unto my cell phone in order to read it. It took me a while to finish it, since I only read this one while riding the subway.Ever read something and kept thinking "I've read this before"? That's what I kept thinking when reading this novella. I'm not sure if I actually read it before - after all, there's the four years as an undergraduate majoring in English under my belt, not to mention the year as an AP English student in High School. But aside from the vague feeling that I had read it before, I really enjoyed reading The Awakening.
It's the story of Edna Pontellier. When the story opens, Edna - mother, wife - is with her family vacationing at the Shore, as apparently all well to do New Orlenian families did. As it was, Edna was always different from the other mothers/wives present; her French wasn't as good as that of the other Creoles, and she was able to forget about the existence of her two boys (Raoul and Etienne) for hours at a time. And then there's Robert - a young man accustomed to flirting and spending all his time with married women vacationing in his mother's "resort." Something no one looked at in the wrong way, as apparently his attention kept the women occupied and away from their husbands. Here Edna also differs from the other mothers/wives. She doesn't seem to realize that Robert's attention is supposed to be harmless, not real, something to enjoy for a bit and then throw aside as you return to your husband.
You see... Robert's attention "awakened" Edna from the world she lived in, turning her from mother/wife to woman. Chopin did a great job here, in demonstrating Edna's feelings, and the fact that there was no name for them at the time. The only woman in the story that lives alone and without the pressure of men/children is often described by others as mean and disagreeable. When Edna returns to New Orleans while Robert runs to Mexico, Edna feels sexual desire, allows herself to enjoy her ennui, defies her husband, walks alone at night, and is happy when her husband and children have to leave town. I imagine that at the time of publication this novella must've been very scandalous.
Lots of things happen in the middle and I won't go into the details of it all. The end, however is thus: Robert returns from Mexico and declares his love for Edna; but Robert is pure and because he loves her and would not see her be damaged by society, chooses to not have an affair with Edna or even try to convince her husband to "let her go." Then, Edna actually witnesses childbirth. She remembers giving birth very vaguely thanks to the chloroform involved; seeing the act up close stirs the motherly instincts in her that she apparently had somewhat dormant.
Ultimately, Edna decides that she would never sacrifice her self not even for her children. I don't think that what her self is, is ever spelled out. But Mrs. Pontellier goes the way of many a heroine that attempted to be different, and indeed I was not surprised by her actions and how they put an end to the story, as it is exactly what many other literary women (Anna Karenina I'm looking at you) had to experience in order to be free.
All in all it is a very good read, and something interesting to look at from today's perspective. In this story, women's worth and self were controlled by the men in their lives, by what they "did" (wether they be mother, wife, artiste), and I wonder if we really have changed. There is no parity between the sexes still, in so many industries. But at least we're free (I think) to search for self.
