Grand Slam

Jobs are the cornerstone of our society. They act as a method of supporting one’s self and one's family as well as symbolizing the effort and sacrifices made to get that job. As our society is becoming more and more technologically advanced, what jobs are in the most danger? What can we do in response to this impending revolution in labor? This problem identified itself in Eli Ginzberg’s book, “World Without Work.” in this book, he describes a world where no one has to labor away all day, and…

Kate Chopin’s 1899 Novel The Awakening, encompasses itself on defying the stereotype of a “Mother-woman”and a woman trying to fit into strict cultural demands. The protagonist Edna Pontellier ruined many expectations of what a woman should be like in the nineteenth century. The Awakening not only embraces the process of self-discovery, and conflict between an individual and society, but also includes family as major theme throughout the novel. Chopin geniously captivates the reader by giving…

The Awakening In today’s society the feminist movement has improved since the 1960s and 1970s.Many scholars and critics have showed much interest to Kate Chopin’s literature. This particular story shows a life of a married woman and the struggles of her family, husband and her desires for love and freedom she has long been searching for. The short story “The Awakening” has a symbolism throughout, but there is one particular one that is very important to the story in order to understand the…

Edna Pontellier - Edna is the protagonist of the novel “The Awakening”. The twenty eight year old is the wife of a New Orleans businessman Léonce Pontellier. Edna suddenly finds herself dissatisfied with her marriage and the motherly, matronly, and conservative lifestyle that follows. She discovers her own identity and acts on her desires for emotional satisfaction, through a collection of experiences, or “awakenings”. Unlike the other women around her, she doesn’t have a motherly…

Louisiana and follows the spiritual journey of Edna Pontellier, a twenty-eight-year-old wife and mother living in New Orleans. While in Grand Isle for the summer with her husband, Léonce, and their two children, she finds herself displeased with her marriage and the conventional behavior it demands from her. Edna was very different from the other women residing at Grand Isle that summer. Not only was she a Kentucky Presbyterian rather than a Creole Catholic, but she was not a “mother-woman.” …

Author, Kate Chopin, in her novel, The Awakening, composes a story about a woman named Edna who is in a passionless marriage and is realizing her sexuality. Director, Mike Newell, in his film, Mona Lisa Smile, illustrates a story about a woman named Katherine who is an art professor at Wellesley College teaching female students about breaking out of society’s roles. Chopin’s purpose is to bring to light to how some housewives felt trapped in the lives they were supposed to live during the 1890’s…

Lauren Alaina and Raelynn are both new female country artist, that have been through singing competitions to get where they are today. They both have had many challenges throughout their career. They have had to compete against several people and go in front of millions of people and judges. Lauren Alaina is from Rossville, Georgia. Lauren’s full name is Lauren Alaina Kristine Suddeth. Lauren was born on November 8, 1994. She was on the tenth season of American Idol. She was the runner up…

Oppression of Female Independence In a society where women are controlled by patriarchal expectations, true independence is not an option. Kate Chopin witnessed and experienced these restrictions first hand during the 19th century, yet she refused to conform. She detailed this restriction in many of her works, and in The Awakening, her protagonist, Edna, goes against social constraints in a journey of self-discovery. Along the way, Chopin utilizes literary elements to track Edna’s progress while…

Independence and the individuality were important to the way Chopin developed the two main characters in both the novel and short story. Women being oppressed in their marriage was a main theme within the literary pieces. Though Chopin represented their personality and life differently. Edna Pontellier in The Awakening made the decision to find her individuality after she was married and had two children. She made the conscious choice to have an affair with another man when she was still…

With The Awakening being published in the year 1899, it can be deemed as an early work of feminism several years prior to the successes of the first wave feminist movement which granted women the right to vote in 1920. Chopin’s work could potentially have been inspired by the first wave feminist movement which proposed legislation in 1878. I think Chopin is finding inspiration from the first wave feminist movements and she is reflecting her progressive views onto the main character Edna. Edna…