Depiction Of Society In Kate Chopin's The Awakening

Depiction of Society Throughout the month of October Mrs. Crane-Post assigned her class to read “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin. There are many topics and themes visible to audience throughout Chopin’s novel. One that reader can see more vividly is the depiction of society. The depiction of society means the way society is illustrated or demonstrates itself. For example, Kate Chopin’s, “The Awakening”, depicts an area in Louisiana where the people are wealthy. In the novel, “The Awakening” the author, Kate Chopin, depicts wealth by social stratification, their vacations and the people they are surrounded by. First, Kate Chopin reveals their social stratification or ranking among of people in a hierarchy by Edna and Leonce Pontellier’s lifestyle.

The author does a great job showing that the family needs to impress the people that around them. Leonce asked Edna if she would not meet him in town in order to look at some new fixtures for the library. Edna responds, “I hardly think we need new fixtures, Leonce. Don’t let us get anything new; you are too extravagant. I don’t believe you ever think of saving or putting by” (53). Leonce then states, “The way to become rich is to make money, my dear Edna, not to save it” (53). This shows the audience that they are held to a high standard by the people around them. It also shows that Leonce is very materialistic and he cares about being able to show people that he has money. He likes to meet the standards he is held to by the business people that come on Tuesdays and the people from his town that surround him. In conclusion, one can see the depiction of society very easily in The Awakening. The audience sees depiction by the social stratification that Edna and Leonce Pontellier show in the novel. They show that they are wealthy enough to travel for business and leisure without having to commit any sacrifices. Kate Chopin also shows the way the people around them define how they act and the way the personal life is