![the awakening theme the awakening theme](https://slidetodoc.com/presentation_image_h/361b7113af3ede2591c777b753bc5d59/image-3.jpg)
For more on this topic, click here to read more about the literary history of the time period during which this was written. A good structure for this essay would be to spend one paragraph on individual characters and look at how they defy, adhere to, or reject their society and what consequences result. For this essay, think hard about Victorian expectations for women and examine how women are expected to fit into it and what happens if they do not. In this paradigm Edna is caught between her desires for independence and freedom and the constraining notions of Victorian society. Consider the idea of the “mother women” such as Adele Ratignolle versus more independent women such as Mademoiselle Reisz and look at the way each woman fits into (or doesn’t) the greater society around her.
![the awakening theme the awakening theme](https://media1.shmoop.com/images/chart/Awakening-Themes/awakening-themes.png)
In the Victorian society in which this novel takes place, there are many strict behavioral and other conventions that must be adhered to, particularly for women. Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #4: The Context of the Victorian Era
![the awakening theme the awakening theme](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/aplus-media/vc/c2a9b3e1-cd3d-4130-b1f4-98d3d87e3d17.__CR0,0,300,300_PT0_SX300_V1___.jpg)
For this essay choose three of four aspects to her character or events in the story (such as her getting her own place or taking a lover for instance) and examine them closely to look for ways in which Edna promotes feminist ideals Because of the way Edna chooses individuality over conformity, sexuality over repression, and art over entertaining she is acting as a feminist-even at a time when this was not a common concept. This combination in Edna’s character made her a literary icon for feminist ideals.
THE AWAKENING THEME SERIAL
Upon its initial serial publication, this novella caused quite a stir because it presented a female protagonist who was so blatantly refusing the society she lived in and furthermore, because she was so sexually aware. Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #3 : The Awakening as a Feminist Novella For this essay use one symbol for each paragraph and tie them all together with a conclusion discussing the overall importance of symbols and how they function in the book. The ocean symbolizes freedom and the metaphorical notion death as well but it also represents something that is larger than life and almost impossible to comprehend. The fact that Edna has multiple homes is important because they reflect her changing state of mind. Houses are where one resides and thus are reflections on the soul of the inhabitant. Birds represent freedom and the ability to fly but are also symbols for something that is strong yet delicate. Three of the most prominent symbols used are birds, houses, and the ocean and each means something different in the context of the story. These symbolic elements and images make the connection between Edna’s world and her eventual awakening more potent and meaningful for the reader. Throughout The Awakening by Kate Chopin, much of the deeper meaning in the story is revealed through a number of important symbols. Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #2: Symbolism in The Awakening For more assistance with this topic, consult the freely accessible and the stages she goes through. For this essay (it will likely be an expository essay rather than too much of an argumentative one) find three or four examples of different kinds of awakenings in the book and tie them together in a solid conclusion about the overall meaning of awakening. Throughout the novel, there are many examples of different kinds of awakenings from her awakening to herself as an artist when she tries to paint, her waking up to the realization that she can appreciate music, and to the fact that her life up until this point has been unfulfilling. She is not only waking up her understanding of herself as an individual and as a woman who does not find herself happy in the domestic world of her peers, she is also awakening to herself as a sexual being. The title of Kate Chopin’s novella is significant because it refers to the many ways in which Edna begins to awaken to the world around her. Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #1: The Layered Significance of the Title
THE AWAKENING THEME FREE
Still working out the details? Click Here for a Free Detailed Chapter-by-Chapter Summary of “The Awakening”