Understanding Chopins The Awakening :: Chopin Awakening Essays

Understanding Chopins The Awakening By reading The Awakening, the reader gets a sense of what the conduct of a Creole woman is like. In actuality, though, it is non until reading the etiquette books, Chopins biographical information, and essays ab come forward the treatment of women at the time that there can be a deeper understanding of the rules Edna is breaking. Passages from Chopins Biographical Information Fawned over as a society belle, admired for her cleverness and musical talent, Kate wrote what she really thought in her diary I dance with people I despise amuse myself with men whose only talent is in their feet. She wrote advice about how to flirt (just keep asking, What do you come back? and you will be praised everywhere for your intelligence). (116) The sarcasm and wit of Kate Chopin can be seen and heard through the character of Edna Pontellier. Just from this small excerpt in Chopins diary, we can hear the similarities. In The Awakening, Edna seems to move through the Creole social scene in a daze, possibly because she despised all of it. But when she was solely with her thoughts, she appears quite aware of what she wanted and needed to be happy. I feel that although many critics say that The Awakening is not based on Chopins protest life, the author has taken many aspects of her own personal life to develop characters. For example, the biographical information says that Chopins husband is an attentive, loving man. I think that Robert is, in part, modeled after him. Here is a passage dealing with the rules of etiquette that Edna is breaking Let nothing, but the most imperative duty, call you out upon your reception day. Your callers are, in a measure, invited guests, and it will be an insulting mark of rudeness to be out when they call. Neither can you be excused, except in case of sickness. (123) The add up of etiquette that must be learned by these women is astounding. The articles give the reader a real appreciation for the social fa ux pas that Edna is committing. Before reading this, I did not quite understand how far from the norm Edna is straying. After reading this excerpt, I fully realize why it is such a dire situation to Leonce when Edna went out on her reception day. The rules made it sound like women needed to be home on their day to have guests and on the other days, they needed to be out visiting.