Key Facts
full title · The Awakening
author · Kate Chopin
type of work · Novel
genre · Bildungsroman (novel of intellectual, spiritual or
moral evolution); kunstlerroman (novel of artistic realization or development);
shares elements of and is heavily influenced by the local color
genre
language · English (frequently makes use of French language)
time and place written · Written between 1897 and 1899 while
Chopin was living in
St. Louis
date of first publication · 1899
publisher · Herbert S. Stone and Co.
narrator · Anonymous; seems to align with Chopin herself
point of view · The novel is narrated in the third person, but the
narrator frequently makes clear her sympathy for and support of
Edna.
tone · For the most part, the tone is objective, although
it occasionally reveals support for the female independence and
sexual and emotional awareness symbolized in Edna's awakening.
tense · Immediate past
setting (time) · The novel is set in 1899, at
a time when the Industrial Revolution and the feminist movement
were beginning to emerge yet were still overshadowed by the prevailing
attitudes of the nineteenth century.
setting (place) · The novel opens on Grand Isle, a popular summer vacation
spot for wealthy Creoles from New Orleans. The second half of the novel
is set in New Orleans, mainly in the Quartier Français, or French
Quarter.
protagonist · Edna Pontellier
major conflict · Once Edna embarks upon her quest for independence and
self-fulfillment, she finds herself at odds with the expectations
and conventions of society, which requires a married woman to subvert
her own needs to those of her husband and children.
rising action · While Edna vacations at Grand Isle, several events
initiate her awakening. Her candid conversations with Adèle remind
her of her long-repressed passions; Robert Lebrun's flirtations
with Edna cause her to desire more autonomy from her husband; and Mademoiselle
Reisz's piano playing serves as artistic inspiration for Edna. At
Grand Isle, Edna swims in the ocean for the first time, giving her
the courage she needs to embark upon her journey of self-understanding
and self-fulfillment.
climax · The climax of The Awakening is difficult
to ascertain, as Edna Pontellier's series of awakenings all possess
a certain climactic quality. Most readers view Edna's suicide as
the definitive climax of the novel. Other possibile climaxes include
the first time Edna commits adultery by having sex with Alcée Arobin,
and the moment when she declares her love aloud to Robert Lebrun
and the two finally kiss.
falling action · The generally accepted climax of the novel is Edna's
suicide at the end of the novel. In this case there would be no
falling action. An alternative reading would suggest that the falling
action is Edna's liberated and defiant behavior following her initial
physical act of indiscretion—her affair with Arobin.
themes · Solitude as the consequence of independence; the implications
of self-expression
motifs · Music; children; houses
symbols · Birds; the sea
foreshadowing · The novel relies heavily on foreshadowing. Most examples pertain
to Edna's rebellious and independent actions in the second half
of the novel. In Chapter VIII, Adèle Ratignolle warns Robert that
Edna, who is different from the other
women on Grand Isle, may take his affections seriously. Adèle's concerns
and Robert's impulsive reply that he indeed wishes Edna would take
him seriously both presage the later romantic relations between
the two. The lurking presence of the lady in black behind the young
lovers suggests the tragic end that will come to the lovers' symbolic
counterparts, Edna and Robert. Edna's suicide is foreshadowed countless
times throughout the novel. The most obvious of these examples is
Edna's rebellious swim in Chapter X. The surge of power and momentary
vision of death Edna feels during this swim foreshadow her eventual
suicide.
