She threw out her arms as if swimming when she walked, beating the tall grass as one strikes out in the water. Oh, I see the connection now! (380).
Edna often recalled memories of her childhood in Kentucky. By having Edna do this Chopin also touched on the stereotypical romantic elements: childhood memories, frequent inner thoughts, Edna's calling to the ocean (because it reminded her of the meadow), and her desire to paint. .
Realism is just what it sounds like it is real. Stories that use realism are not made up fantasy's that could never occur. The realism movement sought to treat the common place truthfully and use characters and issues from everyday life. In The Awakening when Edna discovers her sexuality not only with Robert but also with Arobin, Chopin is using realism. Sexuality is a real issue and the fact that Edna does not discover this with her husband is also an issue within it's self. Realism does not look for neat tidy conclusions. It throws the reality in the reader's face. The ending of The Awakening is by no means tidy. Edna swims to her death in the ocean, thus rising questions from the reader's was Edna's death an accident or did she in fact commit suicide. .
Naturalism grew out of realism. Naturalism principles are based on the theory that everything is real in the natural world and that objects and actions yield to the forces of that natural world (Lecture 3). Naturalists believed that man's instinctual, basic drives dominated their actions and could not be evaded. The aspect of naturalism most evident in The Awakening is the portrayal of Edna as hostage to her biology. Edna married into the Creole society that's norms are because you are a woman you will marry and be a devoted wife and mother. These factors drive Edna because it is what is expected of her in that time period but she also becomes aware that she wants to be her own person and not be bound by those things.