Celebration of Fluidity

Although my initial blog posting focused on blame being placed with Edna Pontellier, it seems that the work as a whole suggests an underlying favoritism to her. I have found The Awakening to operate on two different levels. Firstly, we have the surface level plot in which the protagonist’s demise is caused by marital infidelity. On a deeper level, we can detect the author making a disapproving statement about the restrained nature of women in society during her day.  It almost seems as if this entire story has been crafted as a covert jest toward the oppressive tendencies of the American patriarchal society. I have come to this conclusion through the analysis of a few major elements in the work. Firstly, the resolution of the story is death. By showing us that the only acceptable route for a woman who follows her true passions is death, Chopin is commenting on the absurdity of the lack of feminine freedom in such a “free country.” This comment is well concealed, however, by the projected ideal of remaining faithful to husbands. Chopin’s voice resonates clearly in my head, saying “remain faithful to your husband or you will die” (a statement too absurd to be called anything other than ridicule). One of the images used in this work is the gulf. The fact that this large body of water accompanies both Edna’s arousal for Edward and her suicide suggests that water is associated with danger. Chopin’s narration effectively embodies the masculine perspective that water is dangerous. Apart from the sexual connotation that it carries, water by itself is fluid and formless: for women, fluidity suggests infidelity. The constantly changing and fluctuating nature of water mirrored the perceived tendency of a woman to be dishonest and unfaithful during this time period. This comparison is evident, as Edna is sexual, free spirited, and enigmatic to the men of the work, just like the gulf. I experienced an undertone of support and admiration for Edna throughout the work. Although Chopin makes her actions (with regards to her family and kids) rather detestable, I found that the writing style offered sympathy and a certain level of identification with the protagonist. Chopin achieves this in a very veiled manner. She presents Edna as an underdog that ultimately meets her demise, yet through this demonstration, she makes a subtle statement about the injustice of life for women in the late 19th century.