Study Questions & Essay Topics
Study Questions
1. What is the
symbolic importance of the lady in black and of the two lovers?
These characters often appear at the same points in the novel; what
is the significance of
this pairing?
2. What is the
symbolic meaning of Edna's first successful attempt to swim?
3. Early in
The
Awakening, the narrator remarks that Léonce thinks of Edna
as “the sole object of his existence.” What evidence does the novel
provide to support this declaration?
Suggested Essay Topics
1. How does the text use clothing
and garments (or the lack thereof) to portray Edna's rebellion against
Victorian norms?
2. Of the many awakenings Edna
undergoes in the novel, which are most important to her progress?
Which may be considered “rude” or unexpected awakenings?
3. Explore the full implications
of the various images of birds in the novel. How do the different
species of birds mentioned—parrots, mockingbirds, pigeons—symbolize
different ideas?
4. Throughout the novel, Edna
feels caught between the way others see her and the way she sees
herself. Identify several moments in which this struggle is apparent.
How does the text portray Edna's growing awareness of these
contradicting views?
5. Some critics view Edna's suicide
at the end of the novel as a failure to complete her escape from
convention—an inability to defy society once stripped of the motivation
of a man by her side. Others view her suicide as a final awakening,
a decision to give herself to the sea in a show of strength and independence
that defies social expectation. Which interpretation do you find
more compelling, and why?
