The Sea in The Awakening Essay

Submitted By cherrybomb69
Words: 981
Pages: 4
Open Document
Huang 1

Roland Huang
Mr. Hoffman
English III
6 November 2014 La mer In literacy, the sea seems to be used as a symbol lots of times. This has proven to be the case, in
The Awakening by Kate Chopin, where the author used the sea as a symbol­ it was referred to at the beginning, when the awakening for Edna first started; it was also the final destination for
Edna. The story is rich in description and uses a lot of symbolism. The sea symbolizes both the birth and death of the ideas of freedom, liberalism, and romanticism; the sea interestingly illustrates the emotions flowing deep within Edna, to foreshadow the story and to provoke thoughts, both hers and ours. Edna’s “awakening” originates from “La mer”, in the French speaking part of New Orleans. The story is set up on an island resort, which itself is surrounded by seas. The author did not make special mention of it, but we can see the using of the sea to symbolize that Edna is “trapped” in the traditional society, and have no “escape”. The sea was also the place she first acquainted
Robert, the man she eventually falls in love with later on in the text. With this love, comes the
“awakening”, where the idea of freedom and liberalism starts to flourish in her mind. She thought about the men she fell in love with near the beach, too. From a “sad­eyed cavalry officer

Huang 2

who visited her father in Kentucky”, to a “young gentleman who visited a lady on a neighboring plantation”, and to a “great tragedian”.(62) These thoughts have drifted her further, towards the idea of being free of boundaries set by societies, which are, be a ‘mother­woman’, be loyal to her husband, etc. Chopin uses the sea as a continuing reference to infinite temptation and passion for freedom.she referred to the sea a couple of times early on in the novel to solidify our assumption of it being an important metaphor. “The voice of sea is seductive” and “speaks to the soul” (57) personify the sea and gave it a character and illustration. Another example of the sea being “alive” is shown through “...the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous.” (54) After Edna left the Grand Isle, the metaphorical idea of the ‘sea’ passed on to Robert and Mademoiselle Reisz. The idea of romanticism, which appeared in the book in the form of freedom and liberalism, is ubiquitous on the two “guiding” characters of Edna, Robert and Mademoiselle Reisz. Although
Robert is away in Mexico throughout the majority of the story, he still plays an important role in
Edna’s awakening, as she falls in love with him: “I shall proceed to fall in love with him.” (136)
This deep affection is also seen when she has an affair with Arobin, she was concerned about
‘cheating’ on Robert, not her husband: “The thought was passing vaguely through her mind,
“what would he think?” She did not mean her husband; she was thinking of Robert Lebrun”
(132). Edna sees Robert as a sign for passion and love that she has been missing since she married her husband, therefore inspired by him that, she doesn’t have to live this way.
Mademoiselle Reisz was that secondary push that facilitated Edna’s Awakening. She is an older

Huang 3

woman who lives a single life, while unpopular in the society because of her unconventional lifestyle, appears to be free and happy. To Edna, Mademoiselle Reisz represents the type of woman that Edna could have become when she gets older, if she gets independant from her duties as a wife and mother. The freedom she represents fascinates her­ living independently, having no worries and plays the piano so well: “The very first chords which Mademoiselle Reisz struck upon the piano sent a keen tremor down Mrs.
Show More

Related Documents: The Sea in The Awakening Essay

Essay On Edna Pontellier's Inner Conflict In The Awakening

In Kate Chopin’s novel The Awakening, the protagonist Edna Pontellier experiences internal conflict throughout her journey towards self-discovery. The juxtaposition of the two settings in which Edna finds herself makes her more aware of society’s flaws, causing her to distance herself from it in solitude, as a fruitless attempt to avoid suppression. Along with the setting itself, there is constant repetition of various symbols and imagery, such as that of the sea and birds, which serve to represent…

Words 1071 - Pages 5

Awakening: Manh Huynh Period Essays

Manh Huynh Period 2 12/15/14 Awakening The novella, The Awakening , include many of Edna Pontellier’s awakenings, but the most memorable is the moment she bound herself to the sea. This is the peak of Edna’s awakening because it symbolize that no one will ever chain her again, the only way that she can gain freedom is through death, free from society’s expectations and free from her husband’s and children’s grip. In my opinion, I believe Edna’s awakening share similarities with Janie…

Words 318 - Pages 2

The Awakening Essay

3 October 2013 The Awakening For as long as the art of literature has been practiced, esteemed authors have prided themselves in their keen use of symbolism. A symbol can be any person, place or thing within a story that is representative of something else; symbols often appear to be insignificant when first mentioned, but are ultimately brought full circle and expounded upon, their deeper meanings exposed to the reader. This is done through recurrence. The Awakening by Kate Chopin is an…

Words 1514 - Pages 7

Edna Pontellier's Suicide In The Awakening

Edna Pontellier’s suicide through swimming into the sea, is her final awakening and strongest display of defiance to society’s confining norms. When Edna talks to Dr. Mandalet, she mentions that in order to attain her way of life she would be willing to “trample upon the lives, the hearts, the prejudices” of others (TA 105). But, she cannot trample upon those of her children. To Edna, her children would “drag her into the soul’s slavery for the rest of her days” by reminding her of her motherly duty…

Words 521 - Pages 3

Essay about Symbolism in the Awakening by Kate Chopin

Symbolism in The Awakening by Kate Chopin The Awakening by Kate Chopin is a novel full of symbolism which reveals much of the deeper meaning in the story. Within each narrative segment there is often a symbol that helps to add meaning to the text, and the understanding of these symbols is essential to a full appreciation of the story. These symbolic elements help the reader to make a connection between Edna’s world and her eventual awakening. Throughout the novel there are a huge number of symbols…

Words 1355 - Pages 6

The Awakening And Their Eyes Were Watching God Character Analysis

Characters are often times the driving force in novels as the reader makes a connection with them based on the author’s portrayal, thus the development of the character is pivotal for a successful novel. In The Awakening and Their Eyes Were Watching God, the main protagonists in each story were developed extensively as they were the main connection to the reader. Edna Pontellier and Janie Starks both can be characterized as being dynamic as they grow throughout their respective novels. The final…

Words 1008 - Pages 5

Edna Pontellier's Sacrifice In 'The Awakening'

The Awakening, Kate Chopin explores a woman’s spiritual revolution through the character Edna Pontellier. Edna deliberately sacrifices, surrenders, or forfeits many things that are important to her, and in doing so highlights her values. Throughout her journey, she discovers herself through powerful experiences and influential characters. By the end of the dramatic novel, Edna is able to figure out who she is, but that she is unfortunately incapable of handling her true self. In The Awakening, self-discovery…

Words 1330 - Pages 6

Bird Imagery In Kate's The Awakening

There is articulation necessary because it can be helpful to her in identifying the position that she should be in. The bird imagery has figurative convention with relevance to the opening lines of Kate’s The Awakening as a parrot that is trained has been defined with articulating words that it can’t understand. Edna is moving from her position that is like a parrot as a woman that is acculturated when control and awareness regarding the conditions she is in unfold. She has been figured in terms…

Words 643 - Pages 3

awakening essay

“Kate Chopin uses powerful and significant symbolism in The Awakening to depict the feminist idea involving women’s longing for sexual and personal emancipation through the development of the main character, Edna Pontellier”1 Explore the relevance of this statement to Edna’s Awakening and show how your reading of the yellow wallpaper illuminates this understanding. The Victorian era was an age of confinement for women in their rights and their social lives, but it was perhaps the beginning of the…

Words 1475 - Pages 6

Essay about the awakening

In what ways does “The Awakening” exhibit characteristics of naturalism and how does it deviate from the theory? The novel, The Awakening by Kate Chopin is a novel about whether a married woman could or should engage in a sexual affair with a man who is not her husband, whether she would abandon her children and husband for another man who she has fallen in love with. This novel is an argument for a woman’s independence and self-awareness. Naturalism is one of the main topics in this novel due…

Words 858 - Pages 4