The Influence Of Nature In Kate Chopin's The Awakening

Kate Chopin’s writing throughout The Awakening is provocative in nature, designed to create thought in the readers by illustrating the deepest, darkest secrets that no woman of the time would admit to thinking. The novel brings into question the place women were put in the society of the time by linking Edna’s actions with her death. If Edna was not fond of her husband and wanted out of the marriage, why did she have to resort to suicide? Why wasn’t it acceptable for her to leave and start anew with a man she truly loved? The readers of the time had these questions brought to the forefront of their minds through the captivating story of Edna’s plight. Likewise, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is also written in a way intended to provoke thoughts

With all this on her shoulders, Edna cannot live in this situation forever, and beginning in chapter 6, she starts to have her awakening. It all starts at Edna 's first trip to the beach, where she begins to think about herself and her true feelings, creating a small spark that will soon erupt into an enormous flame. Edna 's awakening then has it 's second big development in chapter 10, once again at the beach. Edna has the sudden urge and determination to swim out as far as she can, despite perhaps not being the strongest swimmer. Even though she discovers that she can in fact swim well, she realizes she has swam out far from shore and begins to panic before heading back. This scene illustrates her growing strengh and independence. After returning back to New Orleans, Leonce reports to the local doctor, Doctor Mandelet. He says he is worried for Edna, as she is becoming distant from not only him, but many other aquaintances as well, and is showing irresponsibility regarding the housekeeping. Leonce may not know it, but this is all apart of Edna’s growing sense of independence, as well as a time of confusion for her as well. Edna eventually meets Alcee Arobin, a man who will do anything he can to get the woman he

John Proctor begins the story as a simple farmer, just wanting to go about his own life peacefully, and not involved in the drama with witches (which he did not believe in throughout the play). However, eventually he has to get directly involved in the trials, after his wife Elizabeth is accused of witchcraft. One thing that he reveals during one trial is something that he had kept secret for a long while, not wanting it to ruin his life. He had an affair with Abigail Williams, and after coming to the conclusion that stopping Abigail and protecting his wife was more important than his own reputation, he confessed that they had committed adultry together. Later, when Proctor is to hang, he realizes that, in his mind, his pride is more important than saving his own life, and thus, he is sentenced to death. As previously stated, Abigail Williams is the other character who goes through notable changes. She originally had the simple idea of accusing others of witchcraft to take the attention off of her and help keep herself safe, but soon after everyone started to believe her accusations, she knew she could use this to her advantage. She could accuse whoever she wanted to, and get them out of her life. So, naturally, her main target is Elizabeth Proctor, the woman married to the man