... several stages of awakening. Each awakening brings Edna a stronger sense of individual self, in a Victorian patriarchal society wherein women are obligated to marriage and child rearing. After her initial "rebirth" in the ocean, Edna's first stage in her awakening is to finally drop the outward facade of being a "mother-woman" and start to explore her new desires ... ...

• Word Count: 1499
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... because it operates as a sanctuary of freedom and a diversion from societal ties. Edna's sea operates as a symbol of self-knowledge outside away from the shore. Her first swim is a baptism, a rebirth of a new self -propelled identity. In chapter two Edna's eyes are transfixed upon the water, similar to RIP's gaze upon the Hudson River, This static scene of the mesmerizing water ... ...

• Word Count: 2022
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: Undergraduate