Edna Pontellier Rejects Her Woman/Mother Image in "The Awakening"

A bird view of the historical context of "The Awakening" gives me ample evidence to reinstate the thesis statement: Edna Pontellelier does not reject her children; she neglects only her women/mother image. The novel "The Awakening" was written at the end of the nineteenth century which was fundamentally characterized by change. A wide spectrum of disciplines and structures were facing created tensions between old and new. It was the time of industrialization, urbanization which contributed lots of impetus for socio-politico- and cultural change. It was a time of transition provided by emerging trends like Darwin's theory of evolution, the Higher Criticism of the Bible, continuing movement's in women suffrage. All these emerging trends started to question the fundamental assumption that society held as universal truth and value (Wyatt, 1995).

The novel is set in a cultural background wherein women had every reasonable freedom to talk about their marriage and children, but could not carry on what they found it to be good and reasonable because they were restraint by social constructs. Women were bound to their husbands and children and religiously they were conditioned to lots of dos and don'ts. However, a critical look reveals that women were construed to be mere objects of amusement, possessions cared for and displayed. They were expected to be subordinated to their husbands and children (Wyatt, 1995).

It is in this context; Chopin introduces a character by name Edna Pontellier. She is portrayed as a passionate, unconventional female protagonist of the novel "The Awakening". She construes marriage as the end of passion and beginning of a life of responsibility, as the cultural context expects her to behave in a ...

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.... The caged bird also symbolizes the pressure and control the individuals and society have over Edna. Initially, she complies with the image of green – and – yellow bird by obliging to the implicit rules of the society and goes along with the crowd, but later on when she realizes her inner desire for passion and sensuality, she contradicts this image and detests it (Kelly, 2001).

When she detests the parrot image, she finds expression in the Mockingbird that hangs on the other side of the cage, idealized by Mademoiselle Reisz, the only character in the novel, who truly understands Edna's the inner feelings and desire for Freedom and independence. The obedient house wives are idealized as angels and they would never think of themselves deviating away from the social norms. They are to be always in service of their husbands and children (Kelly, 2001).