Hila, BYU, 2008
Concept/Vocabulary Analysis for
The Awakening
by Kate
Chopin
Organizational Patterns
This novel is divided into chapters which are marked by Roman numerals, but there are no titles. The chapter lengths are generally short and range from less than a page to approximately five pages. The total number of pages is 116.
Issues Related to this Study of Literature
Due to the themes and reading level, this book would be best for upper-grade high school students, especially honors or AP classes.
Themes:
The roles of women in society— During 1899, when this novel was first published, women were thought of as the “Angel in the House”. This term comes from a poem written by Coventry Pattmore of his wife, whom he believed to be the perfect woman. His poem was not extremely popular when it was first published, but as time went on it gained fame and became the guiding standard for all women of the Victorian age. Describing his wife, Pattmore said:
She was intensely sympathetic. She was immensely charming. She was utterly unselfish. She excelled in the difficult arts of family life. She sacrificed daily. If there was a chicken, she took the leg; if there was a draught she sat in it ... Above all, she was pure.
This is, of course, the kind of woman that Edna Pontellier was expected to be, but was not. However, the epitome of the “Angel in the House” is embodied in the character of Madame Ratignolle. Students can relate to Edna’s plight—trying to meet the impossible standards created by society.
Hila, BYU, 2008 Female Sexuality and the Power of Sex— As mentioned earlier, Victorian women were not meant to be sexual beings. They were above all supposed to be pure. Therefore, Edna’s behavior in the book—her love for Robert and her extra-martial affair with Alcee Arobin—were absolutely unacceptable, though as the story makes clear, not unheard of. Chopin goes to great lengths to empower Edna through her sexuality which is supplemented by the sensual imagery associated with the sea. Students should find this theme directly applicable to them, especially the girls. Many high school students face the pressures of having sex and believe that sex = power. Teachers can use this book as a starting point for discussing issues related to this sensitive, but undeniably
important issue.
Freedom and Individuality—Edna’s awakening not only consists of her sexual awakening, but also her awakening to an awareness of her autonomy. Throughout the book she looks for more and
more ways to define herself as an individual, a daunting task in a society where women were still considered the property of the husband. We see her looking for herself in swimming for the first time, painting, ignoring callers and her usual routine, listening to Madmoiselle Reisz play the piano, pursuing her own love interests, and moving out of her husband’s house. High school students are greatly concerned with both conformity and individuality, therefore Edna’s struggle to reconcile her conflicting desires will be directly applicable to many of the struggles students face.
Setting: The French Quarter of New Orleans and Grande Isle at the end of the nineteenth century. The story begins and ends in Grande Isle, but the middle section takes place in New Orleans. Point of View: The point of view of this novel is third person limited omniscient. The narrator explains the story as if she had been there and were relating what was said, but at other times she delves deep into the main character, Edna Pontellier’s, mind and emotions. For example:
She could only realize that she herself—her present self—was in some way different from the other self. That she was seeing with different eyes and making the acquaintance of new conditions in herself that colored and changed her environment, she did not yet suspect (Chopin, 40).
Characterization: Much of the story is spent characterizing the people within. They are all meant to represent a type of person that exists in that society. It also serves to help the reader understand Edna’s emotions and decisions. The characterization also furthers the meaning of the novel, the exploration of how people relate to one another, especially how women relate to both men and other women. Here is an example from the text:
Mrs. Pontellier’s eyes were quick and bright; they were a yellowish brown, about the color of her hair. She had a way of turning them swiftly upon an object and holding them there as if lost in some inward maze of contemplation or thought (Chopin, 3).
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Foreshadowing: There is a lot of mention of the sea and birds in the novel, which foreshadow Edna’s eventual suicide and her feelings of being trapped with in society. Chopin often characterizes the sea as sensual and inviting. However, the birds which appear in the novel are always caged, which is metaphorical of Edna’s feelings as she becomes more aware of the conflict between her nature and her circumstances. Interestingly, when Edna moves into her own house it is nicknamed the “pigeon house”. The birds symbolize Edna’s plight while the sea symbolizes freedom, sensuality, and love. Both are dangerous, yet inviting and beautiful.
Here is a quote from the novel which illustrates Chopin’s characterization of the sea: The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace (Chopin, 13).
Affective Issues Related to the Work
Gender Roles: One of the main conflicts in the novel is Edna’s refusal to accept gender roles. In Creole society during the late 19th century women were expected to stay at home, entertain guests, take care of the children, etc. However, Edna begins to shirk her duties and question her
place in society. She begins to rebel against anything that is expected of her as a woman as she searches for her true self.
Sexuality: In the late 19th century women were not considered sexual beings, at least women of good character. In Creole society the man was expected to have a mistress, but his wife should be loyal and a passive, innocent lover. Edna is far from these things and her exploration of her sexuality, while temporarily liberating, eventually leads to her self-destruction because she realizes that it’s impossible for her to exist as a sexual being in her present society.
Individuality vs. Societal Expectations: Throughout Edna’s process of awakening she is constantly struggling against her understanding of society’s expectations for her and her desire to express and explore her individuality. Unfortunately for Edna, though she sees examples of those who have chose individuality over acceptance into society (Madamoiselle Reisz), she realizes that as a married woman she has almost no options, at least none that allow her to be an individual while still being accepted in society.
Vocabulary Issues
French words are reoccur often in the novel. Your class version of the novel may not have
translations for any or all of the French, so it may be necessary for teachers to find the translations of those words. Here’s a sampling of some of the French words found in the novel:
• blagueur • bon gaçon • au revoiur
Hila, BYU, 2008 • ma foi • sapristi • allez vous-en • tête montée • chêniére • si tu savais • les convenances
Some of the language is elevated and many of the words may be unfamiliar to your students. I have included here a list of some of the words which may prove problematic.
• persistence • cease • incessantly • infusion • ministering • unamiable • quadroon • diminutive • gauntlet • countenance
Some words may also be confusing to them because the meanings have changed over time. Reviewing words such as these would be particularly beneficial to students:
• ejaculatory • intercourse • queer • unmolested • unaffected
Chopin often uses double negatives. You will likely need to explain to students that the double negative equals a positive. Here are a few examples from the novel:
“The Ratignolles lived no great distance from Edna’s home…” (Chopin, 54)
“It was a fixed belief with Madame Lebrun that the conduct of the universe… would have been manifestly of a more intelligent and higher order had not Monsieur Lebrun been removed to other spheres…” (Chopin, 22) “Robert prevailed upon her without any too great difficulty.” (Chopin, 25)
Hila, BYU, 2008 Background Knowledge
There is a large amount of background knowledge that students will need in order to understand this novel including Creoles, (their customs, gender roles, dress, language, and location) and racism (what is a mulatto, what is a griffe, what are darkies, etc.).
Language: Creoles speak both French and English and often mix the two together, as can be seen in the novel. Edna, however, is not a Creole, unlike most everyone else in the novel, and so is not fluent in French. This makes her somewhat of an outsider.
Customs: Marriages were arranged for convenience, not for love. At a certain age a young woman had a “coming out” party at which time she was introduced into society and made available for marriage. At the party young men could approach the father through intermediaries and ask to call on his daughter. After the party if a young man visited the young lady at least four times and expressed an interest in marriage the fathers of the two young people discussed the details of the dowry. The couple would be married in a Catholic church.
The society was very patriarchal. The man ruled his household and his wife was considered part of his property. He was permitted to take a mistress if he liked, though his wife was expected to remain faithful. Despite all this he was a very dutiful husband, going to parties and other social events with his wife often. Appearances were extremely important.
As seen in the novel, the husband often went out to clubs to relax, get a drink, and play dominoes with other men. The woman was expected to stay home, entertain
guests, care for the children, and make her home a respectable and peaceful place.
Location: At this time in history Creoles were located in southern Louisiana, mainly in New Orleans. There were different classes of Creole, but all were ethnically mixed. There were 1) Whites, who were partly American and partly of European origin, 2) free blacks, and 3) slaves who were household property. All Creoles, no matter what status in society they had, felt superior to
Americans. Edna is from Kentucky and is not a Creole, therefore, though there is no antagonism toward her, she does not
completely understand the Creoles and they make exceptions for her because she is different.
Implications for Students of Diversity
Students of diversity may take offensive to the racism in the book. While it is not violent or openly derogatory, some of the terms and the roles of those who are not white could be offensive to some students. Those terms are discussed later, but teachers must be aware that these characters are generally featured in the role of some kind of servant, with the exception of Mariequita, a Spanish girl. However, she is certainly looked down upon and is often
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described as being dirty, immature, and coquettish. Teachers need to be sensitive to these issues and discuss the social climate of the time and race relations.
Here are some of the terms which may be offensive to students:
Mulatto: a term used during that time to identify those of black and white ancestry.
Griffe: a term used during that time to identify those of black and Native American ancestry or “mulatto” and Native American ancestry.
Darkies: a term used during that time to identify blacks. Gender Issues
Gender obviously plays a central role in this novel. Students will likely want to discuss the way Edna sees herself, the way others treat her, and the decisions that Edna makes. Class discussions centered on Edna’s decisions and the morality of them based in her time versus our time may be very enriching and engaging. Teachers should help students understand the circumstances of Edna’s time period, what the gender expectations were for men and women during that time period and analyze how Edna dealt with them. Students must be aware of the differences in gender role and marriage during the late 19th century as compared to now.
The Central Question or Enduring Issue
The enduring issue of this novel seems to be the dual nature of women and how women can reconcile that nature with society’s expectations. Another enduring issue, a more general one, is how can an individual stay true to himself or herself and still be a happy, functioning, and respected member of society—then again, is this even possible?
Research Issues/Project Ideas Students could research:
• Creole customs
• Racism in the late 19th century
• Women’s rights in the late 19th century • Creole food
• Creole dress and fashion
Other activities for students to do include:
• Discussion of gender roles in the 19th century as compared to today
• Discussion of individuality in society (how
accepting is our society of individuality? Do we reward conformity? Why or why not?) • Create titles for significant chapters
Hila, BYU, 2008 Information/Functional Texts:
• Students can look in newspapers for issues dealing with gender or class roles and discuss how the issues we face today are similar or different from the ones Edna and other characters in the book faced.
• Students can find information about Kate Chopin. A good book to consult would be
Unveiling Kate Chopin by Emily Toth.
• Students may also find it useful to look at online sources which discuss the culture of the late 19th and early 20th century. Visiting the Norton Anthology’s website may help students gain a better understanding of the relationship between culture and literature during the Victorian period. This site includes links to such pages as “The Woman Question” which could shed some light on society’s view of women and the debates occurring during that time period.
http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/victorian/welcome.htm
