Bird Symbolism In The Awakening

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In her acclaimed novel The Awakening, American author Kate Chopin masterfully uses symbolism to portray Victorian women as entrapped victims of society. Though she uses a wide variety of imagery and symbolism, Chopin specifically uses birds to depict her the character Edna Pontellier and her attempt to escape the cage of societies expectations. Chopin first uses the bird as a symbol in the opening scene of her novel, therefore setting the tone for the remainder of the work. Chapter one begins with a caged parrot singing out “Allez vous-en! Sapristit!” “Go away for heaven’s sake!” (number) This is directed at Edna’s husband Mr. Pontellier who “had the privilege of quitting their society when they ceased to be entertaining” (number). Here the …show more content…
Mademoiselle Reisz is the only character in the novel who seems to understand Edna, yet she has supposedly been “awakened,” which mocks Edna’s own entrapment. Through her own experiences in living outside of commonplace societal expectations, Mademoiselle has learned that such a lifestyle requires strength of character. Edna begins spending long periods of her days with Mademoiselle Reisz, soaking in the other woman’s conversation and allowing her mind wander and explore freely as Mademoiselle plays the piano. On one such occasion as Edna is leaving, Mademoiselle puts her arm around Edna to “see if my wings were strong” (number). Mademoiselle tells her “the bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings. It is a sad spectacle the see the weaklings, bruised and exhausted, fluttering back to earth” (number). In the course of the novel as Edna becomes more awakened, she throws off the weight of her maternal and household duties by moving into the “pigeon house.” Chopin uses the “pigeon house” as a symbol for a birdhouse, again depicting Edna as a bird. This tiny house serves as Edna’s new nest, a place where she can live freely and entertain any company she chooses to. Though the house pleases Edna for awhile, eventually …show more content…
By the end of the novel she is a fully “awakened” woman who has tried to embrace her value as an individual by throwing away everything her society would deem normal. Yet even her new lifestyle of freedom proves to be not enough. She desires freedom so completely that even her bathing suit becomes too much of a restraint (number). Right before she swims out to her quiet death in the ocean, Edna watches a “bird with a broken wing,” which was “beating the air above, reeling, fluttering, circling disabled down, down to the water: (number). Edna’s own wing is broken; she is the sad spectacle that is fluttering back to earth. Death is the only way to escape this boundaries-or maybe it is the ultimate freedom. Chopin herself fought against the standards of Victorian society by writing The Awakening. Through beautiful imagery and symbolism, she asks her readers if there is such a thing as freedom, or if one must always live in the cage of
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