... gives up and drowns to death. I interpreted this as Edna had everything that she ever wanted and lost it which, drove her to just give up. The Awakening is filled with symbols throughout the story. There is a reoccuring symbol of water in the novel. It talks about Edna learning to swim when she couldn't before. This means to me that she is having a rebirth as sorts where she ... enters as a child and ends up as a woman. And in the same way water comes into play where she drowns. To me she kills herself to protect her children. Another reoccuring symbol is that of bird's. Bird's play the...

• Word Count: 974
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

The Awakening The Awakening, by Kate Chopin, tells the story of Edna Pontellier; a women trying to come to means with her life in a world of restrictions. Chopin cleverly creates an image of Edna slowly rebelling in a society that restricts women the right to be an individual. Edna's boundaries and restrictions can be seen by the clothing she wears. Clothing is used as an important symbol in the novel. For instance, Edna's clothing was very ... her, and for the first time in her life stood naked in the open air." This represents Edna removing her final confinements to achieve her freedom. Li...

• Word Count: 347
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... 's shoulder blades to make sure they are strong: "The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings."" (Chopin 110) Another very popular symbol in The Awakening is the idea of water. There are many different accounts in the book when water is significant, from the Gulf which Edna learned to swim to her final demise in the Sea. The use of water in the book is said to symbolize both freedom and escape ... . As a child she used her imagination to visualize the ocean. "The hot wind beating in my face made me think "without any ... ...

• Word Count: 946
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... delicately illustrated in Kate Chopin's novel, The Awakening. The main character, Edna Ponellier, fights throughout the story to try and discover her own self and voice. She does this by taking advantage of enlightening events, pursuing her individual talents, and by leaning on the support of others. The controversial ending of the novel is Edna's final step on her road to individualism. Edna developes herself throughout the book and becomes a symbol of women fighting ... novel with death. Mindlessly, Edna runs down to the ocean and takes off all of her clothes. For the first time she f...

• Word Count: 1629
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School