The Awakening: original authoritative edition 1899

By Kate Chopin

THE AWAKENING, originally titled A Solitary Soul, is a novel by Kate Chopin, first published in 1899. Set in New Orleans and on the Louisiana Gulf coast at the end of the 19th century, the plot centers on Edna Pontellier and her struggle to reconcile her increasingly unorthodox views on femininity and motherhood with the prevailing social attitudes of the turn-of-the-century American South. It is one of the earliest American novels that focuses on women's issues without condescension. It is also widely seen as a landmark work of early feminism, generating a mixed reaction from contemporary readers and critics. The novel's blend of realistic narrative, incisive social commentary, and psycho¬logical complexity makes The Awakening a precursor of American modernist literature; it prefigures the works of American novelists such as William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway and echoes the works of contemporaries such as Edith Wharton and Henry James. It can also be considered among the first Southern works in a tradition that would culminate with the modern master¬pieces of Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor, Eudora Welty, Katherine Anne Porter, and Tennessee Williams.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wisehouse Classics
• Release date: Dec 23, 2019
• ISBN: 9789176370384

Kate Chopin

Kate Chopin was born in St. Louis, Missouri,In 1851. She began writing shortly after herHusband's death and, from 1889 until her ownDeath, her stories and other miscellaneousWritings appeared in Vogue, Youth's companion,Atlantic Monthly, Century, Saturday EveningPost, and other publications. In addition to The Awakening, Mrs. Chopin published another novel, At Fault, and two collections of short stories and sketches, Bayou Folk and A Night at Acadie. The publication of The Awakening in 1899 occasioned shocked and angry response from reviewers all over the country. The book was taken off the shelves of the St. Louis mercantile library and its author was barred from the fine arts club. Kate Chopin died in 1904.

Book preview

XXXIX

I

Agreen and yellow parrot, which hung in a cage outside the door, kept repeating over and over:

Allez vous-en! Allez vous-en! Sapristi! That’s all right!

He could speak a little Spanish, and also a language which nobody understood, unless it was the mocking-bird that hung on the other side of the door, whistling his fluty notes out upon the breeze with maddening persistence.

Mr. Pontellier, unable to read his newspaper with any degree of comfort, arose with an expression and an exclamation of disgust.

He walked down the gallery and across the narrow bridges which connected the Lebrun cottages one with the other. He had been seated before the door of the main house. The parrot and the mockingbird were the property of Madame Lebrun, and they had the right to make all the noise they wished. Mr. Pontellier had the privilege of quitting their society when they ceased to be entertaining.

He stopped before the door of his own cottage, which was the fourth one from the main building and next to the last. Seating himself in a wicker rocker which was there, he once more applied himself to the task of reading the newspaper. The day was Sunday; the paper was a day old. The Sunday papers had not yet reached Grand Isle. He was already acquainted with the market reports, and he glanced restlessly over the editorials and bits of news which he had not had time to read before quitting New Orleans the day before.

Mr. Pontellier wore eye-glasses. He was a man of forty, of medium height and rather slender build; he stooped a little. His hair was brown and straight, parted on one side. His beard was neatly and closely trimmed.

Once in a while he withdrew his glance from the newspaper and looked about him. There was more noise than ever over at the house. The main building was called the house, to distinguish it from the cottages. The chattering and whistling birds were still at it. Two young girls, the Farival twins, were playing a duet from Zampa upon the piano. Madame Lebrun was bustling in and out, giving orders in a high key to a yard-boy whenever she got inside the house, and directions in an equally high voice to a dining-room servant whenever she got outside. She was a fresh, pretty woman, clad always in white with elbow sleeves. Her starched skirts crinkled as she came and went. Farther down, before one of the cottages, a lady in black was walking demurely up and down, telling her beads. A good many persons of the pension had gone over to the Cheniere Caminada in Beaudelet’s lugger to hear mass. Some young people were out under the wateroaks playing croquet. Mr. Pontellier’s two children were there sturdy little fellows of four and five. A quadroon nurse followed them about with a faraway, meditative air.

Mr. Pontellier finally lit a cigar and began to smoke, letting the paper drag idly from his hand. He fixed his gaze upon a white sunshade that was advancing at snail’s pace from the beach. He could see it plainly between the gaunt trunks of the water-oaks and across the stretch of yellow camomile. The gulf looked far away, melting hazily into the blue of the horizon. The sunshade continued to approach slowly. Beneath its pink-lined shelter were his wife, Mrs. Pontellier, and young Robert Lebrun. When they reached the cottage, the two seated themselves with some appearance of fatigue upon the upper step of the porch, facing each other, each leaning against a supporting post.

What folly! To bathe at such an hour in such heat! exclaimed Mr. Pontellier. He himself had taken a plunge at daylight. That was why the morning seemed long to him.

You are burnt beyond recognition, he added, looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage. She held up her hands, strong, shapely hands, and surveyed them critically, drawing up her fawn sleeves above the wrists. Looking at them reminded her of her rings, which she had given to her husband before leaving for the beach. She silently reached out to him, and he, understanding, took the rings from his vest pocket and dropped them into her open palm. She slipped them upon her fingers; then clasping her knees, she looked across at Robert and began to laugh. The rings sparkled upon her fingers. He sent back an answering smile.

What is it? asked Pontellier, looking lazily and amused from one to the other. It was some utter nonsense; some adventure out there in the water, and they both tried to relate it at once. It did not seem half so amusing when told. They realized this, and so did Mr. Pontellier. He yawned and stretched himself. Then he got up, saying he had half a mind to go over to Klein’s hotel and play a game of billiards.

Come go along, Lebrun, he proposed to Robert. But Robert admitted quite frankly that he preferred to stay where he was and talk to Mrs. Pontellier.

Well, send him about his business when he bores you, Edna, instructed her husband as he prepared to leave.

Here, take the umbrella, she exclaimed, holding it out to him. He accepted the sunshade, and lifting it over his head descended the steps and walked away.

Coming back to dinner? his wife called after him. He halted a moment and shrugged his shoulders. He felt in his vest pocket; there was a ten-dollar bill there. He did not know; perhaps he would return for the early dinner and perhaps he would not. It all depended upon the company which he found over at Klein’s and the size of the game. He did not say this, but she understood it, and laughed, nodding good-by to him.

Both children wanted to follow their father when they saw him starting out. He kissed them and promised to bring them back bonbons and peanuts.

II

Mrs. Pontellier’s eyes were quick and bright; they were a yellowish brown, about the color of her hair. She had a way of turning them swiftly upon an object and holding them there as if lost in some inward maze of contemplation or thought.

Her eyebrows were a shade darker than her hair. They were thick and almost horizontal, emphasizing the depth of her eyes. She was rather handsome than beautiful. Her face was captivating by reason of a certain frankness of expression and a contradictory subtle play of features. Her manner was engaging.

Robert rolled a cigarette. He smoked cigarettes because he could not afford cigars, he said. He had a cigar in his pocket which Mr. Pontellier had presented him with, and he was saving it for his after-dinner smoke.

This seemed quite proper and natural on his part. In coloring he was not unlike his companion. A clean-shaved face made the resemblance more pronounced than it would otherwise have been. There rested no shadow of care upon his open countenance. His eyes gathered in and reflected the light and languor of the summer day.

Mrs. Pontellier reached over for a palm-leaf fan that lay on the porch and began to fan herself, while Robert sent between his lips light puffs from his cigarette. They chatted incessantly: about the things around them; their amusing adventure out in the water—it had again assumed its entertaining aspect; about the wind, the trees, the people who had gone to the Cheniere; about the children playing croquet under the oaks, and the Farival twins, who were now performing the overture to The Poet and the Peasant.

Robert talked a good deal about himself. He was very young, and did not know any better. Mrs. Pontellier talked a little about herself for the same reason. Each was interested in what the other said. Robert spoke of his intention to go to Mexico in the autumn, where fortune awaited him. He was always intending to go to Mexico, but some way never got there. Meanwhile he held on to his modest position in a mercantile house in New Orleans, where an equal familiarity with English, French and Spanish gave him no small value as a clerk and correspondent.

He was spending his summer vacation, as he always did, with his mother at Grand Isle. In former times, before Robert could remember, the house had been a summer luxury of the Lebruns. Now, flanked by its dozen or more cottages, which were always filled with exclusive visitors from the Quartier Francais, it enabled Madame Lebrun to maintain the easy and comfortable existence which appeared to be her birthright.

Mrs. Pontellier talked about her father’s Mississippi plantation and her girlhood home in the old Kentucky bluegrass country. She was an American woman, with a small infusion of French which seemed to have been lost in dilution. She read a letter from her sister, who was away in the East, and who had engaged herself to be married. Robert was interested, and wanted to know what manner of girls the sisters were, what the father was like, and how long the mother had been dead.

When Mrs. Pontellier folded the letter it was time for her to dress for the early dinner.

I see Leonce isn’t coming back, she said, with a glance in the direction whence her husband had disappeared. Robert supposed he was not, as there were a good many New Orleans club men over at Klein’s.

When Mrs. Pontellier left him to enter her room, the young man descended the steps and strolled over toward the croquet players, where, during the half-hour before dinner, he amused himself with the little Pontellier children, who were very fond of him.

III

It was eleven o’clock that night when Mr. Pontellier returned from Klein’s hotel. He was in an excellent humor, in high spirits, and very talkative. His entrance awoke his wife, who was in bed and fast asleep when he came in. He talked to her while he undressed, telling her anecdotes and bits of news and gossip that he had gathered during the day. From his trousers pockets he took a fistful of crumpled bank notes and a good deal of silver coin, which he piled on the bureau indiscriminately with keys, knife, handkerchief, and whatever else happened to be in his pockets. She was overcome with sleep, and answered him with little half utterances.

He thought it very discouraging that his wife, who was the sole object of his existence, evinced so little interest in things which concerned him, and valued so little his conversation.

Mr. Pontellier had forgotten the bonbons and peanuts for the boys. Notwithstanding he loved them very much, and went into the adjoining room where they slept to take a look at them and make sure that they were resting comfortably. The result of his investigation was far from satisfactory. He turned and shifted the youngsters about in bed. One of them began to kick and talk about a basket full of crabs.

Mr. Pontellier returned to his wife with the information that Raoul had a high fever and needed looking after. Then he lit a cigar and went and sat near the open door to smoke it.

Mrs. Pontellier was quite sure Raoul had no fever. He had gone to bed perfectly well, she said, and nothing had ailed him all day. Mr. Pontellier was too well acquainted with fever symptoms to be mistaken. He assured her the child was consuming at that moment in the next room.

He reproached his wife with her inattention, her habitual neglect of the children. If it was not a mother’s place to look after children, whose on earth was it? He himself had his hands full with his brokerage business. He could not be in two places at once; making a living for his family on the street, and staying at home to see that no harm befell them. He talked in a monotonous, insistent way.

Mrs. Pontellier sprang out of bed and went into the next room. She soon came back and sat on the edge of the bed, leaning her head down on the pillow. She said nothing, and refused to answer her husband when he questioned her. When his cigar was smoked out he went to bed, and in half a minute he was fast asleep.

Mrs. Pontellier was by that time thoroughly awake. She began to cry a little, and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her peignoir. Blowing out the candle, which her husband had left burning, she slipped her bare feet into a pair of satin mules at the foot of the bed and went out on the porch, where she sat down in the wicker chair and began to rock gently to and fro.

It was then past midnight. The cottages were all dark. A single faint light gleamed out from the hallway of the house. There was no sound abroad except the hooting of an old owl in the top of a water-oak, and the everlasting voice of the sea, that was not uplifted at that soft hour. It broke like a mournful lullaby upon the night.

The tears came so fast to Mrs. Pontellier’s eyes that the damp sleeve of her peignoir no longer served to dry them. She was holding the back of her chair with one hand; her loose sleeve had slipped almost to the shoulder of her uplifted arm. Turning, she thrust her face, steaming and wet, into the bend of her arm, and she went on crying there, not caring any longer to dry her face, her eyes, her arms. She could not have told why she was crying. Such experiences as the foregoing were not uncommon in her married life. They seemed never before to have weighed much against the abundance of her husband’s kindness and a uniform devotion which had come to be tacit and self-understood.

An indescribable oppression, which seemed to generate in some unfamiliar part of her consciousness, filled her whole being with a vague anguish. It was like a shadow, like a mist passing across her soul’s summer day. It was strange and unfamiliar; it was a mood. She did not sit there inwardly upbraiding her husband, lamenting at Fate, which had directed her footsteps to the path which they had taken. She was just having a good cry all to herself. The mosquitoes made merry over her, biting her firm, round arms and nipping at her bare insteps.

The little stinging, buzzing imps succeeded in dispelling a mood which might have held her there in the darkness half a night longer.

The following morning Mr. Pontellier was up in good time to take the rockaway which was to convey him to the steamer at the wharf. He was returning to the city to his business, and they would not see

Reviews for The Awakening

[marinakoulouri · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the most amazing experiences it was reading is this masterpiece of women's literature about a woman struggling to find her own place in a world of men, where not only her public view but also essentially her needs are exclusively dictated by her social roles, in this case as a wife and mother. It is not that it was a marvellous read, with such beautiful writing, it was the shock of thinking how little has actually changed since the 19th century status of a woman. Because even today women have to struggle with their roles as mothers, wives and workers. And if they so happen as to also have intellectual or artistic concerns, like painting in the case of Chopin's protagonist, Edna, then it is a constant battle with time and decision making, what to leave behind. Edna only understands that she can rely on no one else but herself in the end, and it is devastating to discover that not even her so called liberators would allow her the freedom they allegedly lead her to find. Although I am not in favour of suicide as a road to emancipation, I like to believe that Edna's drowning is not out of despair but an ultimate act of free will, a declaration of self-determination, a statement that she is eventually mistress of herself and, if she chooses, it is her prerogative to take away from her "rulers" the very object of their rule. The Awakening is really among the books I would like to have been able to read again for the first time, but it is also a book that you can read again and again, each time discovering something new to contemplate on.

[etxgardener · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Regarded as highly scandalous when it was published in 1898, this story of a young wife who is bored with her lie as a proper wife and mother in late 19th Century New Orleans and seeks out her own independent life, seems fairly run of the mill in the 21st Century. It is, however, well written and held my interest from beginning to end.

[lydia1879 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

... oh my goodness me the reviews.

Some of them are so unkind, so cruel and so scathing. And for everyone criticising Chopin's writing and saying how they would write this book -- Go! Go write a book with feminist themes that you'd like to see in a book.

Edna, as a female protagonist, stands for so much more than a selfish woman who has had an affair. She is brave enough, and bold enough to completely abandon society and realise that she is so much more than a mother and a wife. She realises, during the course of the book, that she has a self that neither her husband or her children would ever see.

This book is full of metaphors and beautifully written. I loved how Chopin created atmosphere and texture and colour, and how she drew on her environment to enhance her writing. It was written in 1899, and was so ground-breaking for its time.

I don't like books about cheating, or with cheating tropes. I think it's lazy, and I don't find it interesting.

But I loved this book. This is an important book.

But more than anything, I love Edna. She is a beautiful, flawed women, and I saw part of myself in her. Furthermore, all these negative comments and reviews make me realise that this is why we need feminism. This is why I need feminism.

And I will love and defend Edna and her choices till the end of my days. Chopin, I tip my hat to you. I will give this book to my friends, and to anyone who asks.

(I feel like this review is a little bit harsh - we're all entitled to our different opinions but it makes me a bit sad that people are so unfair to a female protagonist.)

[scottcholstad · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Required reading in too many English classes, normally I would hate such a text, but this actually is pretty good, and has always been very relevant. It stands the test of time like few do. Not my favorite period or writer, but among the best of each. Recommended.

[brandyluther-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

romantic and bitter sweet.

[leslie398 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Read in "The Awakening and Selected Short Stories"The novella The Awakening I found melancholy in the same way that Anna Karenina and Mrs. Dalloway were. The story has a lot in common with Anna Karenina, Madame Bovary & some other classics of this time; I can see that when it was first published in 1899 it might have been thought shocking or daring. However, just as with Anna, I found the main character Edna more annoying than sympathetic (although Edna was nowhere near as annoying as Anna!). I was much more sympathetic to Robert! I guess this is one instance to which my modern sensibilities just can't really relate.

[herebedragons · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

#44, 2004A very short novel, I read this in a single day, and enjoyed it. It was beautifully written; a portrait of what I'd call the interior landscape of a woman in the Victorian era who discovers that her life is not what she wants it to be, and that she is not the person she thought herself to be. She's in what seems a "typical" situation for someone of her "station" at the time - married to a successful but wholly self-centered man who treats her like a child, rather than as any sort of equal.SPOILER!!!!I understand that this book was very shocking at the time, because of its treatment of her marital infidelity. Certainly in our society we're used to that as subject matter by now, so it wasn't shocking, except when considered from the perspective of the time. I was not happy about the ending, but also realised its inevitability fairly early on. I'm not sure what made me sadder - that there was no choice (in terms of the story) but for her to die, or the fact that I completely disagreed with the reason, ultimately, that her life ended. I don't want to say too terribly much more here, for fear of ruining it for anyone who ignored the spoiler warning, but I'd be happy to discuss further with anyone who's read it. Additional comments and LJ Discussion

[gmillar_8 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book. I didn't expect to. The language used and the character pictures painted were really good. The only thing that stopped me from another half star was the ending. I didn't see it coming so it was good from that aspect but it left me high and dry and unhappy. I guess that makes it good too, a good novel should extract emotion from the reader. However, this old romantic would have liked something a bit more positive.

[jacketscoversread · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Awakening is a well-crafted, articulate novel that is considered a classic. {Why else would I be reading it for AP Literature?} But it’s a classic not only because it is considered to be one of the earliest feminist novels, but because this is feminist literature at its finest. Chopin’s story of a housewife who, feeling unhappy and unable to continue in her current course of action, takes the steps necessary to forever break the ties that bound her to the life she loathed, is way better than those with moaning, groaning, and a “whoa is me” mentality. A part of me, though, shutters to think that The Awakening is sold as a Feminist novel to students who are still working to define what Feminism is. Feminism does not involve throwing duty, responsibility, your marriage, and your children to the wind to go “find yourself.”I very much enjoyed Chopin’s writing style. I would be leisurely reading along, watching the plot develop, and then she would suddenly surprise me with a very profound statement about society, identity, or duty. If an author who wrote in 1899 can still connect with a reader of 2008, that’s skill. “I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children; but I wouldn’t give myself. I ain’t make it more clear; it’s only something which I am beginning to comprehend, which is revealing itself to me.” {pg. 80}The Awakening is also a very personal work. The novel is about Edna, not all women. It may raise questions about the identity of women and their role in society, but the novel is, ultimately, about Edna.Yet, what worries me about The Awakening is that it’s the first “Feminist” introduced to students, at least at my school. There’s no denying The Awakening is a Feminist text because it does challenge the vastly unquestioned (in 1899 and still, by some, today) belief that a successful woman must marry, have children, stay home, and love it. Edna is unsuited for and unhappy in this lifestyle, suggesting, very forcibly, that not all women are Adeles, beaming at their husbands and planning when to have their next child. {Two years apart at all times!}My problem is, in Edna, feminism takes the form of self-absorption. She throws duty out the window, and compassion and consideration too. She reaches the point where she lacks any consideration for others outside of what others can do for her. She cares only for herself.Apart of me can understand how a woman unfit for the domestic family life, under extreme pressure from society, can choose to hide away in herself but I fear that, rather than encouraging my fellow students awakening, it hinders it and they will dismiss Edna as mad. And that will only continue to lead to a feminism is bad mentality.

[annekiwi · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I hated this book. I know, it's supposed to be the great feminist tome, but I think it was awful. If she was so unhappy, she should have left. She should have packed herself up and taken herself off. It just makes me crazy that anyone would think that suicide would be some great feminist gesture. Death preferred to the "awful" life she had. Give me a break! Life has possibilities - not all of them great, but at least there are options. Death, you're pretty much done. I don't even know why I still have this book. I'm going to have to get rid of it.

[lukes_171461 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This spare 19th century novel tells the story of Edna Pontellier of New Orleans, who discovers she wants something more out of life. She is married to a prosperous and respectable stockbroker, but takes a lover when her husband is away on business. The story isn't that simple of simplistic, but it's close. Chopin's evocation of place and person leave something to be desired, and takes our understanding of the mores of the time very much for granted.This doesn't seem like enough of a literary or social transgression to ruin its author's career, but that's what it apparently did. Perhaps it's the lead character's attitude throughout, that was just too much to countenance. Not recommended, not from this quarter.

[jemima79_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Edna Pontellier, a resident of New Orleans, is on holiday at a Louisiana holiday resort on Grand Isle. She is with her husband and children as well as the various other guests. Their summer time activities consist of swimming, sitting on the beach, dining and participating in evening social activities. The guests are all Creole and know each other from New Orleans. Edna strikes up some comfortable friendships, including spending a lot of time with Robert, the son of the resort owner. Eventually she realizes that she has gradually fallen in love with him. Not only that, but she has begun to recognize herself as an individual with her own unique sensibilities. "She felt as if a mist had been lifted from her eyes, enabling her to look upon and comprehend the significance of life, that monster made up of beauty and brutality."(p.112)Kate Chopin portrays her protagonist Edna as a woman who has a unique sensitivity to life and a particular appreciation for music. After the vacation the family moves back to their home in New Orleans. Now that she has awakened to her new sense of self she finds that she cannot settle back to her former life. So she moves out of her husbands home into a tiny cottage and pursues her desire to be an artist. She shuns all her responsibilities and delves into a life of freedom. It does satisfy like she had hoped it would though. Edna takes one last trip back to the resort where she notes that, "The voice of the sea is seductive, never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander in abysses of solitude."(p.154)This novel reminded me of Anna Karenina by Tolstoy, but it was a much easier and shorter book to read. It is a good choice if you are looking to read some 'true' classics but do not want something difficult. Chopin is not a 'wordy' writer who goes into great detail. She gives her impressions and ideas in such a way as to spark many questions in your mind rather than to cover all the themes thoroughly. The focus is on the inner psychology of the protagonists mind. I really enjoyed this novel. I loved the subtly of the writing, the interesting characters and the mysterious ending. Chopin's skillful writing captures the essence of the internal awakening of her protagonist without being too dramatic or obvious. The whole book portrays the development of Edna like a gentle unfolding as she opens herself to the influences of art, music, friendship and environment.The Awakening raises the interesting dilemma of being true to the self versus social responsibility. Chopin's character Edna goes so far as to state, "...she would give up the unessential, but she would never sacrifice herself for her children." When thinking of her husband and children she says, "They were a part of her life. But they need not have thought that they could possess her body and soul."(p.155) Kate Chopin does not give a simple answer to this issue, leaving it open to the reader to interpret the nature of Edna and her choices.

[rainpebble_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I read this for Banned Books Week and I think that I enjoyed reading about Kate Chopin and her life far more than I enjoyed reading what she wrote. In "The Awakening" Edna Pontellier lives what was at that time an upper middle class life, I would think. She is married to a husband who treats her well, has two children, several servants and is rather comfortably well off. However she finds her life boring and wants to be more independent. She loves her children but is not emotionally connected with them. In trying to change her life to become what she feels she needs to be to become whole and independent, she looks to other men and in the end she turns out to be what appears to me a weak, feeble, simple minded and silly woman. The book just didn't work for me.

[george1295 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Kate Chopin's [The Awakening] challenges the norm. For it's time--1899--the book flew in the face of acceptable classical writing. While I am sure there were dime novels which expressed scandalous behavior, this novel was clearly written for the more selective reader of the time. How shocking!! I immagine it made the rounds of the preferred social circles rather quickly. Much as did [Peyton Placce] during the lat 50s. I like a writer who steps out of the box, and I believe this is exactly what Chopin dared to do. Goodby Austen. Goodby Bronte. You've come a long way baby!

[susanbevans · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a beautifully written brilliant story. An American classic about a woman's awakening to find her true self and her subsequent quest for independence.

[danielstj · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

An appeasing novella, but dated and lacking in many instances. Altogether, did not enjoy very much.

[csweder · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When I first started reading this book, I thought I wouldn't like it. Indeed, I only picked it up because it is listed on the 1001 Books list that I am trying like mad to get through.

However, it became obvious to me early on that this woud be a great book. In the post-Confederate South, the roles of women, and especially society women are strict. There are things that women are expected to do--marry, entertain guests, have children, knit, sew, etc.

The Awaking is about a woman, Edna, who suddenly realizes--after falling in love with another man--that she is going to stop living her life for other people. As she gains her independence, she loses her closeness with her family, friends and husband.

It was a romance novel where the entire time I was just waiting for her to tell Robert (non husband) how much he meant to her...and waiting for the affair to begin.

Read for yourself to see how it turns out.

[aethercowboy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Awakening is a defining work of feminism. It features the awakening of Edna Pontellier from her role as a traditional wife, mother, and woman in Louisiana.After taking a trip to a resort for a summer, she falls in love with the handsome Robert Lebrun, who in turn falls in love with her. Upon returning to her world, she determines that her life is not to be made up by societal roles, or by any sort of label, and one by one, she sheds the layers of her former self.Chopin's prose here wishes to free women from their labels, and let the world know that they are not property, or childbearers, or arm candy, but are in fact living, breathing people with the same rights as men.This book is recommended for readers of feminist literature (such as Charlotte Perkins Gillman).

[bellebooks117 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

First posted on bellesbeautifulbooks.blogspot.comI didn't finish this book at about 70 pages. I just couldn't get into the writing, and story. The characters were very blah. I can't side with a woman who cheats on her husband, and I can't side with a husband who treats his wife as his property. I don't like reading about a cheater.I can see why people love this book, but it just wasn't me. It is a feminist piece of literature, and I'm not a feminist. I did not like reading this for school.

[dwsampson · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Awfully dry and a chore to get through. We read this in a Literature class as an example of writing from a woman's perspective... but there are better examples of the female perspective. Opinions of this book seem to be pretty divided in my experience.

[aliceanna-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A well-written thought-provoking book, particularly given the fact that it was published first in 1899. It is very understandable why this book was later re-discovered as it still seems very fresh. The attitude of this woman seems to be ahead of her time, which adds to the intrigue of the book. Plus it was very evocative of New Orleans. I could almost smell that City and I could certainly almost see it in her descriptions. My main problem, actually my only problem, with this book was the ending. Not because it was a tragic ending, but rather because she exhibits a belated concern for her children which she immediately throws out the window by killing herself. It was her relationship with her children in conjunction with her other decisions and actions that somehow didn't ring true. But it was still a wonderful surprise.

[bookworm_naida · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Kate Chopin's The Awakening is one of my favorite pieces of literature and I thought it was finally time to re-read it. The New Orleans coastal setting during the nineteenth century is at the heart of this novella. Chopin sets the mood just right and as I read, I felt like I was in Louisiana by the coast. I could almost smell and hear the ocean. The story is about a woman named Edna Pontellier who is in her late twenties. Edna is a married mother of two small boys. Her husband Leonce gives her a seemingly satisfying lifestyle. Yet Edna is unhappy, often feeling restless and unfulfilled. As the story unfolds, Edna falls in love with a man named Robert Lebrun while on summer vacation at the Grand Isle resort in the Gulf of Mexico. She begins to awaken to feelings and thoughts within herself she never knew existed. In an attempt to resist temptation and heartache from an affair that can lead nowhere, Robert leaves abruptly for Mexico. When the summer is over, Edna and her family return to New Orleans. While Robert is gone, Edna misses him and finds herself beginning to feel even more dissatisfied. She begins to paint, considering herself an artist. Edna's husband leaves on a business trip and while he is away, she ends up moving out of their home and renting an apartment by herself. Edna meets a man named Alcée Arobin, who is known for his womanizing. She enjoys flirting with him and the two eventually have an affair. When Robert returns to New Orleans, he and Edna both confess their feelings for one another. At this point, Edna knows she no longer loves her husband and wants to be 'free'.I like how Kate Chopin broke convention and wrote stories that challenged the norm. Her stories dealt with issues that weren't openly accepted or spoken about when she was alive. In this story, a married woman decides she no longer wants to be tied down by her husband and even by her own children. She takes a lover and moves into her own apartment, all with no remorse. Although I didn't agree with Edna's behavior, I found myself almost mesmerized while reading Chopin's beautiful prose. "The voice of the sea is seductive; never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation. The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace."I admire how Chopin pushed the envelope. The ending is harsh and poignant and not something I would think the reader is expecting. The story that caused so much uproar in Chopin's day, is now considered a classic of feminist fiction. That counts for something.

[cassandrat-1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

If only we might all be so irresponsible in the name of emancipation.

[martha8700 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Started as a good read but totally disappointed me at the end. Well, if modern day married women had a life as Edna's, they would be at least joyful. Speaking for myself and I guess for millions of other women today, I have kids, husband, home and job to take care of. No servants, no nannies, no expensive gifts from husband and of course, not a single moment of spare time to myself. Literally, running all day long. On the contrary, Edna has servants to the house, a cook in the kitchen, nanny to her kids, money, and a lot of spare time. The choices that she makes, mostly regarding to her kids, simply made me angry.
This is not feminism but resignation...

[jenjambon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have always loved this book. I am from Louisiana and we have a vacation home on Grand Isle (where I am sitting now and writing this). I know that many think of this as a feminist work and I do agree. However I have always had a problem with the ending. Chopin must let Edna die because that is what the readers of that time needed. Any other ending for Edna would have been even more scandalous. I would have loved to know what Chopin was thinking here. Was it to satisfy her readers moral expectations, or was there another meaning that was more personal? This is one I have read more than once and will read again I am sure.

[cinesnail88 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an English class assigned read, but really I think it might have been the nicest one all year. Despite how much I disliked the character of Edna, the book itself brought up excellent points and was written exceedingly well. Definitely worth the time spent on it.

[ysmng_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good read. A woman trapped in a role as mother and wife and is not content. Taking into consideration that it was first published in 1899, this novel speaks volumes on women and self identity.

[tapestry100 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A novel of growth, both personal and emotional, Kate Chopin's The Awakening follows the journey of Edna Pontellier, who after spending a summer vacationing with her husband and children, decides to give up the archetypical role of wife and mother and strikes out on her own, realizing there is more to life than what society deems appropriate for a woman. The principal reasoning for her "awakening" is the realization that she is in love with another man, and believes that he loves her in return. Feeling overpowered by her own life and obligations to family, she does what few women did in that time, and moved out of her home into another house, and begins a life that is her own.When The Awakening was first published, is was looked on as being "unwholesome," both in its independent attitude towards women and its rather frank attitude towards Edna Pontellier's sexual nature. In today's regard, the novel wouldn't be seen as being all that shocking, but it still speaks clearly for the need of independence and freedom in one's own life.To be frank, I had a hard time getting into the book. I think I found the flow of the writing to be distracting, and halfway through reading switched to an audio book, and was able to follow the story much more clearly this way. The story did prove to be powerful in its telling, and in how Edna finally moves forward with her life.

[tngolden_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

SHUDDER! Egads, I had to read this again and again in my undergrad literature career. Each time I found the main character not only unsympathetic, but revolting. Gah! And no, I'm not handing in my feminist card just because I hate this book!

[sharlene_w · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Written just before the turn of the century (1899), this book was a bold statement by Kate Chopin. It was on banned books lists for years because the author dared to give voice to the unspoken ideas that women have lives, minds, thoughts and desires that cannot be dictated by the men in their lives. Some have called it the original of the "romance" genre. As far as literature goes, I found it difficult in the beginning and it totally failed to stir any real emotion for the characters. As far as history goes and a look into the lives and minds of the women in our past, it is worthy of the time spent. Enlightening, but not terribly entertaining.