The Awakening
The Awakening: A Womans Fight for Independence
Right from the beginning the plot is almost conveniently evident. You find a
woman, Edna Pontellier, tired of living her life as a pampered and “owned”
wife and mother. She is searching for much more in her life, some sort of
meaning for her whole existence. She searches for a long time but in the end,
the inevitability of her lifes pattern and direction wraps around her,
suffocating her. She is overcome with wonder, confusion, and guilt for what
she believes and what she does to express her beliefs. She finally finds a
way to beat the “proper” 1890s lifestyle by committing suicide. During this
story Edna struggles with three main opposing powers. First, there is the
societys opinion of what a womans “roles” in life was and how they should
act, look, and feel. Second, is her independent nature. The last opposing
power she comes across is her undying love for the charming Robert Lebrun.
It is the unwritten rule that a woman should marry, have children, and be
happy and content with that as their life. Society portrays this to be a
womans rightful job and duty. A woman should act
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