Mr. Pontellier, at the beginning of the novel, however was “unable to read his newspaper” because he was getting irritated by the parrot and the mocking bird and “had the privilege to leave the society when they ceased to be entertaining” – this shows that Mr. Pontellier only gave Edna the amount of time he felt was necessary and not what Edna actually desired for. When Mr. Pontellier was going to Klein’s hotel he wasn’t sure whether he would return back for dinner or not and “It all depended upon the company which he found”. Edna had the talent, which was unable to reveal itself due to her husband’s misunderstanding as he thought Edna was fine and happy the way she is but this was not true.

Furthermore, when Robert returns from Mexico and asks Edna what has she been doing “all these days”, she replies that she’s been “…seeing the waves and the white beach of Grand Isle” and “…working with a little more comprehension than a machine and still feeling like a lost soul”. The waves probably represent Edna’s inability to stop her from fulfilling her own desires and return to a more conventional life after experiencing the sense of awakeness. It has become quite difficult for her to do this as he says that she’s been “working with a little more comprehension” which shows that she has started understanding her own feelings which never arose when she worked like a “machine”. She seems to face a conflict or moral danger between herself and the society.

There has been quite an emphasis on the water as well in a number of places. For instance, during Edna’s party a fountain could be heard; water is usually associated with freshness, purity, motherhood, however, in this case the fountain’s splash is described as “monotonous” which may underline the idea that motherhood has become monotonous due to the awakening of a different, liberated Edna. It may also imply the idea that her newly enlightened life – the beginning of it itself is simply tedious. The ocean is a symbol of both freedom and escape and she describes her childhood as being this as well as a source of awareness. She learns to swim in the Gulf and finally tries to return back into the land of escapism, as she did in her childhood, but this time into the sea.

The title of the novel “The Awakening” represents the “awakening” of Edna through the realization of her true feelings and this realization often preceded by sleep and she does a great deal of it. For instance when she woke up at Cheniere Caminada; she gradually realized her intense love and feelings towards Robert as “she could only realize that she herself – her present self – was in some way different from the other self”. On the other hand, sleep has also been a means of escape and of repairing her tattered emotions, like when Edna met Robert after returning from Mexico he seemed to be quite formal in his behavior and that night before sleeping “she writhed with a jealous pang…wondered when he would come back”.

Many animals have also been used as symbols. Firstly, Edna spends time stroking a “drowsy cat”; the word “drowsy” states something that is lazy and does not want to fulfill his/her duty. Similarly, Edna seems to be unwilling to accomplish her goals according to the role she has in the society because of her misguided feminist notions, therefore symbolizing her misuse of her life as a wife and a mother. Secondly, Edna hears the “barking of an old dog” as she drowns in the suicide scene. Dogs are sometimes considered to be heroic or saints which may symbolize Ednas’s bra

Some topics in this essay:
Pontellier Klein’s, Grand Isle”, Robert Edna, Secondly Edna, , Cheniere Caminada, Moreover Edna, Kate Chopin, Similarly Edna, Adele Ratignolle’s, mocking bird, learning swim, wings weak, edna’s affection, usually associated, conventional life, edna hears, “awakening” edna, symbol freedom, kate chopin,