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Summary: Edna's awakening
Review: In the novel "The Awakening" Edna Pontellier portrays a woman who is tired of living the way that society says a woman "should." She is like a bird in a cage and she would rather die than live life locked up. This story takes place in the late 1800's when women were supposed to stay at home and raise a family. Edna, though it seemed she had a perfect life, did not want to live her life as a mother. She wanted something different. All through the novel Edna tries to go against society while Leonce, her husband, tries to keep her in line. She tries to go against society by finding love in different places, when it was already at home.
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Summary: The Awakening
Review: Although Edna Pontellier and her family have always spent their summers at Grand Isle, this trip was somehow different for Edna. As she and her family, a husband and two small children, return to their home in New Orleans from their annual vacation, she knows something has changed. Something inside of her is slowly taking over her thoughts and motives. The Awakening takes you deep into her enigmatic thoughts and ambiguous feelings as she struggles to comprehend and understand the multitudinous emotions that overtake her. She slowly realizes her unhappiness has sprung from her feelings of entrappment cast upon her by society's rules and regulations. She has been forced to assume the responsibilities thrown on all women of her time. She decides she will no longer yield to the expectancies that have been handed to her. It becomes increasingly harder for her to maintain her reputations and relationships. She is forced to abandon all that is familiar to her in order to persue the new self which she searches hopelessly for. As summer slowly but inevitably reapproaches, they ritually depart for their vacation at Grand Isle. So much has changed since their last visit, but nothing could compare to the change they were about to encounter.
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Summary: Awakening from years of sleep
Review: The book takes place at a resort that's on the beach, during the summer. In the beginning of the book a parrot is introduced that speaks a little French, a little Spanish, and a language that no one understands. In a way the parrot is like Edna Pontellier, the main character; it sometimes seems that no one understands what she is trying to say. During this story she faces a conflict within herself because she is trying to set herself free from being trapped and being tied down. She wants to feel as if she can take care of herself if needed. She also has a conflict between herself, a man named Robert, and her husband. The reason why this conflict exists is because she can't decide whether she wants to be with her husband, or with Robert, or with both of them. Kate Chopin also uses irony when Edna wants to learn how to do something because she feels it will be the one thing to set her free. But in the end, it was the one thing that wasn't good for her.
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Summary: The Awakening (a great book)
Review: Edna Pontellier is a woman who lives in Louisiana. Her Creole lifestyle has brought many people into her life. In 1899, she shocked many people in The Awakening when she showed her desire not to be a normal housewife. She is unsure what to do with here lifeso she spends time alone thinking her problems over. While off on the beautiful resort of Grand Isle, she has a affair with a younger man as a desire for her independence. Some may think she was selfish to to abandone her children, but she really did love them. She was a strong woman who gradually gave in to society's rules and the men in her life. I thought this book was very good to the woman who feel trapped by society. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good one to read.
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Summary: Not a feminist book..
Review: Many persist in saying that this is a feminist book. It is not. This is a book for men and women, it teaches about integrity of emotion. The evidence that the main character is a woman who leaves her husband in a time when it was taboo is really not enough. Was she particularly courageous, honest or good? No. She was simply a vulnerable woman who was victim to her own troubled sea of emotions. Edna is a tragic figure, she always seems to be searching for something.. and she doesn't know what it is or where to find it. Yet the mere fact that she is searching, that she is open to something greater than the trivialities of life makes her an intriguing character. Edna's viewpoint is terribly colored, however. For to her, it seems as though she is the only one with this sensual longing. She never bothers to give anyone else a chance, and chances are, if they're like the rest of us, they've felt a similar pull at some point. But instead of harnessing this feeling, Edna succumbs to it. She retreats into herself and simply gives up on life. She resorts to shameless pursuit of self, she lives to please her momentary whims. She never considers that her husband loves her or that she has vowed to be faithful. Edna only considers that she doesn't love him, and she will make no sacrifices for anyone else as long as her own debaucheric pleasures are at stake. If I were rating Edna, I would give her one star. But I'm rating the book, and I must consider that its overall effect was powerful. That Kate Chopin's diction was lyrical and her imagery potent. That the message of this book, though tainted by the miserable and futile Edna, resounds. This is not a feminist message. It means nothing more for women than it does for men. The message is that we must always strive for the integrity of emotion. That we must force ourselves to reach beyond the superficial in life and grasp the true and lasting. Poor Edna was so close to discovering this, but she abused the longings she felt and misinterpreted them. Perhaps if she'd only had that talk with the doctor.....
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Summary: Kate Chopin Gives Us One of the First Feminists
Review: Long before the women's rights movement, Kate Chopin gave us Edna Pontellier, a woman who feels life is passing her by, leaving its promise broken and unfulfilled. She wanted something to happen---something, anything; she didn't know what. Being the pampered wife of a wealthy man, the mother of two sons, and the mistress of a New Orleans mansion, all left her unfulfilled. Her "awakening" one fateful summer, her quest for independence and refusal to sacrifice her individual existence is the basis of this novel. Her dalliances with other men, her friendships with women, and her ultimate fate made this a daring novel in 1899 and a startling reminder in 2001 of how far women have come.
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Summary: The Meaning of Life
Review: In this novel by Kate Chopin,the main character Edna Pontellier, wants to free herself from the typical housewife, loving mother role of the late 1890s. Edna decides to find freedom from her male chauvenist husband by leaving him and living and making decisions on her own free will. In fact there is one such line in the novel "I know I shall like it, like the feeling of freedom and independence",that the author uses to sum up the theme of the book in one sentence. Throughout this novel Edna begins to find herself, and grow into the independent woman that she has always wanted to be. It is in finding this new lifestyle full of freedom and independence that the main character begins to understand the true meaning of life. To successfully understand this meaning you have to endure and overcome many hardships and stuggles along the way. This is how Edna finally becomes free. I rated this novel with 5 stars. I would recommend this novel to anyone who has, or has been through a personal struggle. You will be able to relate well with the main character. If the reader is one who enjoys romance novels, this novel would be a good choice for you. Also if there are any high school kids out there,like me, who only read when it is absolutely necessary this one is for you. It is easy to understand and does not make you want to fall asleep half way through.
Rating:
Summary: The Awakening
Review: In this novel by Kate Chopin, one woman Edna Pontellier, strives to make a life for herself out side the common housewife and loving mother role of the late 1890s. Edna, living in a male dominated world decides to go out on her own and find freedom. In fact in one line from the book "I know I shall like it, like the feeling of freedom and independence." Edna sums up the entire theme of the novel. Edna becoming independent from her chauvenistic husband begins to understand the true meaning to life. It is in this true meaning of life that she learns how to live. Only through experience and hardships can one become truly free. I rated this novel by giving it 5 stars. I would recommend this novel to a reader that likes to read about someone overcoming weaknesses. If you are someone who has, or has been through a personal struggle you can easily relate to the main character in this novel. Also to anyone who likes romance novels this would be a good choice for you. If there are any high school students who like me, only read if you absolutely have to this may be a good choice for you as well. This novel is easy to understand and does not make you want to fall asleep half way through.
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Summary: " Why do we need feet when we have wings to fly with?"
Review: I don't think people were prepared to read a book about a woman not wanting to be a good wife or a mother. Kate Chapin introdused us to something very different but very beautiful at the same time. who understands a woman better than a woman herself? I think that Chapin was able to free herself through the character Edna Potellier, and one of the reasons why this book seems so honest is because you get the feeling that somebody actually lived through this. Chapin was able to shed some light for the darkness that women lived with. The Chartacter Edna is a symbol of freedom and liberation, showing a strong and defying person,she becomes an outcast to the typical women. Edna, unlike other woman has never really been shaped to be the house wife she was supposed to be, and because of this she could never be the mother or wife she would like to be; and besides it wouldn't make sense to trun yourself as a person to yourfamily,when all youv'e ever had was freedom in your vains. When this book came out, I'm pretty sure it come out with a scream that left the norm thinking about where the good woman had gon. Many people belived that this book made a woman look very selfish and weak because she was unable to do a job that God gave the woman,the priviledge to take care of that what a woman should take care of, but I on the other hand found myself very satisfied at the end. Society has the perfect picture of a woman, so was Edna a broken woman; or was she simple just a woman with wings?
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Summary: AP LIT Review -CAS
Review: The Awakening is a very worthwhile read. Although a bit slow in some areas, Kate Chopin did a wonderful job of presenting Edna Pontellier, the main character, as a woman who struggles in a society where women are the property of men. Her love for art and music enabled her to gain a form of independence that only she and an older lady named Mademoiselle Reisz could understand. Mademoiselle Reisz has decided to be an individual, and not follow society's rules. She acts as mentor or idol for Edna. Reisz was very knowledgeable in both music and art witch also inspired Edna to take interest in her own hobbies. Edna, came from a family of Presbyterians, and purposely married a Catholic named Leonce Pontellier to get back at her father. Edna constantly faces many awakenings throughout her life as she struggles for independence from the control of men. She defies her husband and lets him know that she is not his property. This leads to a conflict between the two. Leonce believes that Edna is not a good mother and cares little for both her children and their marriage. Edna, on the other hand, believes that it is Leonce who cares little for his family and more about his wealth, property and popularity. To her husband, Edna is an object, something necessary for him to possess in society. As Edna spends more time with Robert, a friend who stays with her during the days at Grand Isle, her attitude towards Leonce begins to get stranger. This enabled Chopin to introduce a middleman between the Edna and Leonce; a physician named Doctor Mandelet. Mandelet met with the two on separate occasions and formulates a diagnosis to "cure" Edna from such strange behavior. As the days pass, and Leonce is on a business trip, Edna begins having strong feelings for Robert Lebrun. Their hidden love is not something they admit, but they can sense it through each other's actions. Trying to avoid falling in love with a married woman, Robert leaves town and heads for Mexico, trying to clear his head from thinking about Edna. While Robert is away, Edna begins to feel an even stronger love for him, and also get depressed. Kate Chopin developed a wonderful plot in which the story constantly circles around Edna. While Edna has Robert on her mind, the author did an incredibly brilliant choice by introducing another character by the name of Alcee Robin. Alcee enjoys making conquests of married women and eventually goes for Edna. After meeting Alcee through the horse races, Edna begins to get intimate with Alcee. Edna doesn't feel enough independence from her husband, so she decides to move into a tiny birdcage-like house to be on her own. The climax began to increase when Robert finally came back from Mexico. Edna begins to play mind-games with Robert by interacting with him less and less. Her deep love for Robert is not returned in the way that she had hoped, so she makes a decision to for a walk along the coast. Edna's choice to go for a swim is her final awakening. She looks upon her sons as the only bond that ties her to a life of being a slave to society. Moments later after extreme exhaustion, Edna drowns and dies. This book does a remarkable job telling about society during this time, and how women were viewed. It makes me curious to read another novel by Kate Chopin.
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