Theme of Isolation in The Awakening Essays - 787 Words

Theme of Isolation in The Awakening One theme apparent in Kate Chopins novel, The Awakening, is the consequence of solitude when independence is chosen over conformity. The novels protagonist, Edna Pontellier, is faced with this consequence after she embarks on a journey of self-discovery. As Ednas ability to express herself grows, the number of people who can understand her newfound language shrinks (Ward 3). Ednas awakening from a conforming, Victorian wife and mother, into an emotional and sexual woman takes place through the use of self-expression in three forms: emotional language, art, and physical passion. The first form of self-expression Edna learns is the emotional language spoken by the Creole†¦show more content†¦Chopin notes, Perhaps it was the first time she was ready, perhaps the first time her being was tempered to take an impress of the abiding truth (699). Mlle. Reisz feels the music is a mode of communication between Edna and herself. This prompts her to tell Edna during a party, You are the only one worth playing for (Chopin 700). The music calls to something within Edna, which further wakes her from the slumber of domesticity. As Edna realizes the expressive nature of music, she wants to apply this expression to her painting. She seeks the encouragement of her first teacher of expression, Madame Ratignolle, hoping her kind words will help her put her heart into her venture (Chopin 723). When Edna surrendered to the service of art her husband noted, she was not herself. That is, he could not see the she was becoming herself (Chopin 724). Self-expressio n through art progresses Edna in her new sense of self, but one more form must be learned to complete her transformation. Lastly, Edna explores self-expression in her own physical passion. Her romantic relationships with Alcee and, most importantly, Robert, give her the means to express love and passion she had preciously repressed. When Edna first explores these sexual feelings she, as Davis states, succumbs to the seductions of a rouà ©, Alcee Arobin, withoutShow MoreRelated Theme of Isolation in Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper, Steinbeck’s The Chrysanthemums and Chopin’s The Awakening1619 Words   |  7 PagesDespite differing story lines, Charlotte Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper, John Steinbeck’s The Chrysanthemums and Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, depict the same suffering; the isolation that women have been forced to endure throughout history. In the time period that all three characters were placed, it was culturally acceptable for wives to be dominated by their husbands; their responsibility revolving around the needs of their children and those of the ir spouse. Most women simply did not have a meansRead MoreEssay about The Awakening1491 Words   |  6 Pages The Awakening nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The novel, The Awakening by Kate Chopin, was written in the late nineteenth century in St. Louis after her husband Oscar died of a severe illness. Her book appeared in 1899, after she was idolized by many novels written by Darwin and Sarah Orne Jewett. Her first attempts at writing were just brief sketches for a local newspaper that was only short descriptions of her life in Louisiana. However, Chopin’s interests had always run along more risky linesRead MoreAnalysis Of `` Cathedral `` By Raymond Carver920 Words   |  4 Pagesperspective opens a clear window into the feelings, attitudes, and the isolation of the unnamed narrator. The narrator’s tone of voice reveals his feelings and personality. This contributes to the story’s themes because the reader comes to understand things that the narrator never directly or deliberately reveals; as a result, the reader comes to empathize with the narrator more deeply. Isolation and loneliness are prevalent themes in â€Å"Cathedral†. Appropriately, the narrator is insular and narrow-mindedRead MoreThe Awakening By Kate Chopin954 Words   |  4 Pagesworks as a method to rebel against the Industrial Revolution. Among the most important pieces of this period I consider The Awakening written by Kate Chopin as a Romantic novel. Even though it has been a subject of debate among critics on whether to consider it as a Romantic or Realistic novel, I still believe it represents more Romantic ideologies and concerns. The Awakening narrates the difficult journey of the main character named Edna Pontellier, a twenty-eight years old woman, and her constantRead MoreThoreau’s Journey: Problem, Need, Lifestyle, and Revelation Essay1287 Words   |  6 Pagesliving in a cabin near Walden Pond is considered a seminal work of early American transcendentalism. Thoreau never explicitly reveals the spiritual truth at the end of his journey. Still, a discerning Christian reader can note the main transcendental themes and ideals that Thoreau demonstrates, separating that which should be applauded from that which should be rejected. Thoreau sees mankind’s self-alienation as the fundamental problem in society. In the opening chapter of the book, â€Å"Economy,† ThoreauRead MoreMajor Works Data Sheet: the Awakening by Kate Chopin1444 Words   |  6 PagesIB English HL Major Works Data Sheet: The Awakening | | |Author: Kate Chopin Year of publication: 1899 | | | | Read More Epiphany in Araby of James Joyces Dubliners Essay848 Words   |  4 Pagesunderstand him. Araby is centered on an epiphany, and is concerned with a failure or deception, which results in realization and disillusionment. The meaning is revealed in a young boys psychic journey from love to despair and disappointment, and the theme is found in the boys discovery of the discrepancy between the real and the ideal in life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story opens with a description of North Richmond Street, a blind, cold ... .. silent street where the houses gazed at one an-other withRead MoreModernism and Existential Loneliness Demonstrated in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness and James Joyces The Dead855 Words   |  4 PagesConrad and Joyce incorporate one of the key characteristics of modernism throughout their works, Conrad in Heart of Darkness and Joyce in The Dead. The key characteristic that each writer targets in on is existential loneliness. It is a predominant theme throughout both of their works. A working definition of existential loneliness as illustrated throughout Conrad and Joyce’s works is the inability of one character to feel accepted by his or her peers, regardless of the close proximities that he orRead MoreThe Awakening: My Critical Essay2618 Words   |  11 Pagesthe novel is The Awakening by Kate Chopin. Setting and its Significance The Awakening is set in New Orleans at the end of the Victorian era. The significance of the novel being set in the Victorian era is the way women are treated and looked at. For a typical Victorian woman, she was expected to be faithful and do what the husband desires, take care of the children, and basically be entertainment for man. If affects the novel because the main character will go through awakenings that will challengeRead MoreGood Country People, by Flannery OConnor1499 Words   |  6 Pagesis conned by Manley Pointer and left immobile in the loft of a barn deep within a forest. Besides being a bildungsroman, O’Connor also incorporates themes of the Modernist movement into this short work such as isolation, alienation, loss of control, and incoherence of the modern world. O’Connor designed the character of Joy to encompass the isolation of the Modernist movement.To distinguish and remove herself from the people around her, Joy seeks a PhD in Philosophy thus creating an educational barrier