The title of Kate Chopin’s novel is significant because it refers to many ways in which Edna begins to awaken herself and the world around her. The Awakening shows a title that can only be completely understood after the incorporation of the themes in the content. The title, The Awakening, shows a vague picture in the mind. At first the reader does not fully portray what content the novel will possess. After reading of the novel, one can really understand that the title represents the main character, Edna Pontellier's, sexual awakening and resurrection that takes place in the plot as opposed to not having a clue on what the plot will be about.
Edna Pontellier first shows a form of awakening when she encounters another character that plays a musical instrument. As the musician plays, the crowd for the most part disregards it as just another performance. However there is the exception of Mrs. Pontellier who breaks out into tears due to the vivid imagery that the music brings into her mind. The musician responds to Mrs. Pontellier by telling her that she is the only one who truly speaks her language. This form of awakening brings one of the themes out in the book showing that as a person learns to begin to express themselves, they find that there is a lesser concentration of people who can understand. This becomes of greater as Edna begins to express herself through the use of her artwork.
The sexual aspect of Edna's awakening is formed through her relationship with a supporting character, Robert LeBrun. In the beginning of the novel, Robert assigns himself to become the helper of Mrs. Pontellier and his advances help to break down the wall in which Edna is placed in because of her role as a woman of the
