The Awakening by Kate Chopin

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The Awakening by Kate Chopin In “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin, the emotional state of the central character is often shown to the reader through the employment of literary techniques. Characterization helps draw parallels and contrasts between secondary characters and Edna Pontellier. Symbolism is used in order to outline Edna’s progression as a character. At the very beginning of the book, there is constant reference to a caged bird. This can be considered to be a reference to the “caged” life that Edna leads as a wife and mother in the late 19th century. The bird is described as speaking a common language and “also a language which nobody understood, unless it was the mocking-bird that hung on the other side of the door...” This is a reference to the trouble Edna had in making people understand what she felt about her life and her family, since her views differed from the standard. The mockingbird next door could be either Robert or Mademoiselle Reisz, the individuals who served as confidants to Edna. The bird metaphor continues throughout the book. At...

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