... heroine Edna Pontellier follows her heart, moving out of her husband's house and choosing love and passion over cold tradition. She commits suicide at the end to avoid a life of emptiness. In the time before women's emancipation, the theme of a young woman's sexual and artistic growth sparked a national uproar. The St. Louis Republic roared that the book committed "unutterable crimes against polite society" and ... "should be labeled `poison.'" Scores of critics joined in, warning mothers not to let ... our reviewer--have been much kinder to The Awakening, one calling it "probably as ne...

• Word Count: 1100
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School