In Kate Chopin's short story The Awakening, Edna Pontellier's behaviors appear to be symptoms of depression rather than the actions of a strong woman seeking liberation . This conclusion, however, only appears fully at the end of the novel. Throughout the story, Edna does things to lead the reader to believe that she is strong and overcoming the burden of living in a patriarchal society. However, a strong woman who truly overcomes adversity is not going to commit suicide. Reading carefully, one realizes that Chopin's true model of feminism lies in Mademoiselle Reisz, who is happy living alone and single despite what society dictates a woman's role to be. . Miss Reisz is an accomplished pianist to whom Edna turns for advice as she struggles to regain her personality. Unlike Miss Reisz, however, Edna lacks the motivation and willpower to follow her desires from thought to realization. Throughout The Awakening, the reader follows Edna Pontellier as she becomes increasingly restless and dissatisfied with her life. In Chopin's Depression and The Awakening, Steven T. Ryan explains the parallels between Edna's actions and inactions with depression. He writes: Edna's final despair comes from a paradoxical fear of being trapped...and a fear of finding herself alone, without authentic intimacy. This engulfment-estrangement reaction is frequently interpreted as Edna's heroic struggle against social roles and expectations, but the terror of engulfment-estrangement is a common effect of depression, often understood to result from frustration early depression of the depressive with his needs for dependence and intimacy (Ryan).Ryan continues his assertion that Edna suffers from depression in middle of paper......despair has consumed her. To some extent, the reader may attempt to believe that Edna ultimately found liberation in death. . However, a truly liberated woman will face the challenges before her with strength and courage, and find freedom in her own achievements. Works Cited Chopin, Kate. Awakening. 2nd. New York, NY: WW Norton & Company, 1994. Print. Grohol Psy. D., John M. “Types and Symptoms of Depression.” PsychCentral. NP, 2006. Web. July 25, 2011. Lickerman MD, Alex. “The Six Reasons People Attempt Suicide.” Blog. Psychology today. Sussex Publishers, April 29, 2010. Web. July 25, 2011. Ramos, Peter. “Unbearable realism: freedom, ethics and identity on awakening.” Collegiate Literature 37.4 (2010): 145-165. Print.Ryan, Steven T. "Depression and Chopin's Awakening." Mississippi Quarterly (1998): Web. July 25 2011.