Rudyard Kipling once said that "the girls of America are clever . . . it is said that they can think (Daniel 253). Edna Pontellier, the main character in Kate Chopin's "The Awakening," demonstrated this talent. During the late 1800's, it was unheard of for women to disobey their husbands or freely speak their mind (Encarta). Edna did just that. The symbolic aspect of the novel illustrates the suffering of the woman's soul through Edna Pontellier in the novel The Awakening by Chopin.
The Grand Isle vacation spot was overwhelmed with symbolic items. In the very first chapter, the reader is introduced to a caged parrot, who speaks French and Spanish (Carey 11), and a caged mockingbird who are symbols of Edna Pontellier. She "will ‘awaken' in the novel and discover she is caged in a marriage that does not allow her to grow" (Carey 11). These two birds are introduced at the beginning of the novel to inform the reader of Edna's status. It is possible that Chopin, who was raised in a household dominated by three generations of widowed women (Faust 115), chose these birds to represent the two sides of Edna. The parrot signifies her strong-willed and opinionated personality while the mockingbird demonstrates how she is expected to follow her husband's lead.
Similarly, symbols are also present in her house. In her bedroom, an open window is symbolic of the free flowing, fresh air of freedom (Carey 43). The closed window, however, is symbolic of not being able to make judgements and actions (Carey 43). The windows are effective symbols in the novel because they are features that are common to almost everyone. Also, there is a physical parallel between the window and its symbolism. When the window is open, Edna feels free, but she is also physically able to escape through the structure. However, when the window is closed, Edna feels trapped and she is also physically confined to the room's boundaries. "One can't even imagine Edna's standing in front of a closed window; she finally felt the satisfaction of independent judgements and actions" (Carey 43).
Edna's wedding ring is a symbol of the bonds between her and Leonce Pontellier, her husband. It represents the vows they took when they were married. By taking off her ring and stomping on it to try to destroy it (Carey 43), Edna is showing us that she wants to end the marriage and break the vows. "The strength of the tiny gold band, however, mocks her frustration" (Carey 43). The persistence of the ring to her actions signifies the life long commitment Edna made to her husband that she can not easily exit. Chopin also knows the frustration of marriage because her husband died, leaving her widowed with five sons (Faust 115).
The sea, on the other hand, is a symbol of freedom and escape. When Edna is swimming, she is free of all bonds on her. She even takes off her wedding rings to go swimming (Carey 13). "The voice of the sea is seductive, never ceasing, whispering, murmuring; inviting the soul to wander for a spell in the abysses of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation" (Carey 22). When she becomes angry, Edna will go swimming. She drowned herself in water because one can only put out fire with water (Pollard 144). Edna finally decided to end her life by entering the ocean. She allows the sea to caress her and enfold her in its soft, close embrace (Carey 69).
Mademoiselle Reisz sensed Edna's strong determination and throughout the novel compared her to a little bird. She said that "the little bird would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice, but she would need strong wings. She added that it was a "sad spectacle to see the weaklings bruised, exhausted, fluttering back to earth (Carey 56). "The old woman senses Edna's strong determination to become something more than Leonce Pontellier's property" (Carey 56). Before Edna takes her life, she observes a bird falling into the sea. Edna does not die "bruised" and "fluttering." Similarly, the main character's illness was foreshadowed by a dream in Katherine Porter's "Pale Horse, Pale Rider" (Willms). She enters the water naked, swimming where "the waves . . . invited her (Carey 69).
Through symbolism, Chopin forms a parallel between women's plight of that time period and Edna Pontellier. During the latter part of the nineteenth century, women were realizing how unfair it was to live in a patriarchal society and were fighting for more freedoms to express themselves. Women's suffrage was being accepted and adopted all over the world (Encarta). Chopin was able to express her opinions creatively through the writing of this novel. Coming from a family run by generations of strong women (Faust 115), Chopin may have felt suppressed upon entering a marriage in a time when men were extremely dominant. It is possible that the character of Edna Pontellier was the idea woman that Chopin desired to be.
Carey, Kay. "Chopin's Awakening." Cliff's Notes. Lincoln: Cliff's Notes, Inc., 1980: 11- 69.
Daniel, Clifton. Chronicle of America. New York: Dorling Kindersley Publishing, Inc., 1995. 253.
Faust, Langdon Lynne. American Women Writers: A Critical Reference Guide. New York: The Ungar Publishing Company, 1979: 115.
Pollard, Percival. "Women, Womanists and Manners." Their Day in Court. The Neale Publishing Company, 1909: 17 in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Vol. 5. Ed. Sharon K. Hall. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1981: 144.
"Katherine Anne Porter: Pale Horse, Pale Rider." New York University's Literature, Arts, and Medicine Database. 30 November, 1998
"Women's Suffrage." Encarta 98 Encyclopedia. Vers 98 CD-ROM. Microsoft Corporation, 1998.
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