... it was the mockingbird that hung on the other side of the door, whistling his fluty notes out upon the breeze with maddening persistence- (Beaty 41). The caged parrot will come to symbolize the expectations that society has for Edna. As a woman and mother, she is caged in those roles ... Awakening tells us that Edna will find rebirth. Edna's periods of rebirth are often preceded by a period of sleep. Edna's first awakening illustrates the great burden she feels from her children: "Mr. Pontellier returned to his wife with the information that Raoul had a high fever and needed looking afte...

• Word Count: 2280
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... man, first as a daughter, later as a wife. A man virtually owned his wife and children as he did his material possessions. A woman's own expectations were meek because neither her family nor society expected her to prepare for a future other than that of marriage and motherhood. Girls were made to understand early ... role of the woman was not to be the achiever but to be available to be used by the achiever for his advancement. As Warren notes, "In the American Dream, woman figures not as the dreamer but as an object in the dream" (6). It was strictly for their usefulness ... their pot...

• Word Count: 3206
• Approx Pages: 13
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School