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  • Essay / The Ideas of Language, Gender, and Individual Expression in The Awakening

    In Kate Chopin's novel The Awakening, Edna, the protagonist, faces a dilemma of loneliness and confusion in which no one seems to be able to grasp and understand, not even sound. During the 1800s, in an era filled with strict societal laws, women, juxtaposed with men, were expected to take care of domestic affairs and focus on their homes, thereby limiting opportunities for individual expression. However, Edna, as a static character, strives to break away from this ideal and seek her own external presence in the world. The people she meets in Grand Isle awaken desires and desires that Edna would never have thought of before in terms of sexual attraction, art, music and especially individual freedom. As a child, Edna begins to see the world in a new light, leading her to neglect her identity as both a mother and a woman in pursuit of individual satisfaction. Where the events preceding this awakening allow Edna to learn three new “languages”. These languages, in relation to the plot, are consequential to the overall development of her character, as she is faced with the decision of seeking her own desires in life or conforming to society's external projections, as she has always done. In addition to being a mother of two young boys, Edna Pontellier is an ever-evolving character who longs to seek things through her own intentions. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay For example, Chopin writes about Edna's indifferent personality: “It would have been difficult for Mr. Pontellier to define his own essay. satisfaction or that of someone else in which his wife failed in her duty to their children. If one of Pontellier's little boys fell while playing, he was not likely to rush screaming into his mother's arms for comfort; he won that of another in which his wife failed in her duty to their children. If one of Pontellier's little boys fell while playing, he was not likely to rush screaming into his mother's arms for comfort; it would be more likely that he would get up,….and continue playing (4.10). Edna's failure as a mother as defined by Mr. Pontellier, her husband, is a subject on which he cannot really speak. On the contrary, he fully understands and observes the actions of his children which express this idea, as it is written: "If one of the little boys of Pontellier fell while playing, he was not inclined to rush crying into the his mother's arms to ask for comfort; » (4.10) revealing the little importance that Edna plays in the lives of her children. Even after meeting Madame Ratignolle in Grand Isle, Edna cannot help but admire Madame Ratignolle as a woman who so perfectly embodies all the virtues of a family woman, who unlike Edna, can attest to loving her husband and children more than anything. Where, thanks to Madame Ratignolle, the first language that Edna discovers as part of her progressive awakening is tenderness and affection. The language, apart from the larger picture, expresses the struggles Edna faces as a woman in a conformist society. Whereas by neglecting her children, she finds herself better suited to other tasks like painting and finding her independence. Furthermore, internally, Edna searches for a voice of freedom in the midst of what society believes, while in an unwavering battle, she externally struggles to go against them where they attach her to things she feels no sense of.emotional attachment, in this case, to his children. Until now carefree, the struggle she feels against a conformist society begins to disturb her physically and psychologically, expressing her sexual frustrations. To emphasize this, Chopin writes to describe the experimental relationships explored by Edna: “Why? asked his companion. "Why do you love him when you shouldn't?"... "Why? Because his hair is brown and flows away from his temples; because he opens and closes his eyes, and his nose is a little deformed; because he has two lips and a square chin, and a little finger that he can't straighten from playing baseball with too much energy in his youth. (26.110). Because Edna finally realizes how few opportunities she has in such a limited world, as well as her neglect of her children, she also begins to search for true love as a result of her gradual awakening. Although Edna is Married to her husband Léonce, she is visibly unhappy with their marriage because she places no sentimental value on the alliance that binds them together. Chopin writes: “Why do you love him when you shouldn’t? is symbolic of Edna's infatuation with men other than her husband, particularly Robert, a man she met on Grand Isle. Although she fully understands the consequences of her actions, she relies on herself to dictate her own actions and punishments because she blames everything. she does it in the name of her awakening after being repressed for so many years. In comparison with her husband Léonce who embodies the values ​​of hard work and perseverance, Edna values ​​above all her own satisfaction, which transmits the second language she discovers. , the language of intimacy and sexuality. Having never been in love with Léonce, Edna “experimented” with different men in her life. The language of intimacy is one that she quickly learns and truly values ​​in place of tenderness thanks to Madame Ratignolle. The language of love, however, is difficult for Edna to pursue because even though she is completely oblivious to the consequences, Robert, the figure of her infatuation, understands it completely differently and separates from her, causing her to begin to experience feelings of feelings of loneliness. and injured. Additionally, although Edna is able to separate herself from her family and win the battle against herself, she soon begins to observe a new struggle, one of loneliness and loneliness as she discovers the reluctance of others , unlike his own, to oppose society. Although Edna is now able to allow her awakening to shape her life and dictate her actions, she begins to abandon it, reminding us of her role as a woman in a limiting society. To emphasize this idea, Chopin writes of Edna's remedy for her struggles coupled with her tragic end: "But while she was there by the sea, absolutely alone, she threw off herself the unpleasant clothes and spines, and for the first time in her life, she stood naked in the open air, at the mercy of the sun, the breeze that hit her, and the waves that beckoned her. How strange and horrible it seemed to stand naked under the sky! How delicious! She felt like a newborn creature opening her eyes into a familiar world she had never known (39.156). Having been left to her own devices with the independence she had always sought, Edna realizes how terrible this idea was from the start. After leaving her family to pursue her own desires, she unfortunately finds herself questioning the extent to which others are willing to prevail against society, especially her lover Robert. Because of her enthusiasm for the notion of personal freedom, despite her belonging to an idealistic society, she became.