Essay on Kate Chopin and Edna Pontellier as Feminists

Kate Chopin and Edna Pontellier as Feminists Kate Chopin is known for her literary works that depict culture in New Orleans, Louisiana, and of womens struggles for freedom. She was born Katherine OFlaherty in Missouri, and later married Oscar Chopin in 1870. He was a Creole cotton trader from New Orleans. Later they moved to a plantation near Cloutierville, Louisiana, where her husband died in 1882. She returned to Missouri with her six children, and began her writing career. She began writing mostly local color stories that earned her consideration as a contributor to Southern regional literature. She later began writing stories about womens need for independence and capacity for passion, such as The Story of an Hour and†¦show more content†¦Although the women in America were advancing, those in state of Louisiana were not. At the time the state operated under a different legal system than the rest of the country. Under the Louisiana Civil Code, article 1388, a woman was still the legal property of her husband , and the male had absolute (legal) control over the family. It also said, in article 1124, married women, babies, and the mentally ill were incompetent in making a legal contract. (Herman, 53) Wives were possessions to be cared for and displayed. They often brought a dowry or inherited wealth to a marriage. Like most of Chopins stories, The Awaking is set in the late 19th-century Creole society of the New Orleans area. It is the story of a young womans struggle to become herself. It concludes that the complete freedom and happiness that she yearns for is not available to her in socially appointed roles as a wife and mother. Edna Pontellier is married to her husband, Mr.Pontellier, a person whom she had married without love as an excuse (McQuade, 1661). The story opens during summer vacation at Grand Isle. This environment allows Edna to explore her own personality. It is on the island that Edna begins her awakening to life. She first realizes her dissatisfaction with her life. Then she learns the pleasure of swimming. It is on Grand Isle that she begins to feel sexual attraction to Robert, although her awakening to sexuality occurs months later. Edna alsoShow MoreRelatedThe Awakening: An Emergence of Womens RIghts in the Late Nineteenth Century1330 Words   |  6 PagesNineteen th Century Kate Chopin’s The Awakening addresses the role of women within society during the late nineteenth century. The novel is set in South Louisiana, a place where tradition and culture also play a vital role in societal expectations. The novel’s protagonist, Edna Pontellier, initially fulfills her position in society as a wife and as a mother while suppressing her urges to live a life of passion and freedom. Edna’s relationship with her husband, Là ©once Pontellier, represents her expectedRead MoreEssay about Feminism in The Awakening986 Words   |  4 PagesIn the novel The Awakening, by Kate Chopin the critical approach feminism is a major aspect of the novel. According to dictionary.reference.com the word feminism means, â€Å"The doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men.† The Awakening takes place during the late eighteen hundreds to early nineteen hundreds, in New Orleans. The novel is about Edna Pontel lier and her family on a summer vacation. Edna, who is a wife and mother, is inferior to her husbandRead MoreThe Awakening By Kate Chopin1479 Words   |  6 PagesKate Chopin’s controversial novel, The Awakening, ignited turmoil because of her blatant disregard of the established 19th century perspective of women upholding strictly maternal and matrimonial responsibilities. 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Even though the feminist movement started in the 1960s, there were women ahead of this time thatRead MoreThe Awakening : Evaluating The Core Values Of The Nineteenth Century1203 Words   |  5 PagesIn Kate Chopin’s novel, The Awakening, the main protagonist Edna Pontellier exists as the embodiment of the feminist ideas that stand as outliers in the midst of the more traditional nineteenth century beliefs. Set in 1899 near the end of this generation, Chopin’s work explores the shared attitudes of most of the novel’s cast as they respond to Edna’s search for independence and freedom, an action that c hallenges her conservative society. Though the radical Industrial Revolution and Feminist MovementRead More feminaw Seeking a New Identity for Women in The Awakening Essay1461 Words   |  6 PagesWomen in  The Awakening      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In The Awakening, Chopin questions gender roles. Chopin seeks an identity for women that is neither wife nor mother. To achieve this end, she incorporates progressive feminist ideas into her writing. Yet, in the end, Chopin also shows that, because of years of conditioning, many women are unable to escape society’s stereotypical roles by any satisfactory means. The protagonist of the novel, Edna Pontellier, does not possess the skills needed to become independentRead More Kate Chopin’s The Awakening - The Feminist Awakening Essay2094 Words   |  9 PagesThe Feminist Awakening    Women’s rights have evolved over time; beginning with being homemakers and evolving to obtaining professions, acquiring an education, and gaining the right to vote. The movement that created all these revolutionary changes was called the feminist movement. The feminist movement occurred in the twentieth century. Many people are not aware of the purpose of the feminist movement. The movement was political and social and it sought to set up equality for women. 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