Banned Books: The Awakening by Kate Chopin

The Awakening by Kate Chopin

Edna Pontellier is vacationing in the Grand Isle with her husband, Léonce, and two children, Raoul and Etiene. It is here that her family, and many other well to do families from New Orleans, spend their summers away from the city with the beach at their door. Edna is growing tired of that life. Tired of fully dedicating herself to her husband and sons. Tired of the gossip and the foolishness she constantly interacts with. The attention that she has been receiving from Robert Lebrun has opened her eyes to a passion and intensity she has never felt before. A passion that she didn’t believe existed. And yet, here it is, so plainly in front of her. That is until Robert abruptly leaves to Mexico, without so much as a clue of his plans to Edna privately beforehand. Shortly after his departure, the Pontellier family returns to their home in New Orleans and Edna’s perspective on life has changed. She is bored with her marriage and the duties of motherhood. She is tired of the spectacle that has become her social life. She wants to answer to no one but herself. She is awakened to the possibilities of what her life could be. Edna wants to make changes and be damned what anyone, including her husband and friends, may think. It is time for Edna to live and be the artist she wants to be.

                The Awakening is the story of a woman’s liberation. The idea of finding a fulfilling love has set Edna free. She didn’t marry Léonce for love but for security. After experiencing the type of passion she felt for Robert she is curious to what other passions may exist that she has never experienced. Edna is only twenty eight years old and her youth has been absorbed by her marriage and her children. She is not the best mother or wife and has been neglecting those duties for quite some time. More importantly she has been neglecting herself by floating through her existence without being truly happy. Edna wants to be free. She wants to be difficult. She wants to make decisions of no one’s accord but her own. Edna wants to be in complete control of her life and nothing is going to stop that anymore.

                Chopin created a novel all about female empowerment. She used the idea of love and passion to create a fire that would lead a woman to breaking the chains she created for herself, with the help of society. Chopin takes into account the cultural norms of the late 19^th century and emphasizes how those factors of living accounted for the majority of Edna’s feeling of enclosure. Chopin attempted to define what marriage was like for women, especially those of wealthy families and how marriage affected ones social standing and success. The storyline was basic, easy to follow and empowering. I enjoyed this novel. There is no denying that this novel was well written, well thought out and uncomplicated. It discussed the fact that women have sexual desires without turning Edna into a villain and condemning her. Critics had quite a few issues with this novel when it was originally released in 1899. Negative reviews haunted Chopin because of the sexual nature of The Awakening. More recently, in 2006, this novel has been challenged in Illinois by a board member who wanted it removed based on her Christian values. In this day and age when the sexuality of women is no longer questioned and broadcast far and wide, the subtle nature of The Awakening is almost a relief. It isn’t gaudy or explicit but simply mentioned and acknowledge. This novel simply emphasizes that women can be sexual and that recognizing your sexual nature can be freeing. In my opinion it would be more worthwhile to remove some of the ridiculous images I see circulating on the internet and on then to ban or challenge a liberating piece of literature.

http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics/reasons