In Kate Chopin's The Awakening, Edna Pontellier is a woman torn between fulfilling the role society imposes on her and catering to her own needs as an individual. Her thoughts of infidelity and her rejection of societal responsibilities awaken her to what she truly desires in life: independence. In "Contrasting Forces in the Novel", George Arms critiques the novel, stating that Chopin presents contrasting forces without extracting a final truth. He also states that Edna does not seem to struggle with these contrasts and instead drifts aimlessly (Arms 198). However, a closer inspection of how Edna deals with these contrasting forces reveals that these forces serve a clear purpose in showing Edna's progress towards an awakening. While George Arms claims that Edna…show more content… This connection is confirmed when later in the novel Mademoiselle Reisz touches Edna's shoulder blades to "see if [her] wings were strong" and says "the bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings" (79). By having Reisz touch Edna's shoulder when describing the bird, Chopin clearly establishes the connection between the bird and Edna. Further, the portrayal of Edna as a bird in a cage when conforming to societal norms clearly expresses what Chopin thinks about the rules of society. Cages curtail freedom and are a symbol of entrapment, causing the reader to equate conforming to societal rules with imprisonment. Society is also negatively portrayed in the sounds that Edna hears before her death. As she walks further into the ocean, Edna hears "the barking of an old dog that was chained to the sycamore tree" (109). This sound is also associated with oppression, as the dog is being restricted by a chain. In contrast to this depiction, Chopin describes Edna's act of straying from society in a positive way. She describes the ocean as being "sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close
