna away to him for marriage. Robert doesn’t buy in with Edna claims of self-awareness and self-liberation knowing that his reputation in New Orleans will be rejected. He decides to leave a short goodbye love letter
The parrot and the mockingbird, both caged, have different figurative meanings to Edna. In the beginning of the book, a parrot screeches at Mr. Pontellier and curses at him. The parrot represents Edna’s unexpressed feelings. The cage parrot signifies Enda’s figurative incarceration from speaking out. The mockingbird is the only creatures able to somewhat understand the parrot’s language. Mademoiselle Reisz symbolizes the mockingbird, as she is able to understand Edna’s point of view. The “caged birds” are limited to what they can do in society. “The birds that would soar above the level of plain tradition and prejudice must have strong wing” (Chopin, Chapter 27). Mademoiselle Reisz realizes what freedom is and understands that society won’t tolerate the amount of freedom women wish to have, but Edna lacks understanding of this concept. She tells Edna that if she really wants to be limitless from society than she must have the courage accompanying her on this freedom …show more content…
The broken wing symbolizes her defeat. She comes to this decision when she asked her distant lover Robert Lebrun. Robert and Edna flirt endlessly throughout the novel until Robert made the sudden decision to leave for Mexico. Torn by the departure, Edna pesters Madame Lebrun for the letters he writes to her so she can read them. Edna is jealous that Robert writes to everyone but her. She doesn’t understand why he wouldn’t write back. From Robert’s perspective, he really started to fall in love with Edna. His true feelings toward Edna are more than the affection he gave other women. This realization gave him a sense of pride and commitment by professing his love to her when he goes back to New Orleans. They both meet at Edna’s pigeon home and exchange mutual feeling amongst each other. Edna had to leave because her good friend Adelé was in labor and requested her presence. She asked Robert to wait for her to get back. Robert took this time to comprehend what all had taken place. He quickly knows that he’s in over his head with Edna and he can never have her. He understands that he can’t dismiss the rules of society and follow through with wanting to ask Leoncé to give Edna away to him for marriage. Robert doesn’t buy in with Edna claims of self-awareness and self-liberation knowing that his reputation in New Orleans will be rejected. He decides to leave a short goodbye love letter