The Awakening By Kate Chopin: The Issue Of Convention And Individuality

The feminist fiction novel, The Awakening by Kate Chopin, details the controversial story of a Victorian woman, Edna Pontellier, and her spiritual growth. The protagonist, Edna, struggles in her quest for self-actualization in the mid 19th century Creole society. Throughout the story, Edna feels torn between her heart’s desires and society’s standards. Because she is a woman, assigned roles, such as caring for her husband and idolizing her children, keep her in a repressed position. Edna’s desires for freedom lead her to reject social conventions and become alienated from society. Edna Pontellier’s tension between conforming to societal expectations and questioning her actions reinforces the overall meaning of convention and individuality.

Social conventions take hold of Edna and cause her to live under a false pretense. Indoctrinated perceptions of the perfect woman program Edna to believe that her roles as a mother and a wife are the fullest extent of her identity. There is an outer life that Edna wears for people to see, and one of the ways that she maintains this public face is by “slipping her wedding rings upon her fingers”. As a model wife, Edna meekly accepts the constraints symbolized by the wedding ring. She follows the unwritten guidelines of being a wife, because she unconsciously conforms to the standard conventions of her time. At the start of the novel, she is a male-defined creature going through the motions of everyday life and fulfilling her expected roles; however, she inwardly questions choosing an alternate lifestyle to find her independence. Edna “takes off her wedding ring” and “stamps her heel upon it, striving to crush it”.

The readers view this scene in marked contrast to the scene where she accepts the wedding ring, since she refuses to ascribe to marriage constraints. Despite attempting to rebel, the wedding ring is indestructible, symbolizing the adversities women face when trying to overcome female roles deeply ingrained in society. Chopin challenges the stereotyped roles of women by setting up a contrast between Edna and other Victorian women. When one compares Edna and Adele, Adele appears as the perfect Victorian woman — a loving mother and wife dedicated to making her family happy. While Adele constantly caters to the needs of those she loves, Edna “would never sacrifice herself for her children, or for any one”. Certain portions of Edna’s identity, such as her personality and happiness, belong only to herself, and she would never give them up for anybody. Edna finds Adele’s roles lacking and begins to see that satisfying her desires goes against social conventions. Realizing how unhappy she is as a mother-woman, Edna arouses her inner questioning, breaks free from her facade, and seeks a new lifestyle. Edna’s inner questioning gets the better of her when she revolts against patriarchal conventions. She eschews her prescribed feminine roles by disregarding her marital obligations and choosing to lead an independent life. Exemplifying Edna’s quest for independence is her relationship with Robert. She professes, “It was you who awoke me last summer out of a life-long stupid dream”.

It becomes clear that she cannot be bothered for Leonce as her love for Robert grows. She rebels against her wifely duties by declaring her independence and embarking on this affair. Edna is thankful that being with Robert allows her to come out of her slump with her husband and gain her voice. She sees that men can live lives of sexual fulfillment, while not expected to care for their children — evil entities that take away her freedom. The feelings between Edna and Robert are genuine, but the culture that marriage offers her hold no appeal to Edna. Edna’s attempts to find self-definition paramount her conformity, which underlines the idea of individualization. Chopin further credits Edna’s inner questioning through her character development. Edna acknowledges that motherhood is a mere mistake and begins to embark on new activities for her delight. To cultivate her newfound lifestyle, she works on self-serving art. A simple proclamation, “I feel like painting, ” demonstrates Edna consciously breaking from her expected role as a housekeeper. Her neglect of household duties is about a sudden preference for independence, rather than a sudden preference for painting. Edna even gains money doing what she loves. Entering the world of capitalism is a brave leap away from the realms of a male-exclusive world. By infiltrating this world, Edna generates all of her income and rents a house far from the remainders of her family. Edna’s actions, as a result of questioning her conformity, help her acquire individuality and bliss.

Kate Chopin’s novel, The Awakening, effectively incorporates societal expectations and norms in order to contrast Edna Pontellier with them. Edna’s family and society own her soul, instructing her to be subservient and to adore her children. By questioning her position in a world dominated by men, Edna lives life with immense joy, not concerned about her reputation or appearance. The more she renounces her obligations, the more she becomes a freed individual. The story’s tension between outward conformity and inward questioning reinforces the overall meaning of convention and individuality.