Importance of Water in The Awakening Essay - 1475 Words

Importance of Water in The Awakening Kate Chopins The Awakening begins set in Grande Isle which is the summer get-away for a few families of New Orleans upper-class. It is a community of cottages owned by the Lebrun family. Edna Pontellier and her husband Leonce summer there with there two children. This is the setting where Edna also develops a close relationship with Robert Lebrun. He is one of Madame Lebruns sons who helps her run the cottages for the Pontelliers and the Ratingnolles. The book begins and ends with Edna and her attraction to the water. Throughout the story water plays a symbolic part in the unfolding of Edna and her relationship to Robert and also her awakening to a new outlook on life along†¦show more content†¦Edna is very passionate and critical of her painting. After Adele has a fainting spell from her long day and retires inside Robert invites Edna to join him on the beach to bathe in the heat. Edna looks toward the water and feels a draw to it. The water is a source of stren gth for Edna she follows Robert down to the welcoming Gulf. Edna can not understand why she wants to go with Robert down to the water nut she feels drawn and the conflicting impulses which would steer her away from the proposal seem to disappear. Mrs. Pontellier was beginning to understand her position in the universe as a human being. Edna, up until now, had been going through the motions of being a wife, mother and woman in the society in which she has lived. The ocean to Edna is a place where she feels comfort and although she does not fully understand why she is drawn to it, she goes. She likes the way the water feels when she enters it with Robert. It is a new feeling for her. Edna also finds comfort in spending time with Adele whom she adores. They spend some time together on the beach to escape Robert one time and talk. The two become close friends. Edna tells Adele that looking over the beach and the water reminds her of her days in Kentucky as a child. This time with Adele at the beach looking over the water also helps to further spark Ednas passion as a painter. Grand Isle is host to a large celebration, in which families dance together, eat ice cream andShow MoreRelatedEssay about Importance of the Ocean in Chopins Awakening874 Words   |  4 PagesImportance of the Ocean in Chopins Awakening      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Kate Chopins novel, The Awakening, Chopin uses the motif of the ocean to signify the awakening of Edna Pontellier. Chopin compares the life of Edna to the dangers and beauty of a seductive ocean. Ednas fascinations with the unknown wonders of the sea help influence the reader to understand the similarities between Ednas life and her relationship with the ocean. Starting with fear and danger of the water then moving to a huge symbolicRead MoreThe Importance of Setting and Symbols in The Awakening by Kate Chopin1014 Words   |  5 Pagesthe meadow in Kentucky, symbols and settings in The Awakening are prominent and provide a deeper meaning than the text does alone. Throughout The Awakening by Kate Chopin, symbols and setting recur representing Edna’s current progress in her awakening. The reader can interpret these and see a timeline of Edna’s changes and turmoil as she undergoes her changes and awakening. The setting Edna is in directly affects her temperament and awakening: Grand Isle provides her with a sense of freedom; NewRead MoreAnalysis of the Great Awakening and Revolutionary Thought1655 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis of the Great Awakening and Revolutionary Thought In the 1730s and the 1740s, religious revival swept through the New England and Middle Colonies. 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Coupling this description with Edna taking her life at the end of the novel and Chopin’s own inferred demoralization, due to the universal aversion to The Awakening, the natural conclusion is that it is a work of â€Å"great personalRead More Freudian Psychoanalysis and the Awakening1002 Words   |  5 Pages Freudian Psychoanalysis and the Awakening Sigmund Freud, the preeminent, 19th century, European neurologist and psychologist, designed a theory he labelled â€Å"psychoanalysis,† a theory which would transcend all borders and integrate itself deeply into many facets of society. In fact, an American named Kate Chopin, wrote a book entitled The Awakening, which was published at the turn of the 19th century, in which this theory played an integral role in expressing the complexity, relevance, andRead More Symbolism in Kate Chopins The Awakening Essay1467 Words   |  6 PagesSymbolism in Kate Chopins The Awakening Chopins The Awakening is full of symbolism.   Rather than hit the reader on the head with blunt literalism, Chopin uses symbols to relay subtle ideas.   Within each narrative segment, Chopin provides a symbol that the reader must fully understand in order to appreciate the novel as a whole.   I will attempt to dissect some of the major symbols and give possible explanations as to their importance within the text.   Art itself is a symbol of both freedomRead MoreEssay on symbolaw Use of Symbols and Symbolism in The Awakening1292 Words   |  6 PagesUse of Symbolism in Chopins The Awakening The Awakening is a novel full of symbolism; within each narrative segment there is often a central and powerful symbol that serves to add meaning to the text and to underline some subtle point Chopin is making. Understanding the meaning of these symbols is vital to a full appreciation of the story. This essay lists some of the major symbols with explanations of their importance. Art becomes a symbol of both freedom and failure. It is through theRead MoreEssay on The Awakening1610 Words   |  7 Pages In their analytical papers on The Awakening by Kate Chopin, both Elaine Showalter and Elizabeth Le Blanc speak to the importance of homosocial relationship to Edna’s awakenings. They also share the viewpoint that Edna’s return to the sea in the final scene of the book represents Edna being one with her female lover and finding the fulfillment she has been seeking. We see evidence of this idea of the sea as a feminine from Showalter when she tells us that â€Å"As the female body is prone to wetness,Read More Importance of Symbols Essay1536 Words   |  7 PagesImportance of Symbols In all novels the use of symbols are what make the story feel so real to the reader. A symbol as simple as a bird can mean so much more then what you see. Whereas a symbol as complicated as the sea, can mean so much less then what you thought. It is a person perception that brings them to the true meaning of a specific symbol. Symbols are message within a word that must be analyzed to discover. In The Awakening, Kate Chopin conveys her ideas by using carefully crafted symbols