Kate Chopin's The Awakening

How is a women’s rejection of submitting to a man and societies tradition unhealthy? According to Annie Besant “A married woman loses control over her own body, it belongs to her owner, not herself” (Hall, pg 13-14). Women lose all rights in this society in which the female have no say in their lives. So when Kate Chopin contradicts the women’s role of the 19th century in The Awakening through Edna Pontellier’s constant incongruity that people are bound to be shocked. People of the19th century thought The Awakening was unhealthy due to it’s emotional, mental, physical, and social aspects; however, it is not unhealthy.
Women in the 19th century were known to have a private nature about themselves. They were to keep to their selves and had completely different roles than men. Women at that time are to be passive, weak, illogical, dependent, emotional, private, pure, easily influenced, and most importantly the polar opposite of men; if the women were anything else, they would be ostracized. Dr. William Acton said women do not have sexual desires, but a survey in 1890 …show more content…
Pontellier had many unsavory acts that was very unusual one being having an affair or two. Physically she needed something that she was not getting. Chopin did not show E. Pontellier at fault but only trying to better her situation. When L. Pontellier does not come home until eleven o-clock and takes constant business trips to place like New Orleans for days only to send fine fruits, syrups, and candy (Chopin, pg 2-6). These little trinkets would not really satisfy a woman. So, when a man offers emotional and physical companionship why would someone so sad and lonely refuse? According to Robert Shoemaker “Now women were idealized as mothers (“the angel in the house”), while those who failed to meet expectations were censured as prostitutes with uncontrollable sexual desires” (pg1). It is not unhealthy to need companionship, it is actual very healthy and normal for someone to not want to feel

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