... order for Edna to breakthrough the bars of society and proclaim independence, comfort, and security she sought fit to relocate to another residence. Referred to as the pigeon house, the residence grants Edna a freedom that she had never felt before. Although it was only a couple of steps from her previous residence, Edna enjoyed ... the physical and spiritual freedom it provided. The pigeon house provides Edna a way to escape from the society she hates. While living in the pigeon house she has the freedom to make her own decisions. Edna decides that she is going to live by ... or regre...

• Word Count: 1472
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... , and deserves it, but has not been given the skills necessary for survival. Images of birds, from the caged bird at the story's beginning to the symbolic one of the pigeon-house into which Edna retreats suggest that the New Woman is a bird with broken wings. In the best way she knows how to escape her caged domestic life, Edna chains ... previously been repressed under the guise of "moral- fiction. She saw and enjoyed the ambiguity and androgyny of "woman- but was smart enough to realize that small changes (moving into "pigeon-houses-) would not be enough to allow a place in society for...

• Word Count: 1837
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography

... as Hamlet accosts her, and disbelieving when Hamlet sees the ghost. As the scene progresses, her resistance is weakened by Hamlet's condemnation of her behavior. Gertrude says, "O Hamlet, thou hast cleft my heart in twain,"" she continues, "What shall I do?."" (III, iv, 177, 202) This quote symbolizes the queen's surrender to Hamlet's strong emotional dispute. Of course, Gertrude is convinced mainly ... ...

• Word Count: 1456
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... must choose between Hamlet, the less powerful man, and Claudius, the extremely powerful man. Hamlet confronts her and asks what her decision is, to which she replies: "O Hamlet, thou hast cleft my heart in twain." (III, IV, 156). Hamlet then replies: "O, throw away the worser part of it, / And live the purer with the other half." (III, IV, 157-158). Hamlet ... ...

• Word Count: 1154
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... who describes her anger for her father and her husband, she hates them for something she perceives they are, but aren't in actuality. She describes her father as the devil "A cleft in your chin instead of your foot, But no less a devil for that" (54-55). Now obviously her father is not the devil, but that line describes her anger of ... ...

• Word Count: 757
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... it has even been known to cause death. An estimated 40,000 to 375,000 babies that were exposed to drugs and alcohol were born with birth defects such as cleft pallet, heart murmurs, abnormalities in facial features, etc (Alcohol and drug related Birth Defects). These are facts and it has been proven. As a mother, how can one continue such behavior ... ...

• Word Count: 1074
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... strong: "The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings- (Beaty 94). Edna's new house that she affectionately refers to as the "pigeon house- also serves as a representation of her escape. Another important symbol in The Awakening is the juxtaposition of the lady in black and the lovers. The lady in black represents ... ...

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

... , exhausted, fluttering back to earth" (83). Mademoiselle Reisz understands that Edna cannot fight society and uses birds to demonstrate this knowledge. Finally, Edna moves to what she calls her exhausted "pigeon house." The name that Edna chooses for this house implies the defeat of a bird that, in turn, implies the defeat of Edna. During Edna's escape, birds gauge her success and ... ...

• Word Count: 1017
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... she realizes her own strength and her depth as a woman. This yearning is shown later in the novel by wanting to get out of her house and move into "the pigeon house." Though Edna barely makes much of a move, she still feels that she has more control of herself. Madame Reisz is Edna's biggest supporter when she finds out that Edna ... ...

• Word Count: 481
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... take care of a scraped knee or read a bedtime story. The same line of reasoning goes into why she moved out of her large house with the servants into the tiny pigeon-house around the corner. She wanted to be independent and living by herself was the perfect way to do that, and she wanted to rid herself of the house she ... ...

• Word Count: 1285
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School