The Awakening Essay Research Paper Time and

The Awakening Essay, Research Paper

Time and Place in The Awakening

In the book The Awakening, by Kate Chopin, clip and topographic point play a major function in Edna s rousing. Edna, the supporter, efforts to withstand male domination in her life, and through this rebelliousness she awakens, and becomes her ain individual. She explores the natural universe, which she had antecedently non known in her pent-up function as a Creole matron. This could non hold been possible for Edna had she non spent clip on the Grand Isle summer resort island, acquiring to be one with nature, and researching her involvements such as pulling and playing music.

Grand Isle, an island off the seashore of Louisiana, is a summer resort for affluent Creole households. It is surrounded by the warm Waterss of the Gulf of Mexico, has a soft zephyr blowing across it, and has juicy flora. It can be considered an Eden-like island. On this island, Edna symbolically eats from the fruits of the tree of cognition, as Adam and Eve did. Edna, who is a pent-up, disgruntled society matron, is unrealized in her matrimony and her maternity. Edna is seduced by the sounds, odors, and crude quality of Grand Isle, and begins to chat up overly with Robert, the resort proprietor s boy. Robert is the accelerator in stirring Edna s emotions, even though he is rather an immature and ordinary immature adult male. It is from this experience with him that Edna learns that she is in fact a sexual being. She is profoundly impressed by the music of Mademoiselle Reisz, a gifted instrumentalist, and recognize how much she can truly appreciate music. Edna discovers her endowment in picture and attempts to prosecute it farther. She learns how to swim in the Waterss of the Gulf, and it is under this island puting the she begins to make off with her suppressions.

Time besides plays a important function in Edna s rousing. L one time, Edna s hubby, is the controlling figure in her life. He controls her actions every bit good as her clip. She must summer on Grand Isle, whe

rhenium most of the other affluent members of Creole society stay. She feels like an foreigner at that place, and would hold preferred to remain elsewhere. However, her penchants aren t considered by L one time. She must travel where her hubby s friends and associates go. In add-on to disbursement clip with people she does non peculiarly like, Edna besides has a set twenty-four hours for entertaining invitees.

When Edna foremost consciously chooses to arise, she does so at dark, after Leonce comes back to Grand Isle tardily one dark and finds her sitting outside. He orders her indoors, but she refuses. They both sit outside for a piece until Edna eventually gives in and goes indoors to kip. When Edna Rebels, and refuses to entertain invitees on her set twenty-four hours, L one time is shocked and suspects that Edna is mentally ill. She rebels against society by demoing that she controls her ain clip, and does what she wants whenever she wants to make it.

Another incident where clip is important is when Robert and Edna go to Church together one Sunday on the mainland. Edna does non experience good at the services, and hence they go to Madame Antoine s house so that she can rest. After loosening her apparels as a symbol of taking off the load of society, Edna goes to kip. When she wakes she asks Robert How many old ages have I slept? ( p. 37 ) . She senses that she has undergone a major alteration, and feels that she is a wholly different individual after this ageless slumber. After this slumber, we truly see Edna s rebellion. Time is a symbol of alteration and waking up for her.

Edna awakens as a consequence of clip and topographic point. She tries to get away the limitations and conventions of society by following her passions and involvements. She pursues relationships with two work forces, Robert and Alc vitamin E, even though she is a married adult female. Edna discovers that she is in fact a passionate being. This self-knowledge consequences in her self-destruction at the terminal of the novelette. Unable to travel back to a life as a conventional married woman and female parent, Edna chooses freedom in decease.