A potent creature from Greek mythology, the siren is a beautiful, deadly creature, often found in threes that lure men to their deaths with their beautiful voices. Featured in the Odyssey, Odysseus clogs the ears of his men and listens to the sirens song as they continue their quest to Ithaca (“Sirens”). Margaret Atwood’s poem, “Siren Song” has a direct correlation to Kate Chopin’s novel The Awakening. Written during times of gender equality movements, both pieces of literature offer dominating female characters. An argument can be made that the novel's protagonist, Edna Pontellier, is a siren, bellowing her song at the men in her life, wanting love, propelled by her desire to not conform to society. Atwood’s depiction of a siren and the literary …show more content…
devices incorporated in her poem- such as metaphor, repetition, diction, allusion, and symbolism - draw a parallel Edna Pontellier’s life in The Awakening and exemplify the strength one must have to challenge societal conventions successfully. In the first three stanzas of “Siren Song”, repetition of the word “song” makes it an overarching motif. The poem alludes to “the song that is irresistible” (Atwood), and to a siren, that “song” is the tune she sings in order to attract men to their deaths. The siren's voice is too beautiful and men cannot escape its spell, despite seeing the “bleached skulls” (Atwood) on the shores of the others who have fallen prey before them. No one has survived the siren song, so other sailors are unaware of the power it holds, nor how to combat their “song”. However, in Homer’s The Odyssey, hero Odysseus takes the advice of Circe and plugs his men’s ears with wax, ties himself to the mast of his ship - ears unplugged - and listens to the sirens call, which he had been told if he survived, would tell him the future. Later in the tale, he uses the knowledge from the sirens and very narrowly escapes death (“Books”). In relation to Chopin’s The Awakening, Edna is the siren, bellowing her song to her lover Robert, who stands for Odysseus. Comparatively, the “song” represents real and honest love. It is something “everyone would like to learn” (Atwood) because everyone would like to experience real love. Edna has never felt honest love before, only infatuations as a teenager. She believed that she would learn to truly love Leonce Pontellier, who treated her with absolute adoration until they were married. After that, due to Creole social customs, Leonce assumed Edna would never stray from him - she was essentially his property. Love “forces men to leap overboard”, to do things they would not normally do, even though it involves a known risk. For Edna, that means allowing her heart to stray away from her husband and find home with another man - something that was incredibly risky and almost unheard of because of the time period the novel is set in. Edna’s “song”, her beckon for real love, is unknown - “the song nobody knows” (Atwood) - to everyone except herself; the siren, Mademoiselle Reisz; Circe, and Robert; Odysseus. In the novel, Mademoiselle Reisz represents Circe because she is the communicator between Robert and Edna once Robert ventures to Mexico. She helps bring Edna to terms with the fact she is in love with Robert, and that Robert loves her too - shown when Edna reads the letters Robert wrote Mademoiselle Reisz and is overcome with emotion and pain (Chopin 107). Robert represents Odysseus because he knew of Edna’s feeling towards him and was unable to see a future where he and Edna would end up happily together. Instead of out casting the both of them, he chose to run away, but indulged himself in Edna’s “song” while he could - like when they went to Caminada and spent the day together. In the fourth through sixth stanzas, the motif of the poem shifts from the desperation love causes to the oppression it can hold.
The siren in the poem asks her reader if she reveals the secret to breaking the spell her call casts, will the reader use this knowledge to free her from her role and remove her “bird suit” (Atwood). She - the siren - goes on to explain that she is lonely on her island, and does not fit in with the other two feathered maniacs (Atwood). It is a fair assumption that the sirens audience is her lover because of the pathos used and her imploring for the reader to save her. The diction used by Atwood is what makes this section of the poem significant, especially relating the poem back to The Awakening. First, the “secret” Atwood refers to can be compared to Edna’s secret of her love for Robert. The fourth stanza, if read from Edna’s perspective, would translate to her asking Robert if he knew the truth, would he use it to help free Edna from her “bird suit”. The diction of “suit”, and the connotations that accompany it imply that it is something that Edna and the siren are hiding behind; a costume they are using to hide their unconforming views. For the siren, it would be not wanting to sing anymore: for Edna, it would be not wanting to conform to the Creole customs of marriage. They both feel they are simply “squatting...looking picturesque...” (Atwood), meaning they feel like they just sit in the background, virtually unnoticed, looking pretty - …show more content…
meanwhile their cries for change go unheard. Neither Edna nor the siren enjoys their place in their societies, and both feel isolated. The choice of the word “island” help reinforce that feeling of isolation felt by the siren because islands are often associated with loneliness, remoteness, and separation. In The Awakening, Edna “turned her face seaward to gather in an impression of space and solitude, which the vast expanse of water, meeting and melting with the moonlit sky, conveyed to her excited fancy. As [Edna] swam she seemed to be reaching out for the unlimited in which to lose herself” (48). By swimming away from the company she came with, Edna isolated herself, and in a way, became her own island. It was during this swim she experienced her first awakening, tasting liberation for the first time because she overcame her fear of swimming and it was the first time she had distanced herself from society. Furthermore, the sense of liberation is represented through the extensive bird imagery used by both Atwood and Chopin. In further regards to the bird suit, one of the most significant scenes in the novel is when Edna strips her clothing at Madame Antoine’s house. Chopin goes into detail about how Edna takes the time to look “at her round arms … observing closely, as if it were something she saw for the first time, the fine firm quality and texture of her flesh” (62). Edna’s arms represent her wings, a reference confirmed later in the book when Mademoiselle Reisz touches Edna’s shoulders and tells her “‘The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings’” (138). The strength examined in her arms - wings - are a metaphor for how Edna must be strong in order to make her own happiness in life. She realizes the strength she has for the first time at Madame Antoine’s house, and it is further embedded in her mind by Mademoiselle Reisz. More so, looking at the lines in the sixth stanza about how “I [Edna or the siren] don’t enjoy singing this trio, fatal and valuable” (Atwood). From the sirens perspective, this would mean she does not enjoy singing her song, especially in the company of the other two feathered maniacs (Atwood). She feels lonely and like she does not belong. Edna, on the other hand can relate because of the love triangle comprised of the trio of her, Leonce, and Robert create. Edna does not enjoy being bound to this triangle and wishes to terminate her relationship with Leonce. Not only would this mean the death of their relationship - in reference to the word fatal in stanza six - but it would mean social suicide for Edna and Robert as well. A person’s reputation, especially in the time period was incredibly valuable, and by destroying her marriage with Leonce to run off with Robert, it would be the death of something that held tremendous value. The ninth stanza of the poem begins by alluding to the secret mentioned in the fourth stanza.
The siren, in almost a mocking tone, claims she will tell the secret of how to escape her spell to her audience, and only to them. She reveals that the secret all along has been that the song she is singing is truly a cry for help, and she begs the reader to assist her. As someone who is “unique” (Atwood), the reader the poem was intended for should be able to help, which is something the siren has been waiting for. However, the ninth stanza leads the reader to assume that the man was unable to help because he could not resist temptation. Try as she may to detract the men, her song “works every time” (Atwood). In relation to The Awakening, it is Edna begging Robert to come back from Mexico - “Come closer” (Atwood) - because she desperately needs his help. Her wings, as alluded to in the fourth stanza, are not strong enough to get her off the ground by herself, and she needs Robert close enough to help her. Passionately, Edna told Robert ‘“I love you… only you, no one else but you’” (179). The repetition mimics that of the seventh and eighth stanzas in the poem, repeating the words “only you.” Edna believes that Robert would be the only one who would be able to help Edna, for he would be just as much an outcast as she, and she would need his support to keep her wings strong. To Edna, Robert is unique because her relationship is so different than any others she has had in the past.
Instead of temporary infatuations, it is true love. However, when Robert bids his last farewell to Edna, writing her “‘Good-by - because I love you”’ (185) it destroys her. Her relationship with Robert, although never official, ended in heartbreak and disappointment, just as all the ones prior had. She believed Robert would save her, but in the end, he was the biggest contribute to her downfall. As Edna walks into the ocean to kill herself, her final thoughts of Robert were an echo of the words he scribbled down on the note her left her - “‘Good-by - because I love you”’ (190). Relating the events in The Awakening to the poem, it can be inferred that the meaning of “the song” shifted from meaning love to now meaning the oppression represented in society. Society is conformist, and expects everyone to fit in to its mold, making societies song boring, however, those who try and challenge it fall back into the norm eventually, no, matter how hard they may try to break its restraints. This is precisely what happened to Edna. She tried to break free; however, she in turn was once again weighed down by the siren’s tune and was brought back into societies mold. Her wings were not strong enough to support her ambitions, and unable to cope, she takes her own life. “Siren Song’s” direct correlation to Kate Chopin’s The Awakening in uncanny. Edna Pontellier, the siren of her time, bellowed her song for the men in her life, despite the challenges societal conventions brought her. Atwood’s strong literary devices present in her poem brought a new reflection and a deeper understanding to the strife felt by the protagonists Chopin created. Although both pieces of literature end with the main character reverting back into their roles in society, both illuminated the struggles it takes to stand against the grain.
Kate Chopin's novella The Awakening tells the story of Edna Pontellier, a woman who throughout the novella tries to find herself. Edna begins the story in the role of the typical mother-woman distinctive of Creole society but as the novelette furthers so does the distance she puts between herself and society. Edna's search for independence and a way to stray from society's rules and ways of life is depicted through symbolism with birds, clothing, and Edna's process of learning to swim.
In Homer's Odyssey and Margaret Atwood's Siren Song, Sirens are portrayed as creatures that trick men. Homer and Atwood use imagery, point of view, and diction to convey the image of the deceitful Sirens.
The story of Odysseus' encounter with the Sirens and their enchanting but deadly song appears in Greek epic poetry in Homers Odyssey. The Sirens in the ‘Siren Song’ by Margaret Atwood,are portrayed in a variety of ways. The Sirens are lethal,underprivileged and deluding.
In the epic poem the "Odyssey" by Homer, there are creatures known as sirens. These creatures lure people to their death by singing a song in which they make a person follow what the sirens say. In the "Siren Song" by Margret Atwood, she writes the song and how she interprets it using modern English. The two literary works portray the Sirens similarly in tone and differently in point of view. The Sirens in the "Odyssey" seem dark and evil due to the author's choice of words or diction.
Lillian Doherty, Siren Songs: Gender, Audiences, and Narrators in the Odyssey (Ann Arbor 1995), esp. chapter 1.
Throughout modern history the ancient Greeks and their stories have influenced our culture and way of life. Many of the ancient Greek myths are those of caution that teach us moral lessons. For example, the myth of Odysseus and the sirens, told by Homer in The Odyssey, teaches us to resist the urge to indulge in temptations. Odysseus and his crew are travelling near the island of the sirens when Odysseus plugs the ears of his crewmates with beeswax and has them tie him to the mast so that he can listen to the sirens’ song and not crash their ship onto the rocks as they pass the island. Odysseus and his crew safely pass the island of the sirens without any casualties and continue on their journey home. Author Margaret Atwood and artist John William Waterhouse both display their brilliant ideas about the myth of Odysseus and the sirens using poetry and painting. Both Ulysses and the Sirens by John William Waterhouse and “Siren Song” by Margaret Atwood use the myth of the sirens to show that during their lives, people often encounter bad temptations that can lead to their demise and should pay no attention to such temptations.
In The Awakening, Kate Chopin’s protagonist Edna Pontellier breaks the boundaries of female behavioral norms by using the sea as a metaphor to convey Edna’s strength and empowerment. Edna’s recklessness shows her passion to escape from the restrictive reality of her time. Edna first breaks boundaries when she steps into the water in chapter X, in a “daring and reckless way, overestimating her strength”(Chopin 27). Edna swims out to sea to escape the entrapment of a male dominated society. She does not know how to swim or survive in this male dominated society. Swimming illustrates the alienation Edna feels. She attempts to overcome her fears
In the novel, during many instances, intricate intimacies are illustrated. “No multitude of words could have been more significant than those moments of silences, or more pregnant with the first-felt throbbings of desire.” (30) Robert, in pursuit of Edna unlocks her sexual awakening alongside his social awakening. Robert becomes aware that he must step out of the boundaries and evolve as a man. Yet Robert still stumbles in his path. He and Edna have a common bond. They both attempt to defy the norms of society. Robert respects Edna’s yearning for individualism and only seeks to accompany her on that journey by form of marriage. However, he struggles to fight what societal ordainment. He lacks the key to break societies chains. He can’t simply let go of the expectation of marriage within this era. On the contrary his relationship with Edna gives him an optimistic view on his love life. “His search has always hitherto been fruitless, and he has sunk back, disheartened, into the sea. But to-night he found Mrs. Pontelllier.” (29) His passion for Edna, conveys his innocent hope for repressive love between himself and Edna. He and Edna
Another aspects of the story is that once Edna’s awakening begins to take place, she is on a roller coaster of emotions, from the manic exuberance of listening to music and the sounds of the water, her connection to robert--it’s as though all her senses are opened up. Between times, however, she is really depressed, as though all the color that Chopin imparts so beautifully in the descriptions of the other scenes, has become dull and uninteresting. Then, she is flung into an emotional upheaval when she reads Robert’s letter to Mlle Reisz, as the latter plays Wagner. Clearly, these kinds of emotions cannot be borne by a woman whose cultural structure does not admit the building of her own that it might sustain the weight and number. She is overwhelmed. She must escape, and she does, for her situation now is powerfully reminiscent of the “joy that kills” in “Hour.”
Ranging from caged parrots to the meadow in Kentucky, symbols and settings in The Awakening are prominent and provide a deeper meaning than the text does alone. Throughout The Awakening by Kate Chopin, symbols and setting recur representing Edna’s current progress in her awakening. The reader can interpret these and see a timeline of Edna’s changes and turmoil as she undergoes her changes and awakening.
...g of the Sirens and end up as one of the corpses in their “meadow.” The Sirens have the power to “spellbind any man alive” with their “high, thrilling songs” and preventing them from ever making it home. A man lured by the Sirens will never see his wife or “happy children” again. His story will be over, and he will be lost forever. The Greeks rely on their story and legacy to retain their identity and memory after death. The Sirens represent distractions that lure travellers from their journey and decrease or completely remove their determination to return home. When a man stays true to his purpose and avoids any Siren-like distractions, he lives and comes home to a wonderful family. When a man makes himself susceptible to any Siren’s call, be it from an actual Siren or just something tempting enough to sway him from his task, he is destined to fail and be forgotten.
Her awakening begins because of her friend Adéle, who teaches her that it is okay to be open and say what is on her mind, contrary to what Edna previously believed. Adéle also introduces Edna to Robert, who triggers her emotional awakening, as the two fall in love. Edna goes from a woman who settled down in order to ground herself with realistic expectations, to a free, confident women striving for a life outside of her love for Robert. Mademoiselle Reisz, who plays a crucial part in aiding Edna and Robert’s growing love by reading her letters Robert wrote about Edna, kickstarts Edna’s artistic awakening. The music Madame Reisz plays for Edna on the piano moves her and leads to real, raw emotions she has never felt before; the first time she hears Madame Reisz play, she is brought to tears.
...y sirens represent half-women, half-bird creatures who lived on an island. They used to sing in beautiful voices to lure sailors off their course. When Odysseus was sailing by the siren's island, he made the rest of his men plug up their ears and ties him to the mainmast. This way, he got to hear the beautiful sound of their voice without being driven to suicide. In this story the women weeping over Lautaro were compared to the sirens, and some sailors going to tie themselves to the mainmast in an attempt to mimic Odysseus. There is a contrast of these stories with the quotes from the villagers.
During the late nineteenth century, the time of protagonist Edna Pontellier, a woman's place in society was confined to worshipping her children and submitting to her husband. Kate Chopin's novel, The Awakening, encompasses the frustrations and the triumphs in a woman's life as she attempts to cope with these strict cultural demands. Defying the stereotype of a "mother-woman," Edna battles the pressures of 1899 that command her to be a subdued and devoted housewife. Although Edna's ultimate suicide is a waste of her struggles against an oppressive society, The Awakening supports and encourages feminism as a way for women to obtain sexual freedom, financial independence, and individual identity.
In comparison to other works such as Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn wherein the title succinctly tells what the story shall contain, Kate Chopin’s The Awakening represents a work whose title can only be fully understood after the incorporation of the themes and content into the reader’s mind, which can only be incorporated by reading the novel itself. The title, The Awakening, paints a vague mental picture for the reader at first and does not fully portray what content the novel will possess. After thorough reading of the novel, one can understand that the title represents the main character, Edna Pontellier’s, sexual awakening and metaphorical resurrection that takes place in the plot as opposed to not having a clue on what the plot will be about.