freeaw A Womans Fight for Independence in Kate Chopins The Awakening :: Chopin Awakening Essays

A Womans Fight for Independence in The Awakening   Right from the beginning the game is almost conveniently evident. You find a muliebrity, Edna Pontellier, tired of living her life as a pampered and owned married woman and mother. She is searching for much more in her life, some sort of meaning for her whole existence. She searches for a long time but in the end, the inevitability of her lifes pattern and direction wraps around her, suffocating her. She is show upmatch with wonder, confusion, and guilt for what she believes and what she does to express her beliefs. She finally finds a way to beat the graceful 1890s life-style by committing suicide. During this story Edna struggles with three main opposing powers. First, there is the societys persuasion of what a womans roles in life was and how they should act, look, and feel. Second, is her independent nature. The last opposing power she comes across is her undying love for the charming Robert Lebrun.     It is t he unwritten rule that a woman should marry, have children, and be happy and content with that as their life. Society portrays this to be a womans rightful job and duty. A woman should act and look proper at all times. This is what Edna is fighting against in this novel. She feels that, though many women agree with this known rule, it isnt fair. For six years Edna conforms to these ideas by being a proper wife and mother, holding Tuesday socials and going to operas, following the same enduring schedule. It is only after her summer spent at Grand Isle that her mechanical lifestyle becomes unmingled to her. She sees how much she is unhappy with the expectations, held by society, of her life and she wishes to erase them and live her life as she wants.     Edna has an independent, almost self centered, nature about her. Her need for an uncontrolled lifestyle is what leaves her feeling owned and wanting to break that label she fights to do as she wishes. Little by little she br eaks free of societys image, letting her independence shine through. She cancels her Tuesday socials and helps out around the house doing little chores. The biggest step she made was her decision to move away from her mansion and into the pigeon house, a little cottage around corner.