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Kate chopin story of an hour analysis
Kate chopin story of an hour analysis
Kate chopin story of an hour analysis
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One primary component in forming the nation-wide perception of the 19th century as “dark ages” for feminist ideals was the continuation of a society dominated by men who persistently refused to grant their female counterparts the basic rights, respect, and opportunity to which they had been entitled for centuries. Many women of this time period violently opposed their subordinate status as domestic housewives, while others, such as female novelists, chose to express their inner fury by vicariously living out a form of rebellion towards these ideals through the fictional characters they imagined. Classic novelist Kate Chopin chose the latter path in fabricating the complex character of Edna Pontellier – a young married woman drowning in the …show more content…
monotony of the domestic sphere to which women were so often limited, as well as the overwhelming chauvinism of society that consistently suppresses her sense of independence and individuality. In her thought-provoking novella, The Awakening, Chopin employs the extended metaphor of birds as the women of this time period, and, more specifically, Edna Pontellier, - paralleling the imagery she presents to the reader with Edna’s constricted state of dependence and objectification. which constantly contradicts her mental yearning for freedom and ultimately spurs her rebellion towards her finite role as a “mother-woman”. Chopin promptly establishes the subordinate plight of women during Edna’s lifetime within the opening lines of the novella, in which she paints the image of “a green and yellow parrot, which hung in a cage outside the door” that “speaks a language that nobody understood, unless it was the mocking-bird that hung on the other side of the door, whistling his fluty notes out upon the breeze with maddening persistence.”(?) The author masterfully elucidates women’s lack of free will with the ironic image of two beautiful birds confined to a “cage outside [a] door.” which suggests the illusion of freedom and yet simultaneously contradicts this delusion with the reality of confinement manifested in the imagery of a cage. Chopin’s purposeful decision in portraying species of birds that are primarily known for their ability to mimic what they hear works to convey the nature of women’s state of figurative imprisonment in their limited choice to “speak a language that nobody understood” with “maddening persistence” or simply imitate the unoriginal thoughts of men. By introducing the overarching concept of feminine entrapment early on in the novella, the author ultimately sets the stage for the progressive unveiling of this topic in its critical impact on Edna’s gradual rebellion. Chopin continues to expand on this symbolic implication during the novella’s opening pages with legal diction that reveals the degree to which women were objectified and marginalized during the Victorian era.
The author’s argument founded on this basis is readily evident as she conveys: “The parrot and the mockingbird were the property of Madame Lebrun, and they had the right to make all the noise they wished. Mr. Pontellier had the privilege of quitting their society when they ceased to be entertaining.”(?) Chopin’s subtle use of legal diction such as “property” and “right” when describing “the parrot and the mockingbird”, coupled with Mr. Pontellier’s suppression of these rights in his “privilege of quitting their society,” explicates the position of superiority men held over women’s speech in their ability to deem it “entertaining” enough to be heard. The author’s implication that women are objectified as the “property” of others patronizes and ultimately extinguishes their ability to be an active member of the economy or society and illustrates the domestic sphere into which Edna was born when she became a social ornament for Mr. Pontellier, as well as a mother unwillingly bound to her children. The contention that men hold an unspoken power over women’s so-called freedom of speech later is further compounded later in the novella by Chopin’s characterization of the parrot being the only one present “who possessed sufficient candor”, only to have Old Monsieur Farival “[insist] upon having the bird removed and consigned to regions of darkness.”(?) This line further verifies the author’s proposal that men possess the capability to deem women’s words “entertaining,” and therefore worthy of being heard, as well as patronize their innate “candor,” “[consigning]” them “to regions of darkness” in wake of recognizing their intellectual capacity. In addition, the author’s underlying message essentially exposes the corrupt hierarchy in which men are superior to women in
all facets of life, establishing the foundation for Edna’s profound awakening to this unjust way of life. Having already established the extensive suffrage of women in accordance with their belittled role in society, Chopin directly links this concept to Edna throughout the novella – integrating references to birds in multiple scenes containing context of her rebellious nature. The author hints at Edna’s awakened thought in her early characterization of the protagonist which reads: “In short, Mrs. Pontellier was not a mother-woman…It was easy to know them, fluttering about with extended, protecting wings when any harm, real or imaginary, threatened their precious brood. They were women who idolized their children, worshiped their husbands, and esteemed it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels.”(?) Chopin affirms Edna’s true identity as a free-willed individual who belies the “mother-woman” role by providing the reader with bird-like imagery that attaches “extended, protecting wings” to such women who “[flutter] about…when any harm, real or imaginary, [threaten] their precious brood”. The author’s use of bird imagery in her description of the role typically inhabited by women palpably unveil Edna’s rebellious nature in resisting this title and successfully lays the groundwork for her progressive rebellion which unravels as her mental yearning for freedom becomes an active revolt fueled by discontent. As Edna struggles to escape from an existence defined by the men in her life, Chopin consistently points to her refusal to conform to society and repeatedly accompanies these signs of rebellion with bird-like imagery that follows the metaphorical pattern previously established. The author reveals
The possibility of a life beyond the scope of motherhood, social custom, standards of femininity, and wifedom characterize Kate Chopin’s vision of her heroine’s awakening, but Edna’s personal growth remains stifled by her inability to reconcile the contradictory impulses pulling her in different directions. Edna clearly envisions herself somewhere between mother-goddess figure Adele Ratignolle and the artist-spinster Mademoiselle Reisz, yet can not seem to negotiate a space that affords the luxury of love unspoiled by self-sacrifice and obligation. Edna’s “soul” surfaces when she allows herself to act on impulse over duty, but as Chopin’s words reveal, Mrs. Pontellier blindly fol...
According to the Louisiana society, Edna Pontellier has the ideal life, complete with two children and the best husband in the world. However, Edna disagrees, constantly crying over her feelings of oppression. Finally, Edna is through settling for her predetermined role in society as man’s possession, and she begins to defy this. Edna has the chance to change this stereotype, the chance to be “[t]he bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice” (112). The use of a metaphor comparing Edna to a bird proves her potential to rise above society’s standards and pave the pathway for future women. However, Edna does not have “strong [enough] wings” (112). After Robert, the love of her life and the man she has an affair with, leaves, Edna becomes despondent and lacks an...
As evidenced in Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, and other novels of the 1800’s, women writers of this period seem to feel very repressed. Leonce Pontellier seemed to be fond of his wife, and treated her as one would treat a loved pet. In the beginning of the story it describes him as looking at her as a “valuable piece of personal property”. He does not value her fully as a human being more as a piece of property. However, he expects her to be everything he thinks she should be. Her children also expect total sacrifice from her. She obviously feels unfulfilled in life and inadequate in many facets. She does not feel like an artist, she does not feel like a satisfied wife or mother.
"Go away! Go away! For heaven’s sake! That’s all right!" (1) Chopin opens her poetic novella, The Awakening, not with the dialogue of a character, but with the ramblings of a brash parrot. Immediately, Chopin compels her readers to ponder what significance, if any, these seemingly random words will have in the following tale. Yet, it is not until the final pages that we recognize the bird’s true importance and meaning. The parrot, though seldom referred to within the text, comes to symbolize Edna’s role in society and the woman she becomes as she is spiritually awakened.
Until the middle of the twentieth century, females were in an inferior position to males in all aspects of society. Women who wanted to deviate from the norm were often restrained by males and isolated in a sphere of society’s “perfectly submissive housewife”, a stereotype which women of the world eventually shattered. Kate Chopin accomplished this through her realist piece, The Awakening.
Throughout history, women have struggled with, and fought against oppression. They have been held back and weighed down by the sexist ideas of a male dominated society which has controlled cultural, economic and political ideas and structure. During the mid-1800’s to early 1900’s women became more vocal and rebuked sexism and the role that had been defined for them. Fighting with the powerful written word, women sought a voice, equality amongst men and an identity outside of their family. In many literary writings, especially by women, during the mid-1800’s to early 1900’s, we see symbols of oppression and the search for gender equality in society. Writing based on their own experiences, had it not been for the works of Susan Glaspell, Kate Chopin, and similar feminist authors of their time, we may not have seen a reform movement to improve gender roles in a culture in which women had been overshadowed by men.
Throughout history and literature women are often referred to as birds, especially those of domesticated species. Women being referred to as a pet corresponded to the rise of patriarchal society, “… from this point, civilization has seemed to trap women in stereotypes related to nature which are domesticated, like caged birds” (Clark 342). Women had to fit into the roles society formed for them, trapping them in a lifestyle not appealing to all women. In The Awakening, Kate Chopin uses avian symbolism to emphasize Edna’s entrapment, so as to show the stages of Edna’s awakening.
In The Awakening, Kate Chopin tells a story during the upbringing of the feminist movement, the movement was masked by the social attitudes entering into the 1900’s. She tells this story in the form of a novel, in which is told in a third person view, that is very sympathetic for Edna Pontellier, the protagonist. This is a review of the journey Edna takes in her awakening and evaluate the effectiveness this novel takes in introducing, continuing, and ending Edna’s awakening.
The 1890’s were an era of rapid social change in regards to women’s rights. In 1893, Colorado was the first state granting women the right to vote with Utah and Idaho following soon after in 1896. This soon set momentum towards of ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. It was in 1899 the Kate Chopin published The Awakening, a novel telling the tale of a suppressed mother, Edna Pontellier, and her desire for something more in her life. Literary scholars consider Chopin’s The Awakening as a subtle yet effective portrayal of women of the late 19th century and consider it as an important piece of the feminism movement. Throughout the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, women had felt controlled by men and the demands society put upon them. Men had held a discriminatory view of women throughout this era, for they merely saw women as property. Women were expected to bear a man’s child, care for the child, and watch over the household while the man was away. The Awakening was an eye-opening novel in that it challenged the social structure of the time in which men dominated society. This novel showed the discriminatory view of women and treatment of women. The novel also does a great job in showing the dissatisfaction in the women’s lives, particularily through the actions of Edna Pontellier. Due to society’s expectations, women were not allowed to pursue their psychological or sexual drives, for it was scorned by society. Edna pursues these drives as she eventually cannot tolerate her way of living. In The Awakening, Chopin’s use of three characters, Edna Pontellier, Adele Ratignolle, and Mademoiselle Reisz, exemplifies the accepted roles of women in the late 19th century.
In “Tradition and the Female Talent: The Awakening as a Solitary Book,” Elaine Showalter makes a compelling argument that “Edna Pontellier’s ‘unfocused yearning’ for an autonomous life is akin to Kate Chopin’s yearning to write works that go beyond female plots and feminine endings” (204). Urging her reader to read The Awakening “in the context of literary tradition,” Showalter demonstrates the ways in which Chopin’s novel both builds upon and departs from the tradition of American women’s writing up to that point. Showalter begins with the antebellum novelists’ themes of women’s roles as mothers—especially the importance of the mother-daughter relationship—and women’s attachments with one another and then moves to the local colorists of the post-Civil War who claimed male and female models but who wrote that motherhood was not a suitable partner for the true artist. According to these women writers, a woman had to choose to be either an artist or a wife and mother; one negatively affected the other. The literary history then delves...
Women have traditionally been known as the less dominant sex. They have been stereotyped as being housewives, and bearers and nurturers of the children. Many interesting characters in literature are conceived from the tension women have faced with men. This tension is derived from men, society, and within a woman herself. Even though these stories were written during the 19th century when modern society treated women as second class citizens, in “The Storm” and “The Story of an Hour,” Kate Chopin illustrates how feminine power manifests when the female characters are able to discover their freedom.
When Kate Chopin's "The Awakening" was published at the end of the 19th Century, many reviewers took issue with what they perceived to be the author's defiance of Victorian proprieties, but it is this very defiance with which has been responsible for the revival in the interest of the novel today. This factor is borne out by Chopin's own words throughout her Preface -- where she indicates that women were not recipients of equal treatment. (Chopin, Preface ) Edna takes her own life at the book's end, not because of remorse over having committed adultery but because she can no longer struggle against the social conventions which deny her fulfillment as a person and as a woman. Like Kate Chopin herself, Edna is an artist and a woman of sensitivity who believes that her identity as a woman involves more than being a wife and mother. It is this very type of independent thinking which was viewed as heretical in a society which sought to deny women any meaningful participation.
Kenneth Eble states, “…She undertook to give the unsparing truth about women’s submerged life” (2). Speaking solely about Kate Chopin, this quote puts emphasis upon Chopin’s disputes with her society. She used her writing as a technique to indirectly explicate her life by the means of narrating her stories through the characters she created. Kate Chopin was one of the modern writers of her time, one who wrote novels concentrating on the common social matters related to women. Her time period consisted of other female authors that focused on the same central theme during the era: exposing the unfairness of the patriarchal society, and women’s search for selfhood, and their search for identity. In Chopin’s novel The Awakening, she incorporates the themes mentioned above to illustrate the veracity of life as she understood it. A literary work approached by the feminist critique seeks to raise awareness of the importance and higher qualities of women. Women in literature may uncover their strengths or find their independence, raising their own self recognition. Several critics deem Chopin as one of the leading feminists of her age because she was willing to publish stories that dealt with women becoming self-governing, who stood up for themselves and novels that explored the difficulties that they faced during the time. Chopin scrutinized sole problems and was not frightened to suggest that women desired something that they were not normally permitted to have: independence. Chopin’s decision to focus on and emphasize the imbalances between the sexes is heavily influenced by her upbringing, her feelings towards society, and the era she subsisted in.
In America, the 1890s were a decade of tension and social change. A central theme in Kate Chopin’s fiction was the independence of women. In Louisiana, most women were their husband’s property. The codes of Napoleon were still governing the matrimonial contract. Since Louisiana was a Catholic state, divorce was rare and scandalous. In any case, Edna Pontellier of Chopin had no legal rights for divorce, even though Léonce undoubtedly did. When Chopin gave life to a hero that tested freedom’s limits, she touched a nerve of the politic body. However, not Edna’s love, nor her artistic inner world, sex, or friendship can reconcile her personal growth, her creativity, her own sense of self and her expectations. It is a very particular academic fashion that has had Edna transformed into some sort of a feminist heroine. If she could have seen that her awakening in fact was a passion for Edna herself, then perhaps her suicide would have been avoided. Everyone was forced to observe, including the cynics that only because a young
There were more clues to unpack than expected but once I realized the writing style of Kate Chopin I enjoyed reading each sentence to pick out the hidden meaning. Xuding Wang’s essay was helpful seeing what I could not see on my own. The point that grabbed me out of Wang’s essay was the critic, Berkove, whom as I mentioned earlier in this analysis seemed to be the same blockade to women that Chopin wrote about in 1894. To know the character in the story you must know the writer. Kate Chopin was called a rebel in her time. Her stories were a call to action by women and to go as far as Berkove did and call those ideas delusional make him seem out dated and controlling. I can only experience what I do in life. I’ll never understand challenges faced by people of other races, cultures, or sex. Reading the original story and another woman’s discussion on it was very enlightening. There were emotions described that I’ve never considered. With a critic like Berkove using language as he did in the critique against Chopin’s work it makes me curious just how far our society has come. Racism is still alive and well, religious persecution and in this story, sexism. It seems to me that the world has never really changed and will continue to bring with it the same problems as the days