I've just finished reading The Awakening by Kate Chopin, and to be honest, I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. I didn't feel satisfied when I put it down, I felt like there should've been more for some reason, even though the ending was pretty conclusive. There wasn't a whole lot of action going on, the narrator was omniscient but detached, and it just felt monotonous after a while. It wasn't a gripping read, that's for sure.
On one hand, I loved the arty feel that came from all the descriptive, flowing passages as Chopin exercised her freedom of expression, but on the other, I was pretty annoyed with the characters, Edna in particular, and the overarching theme of the novel.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a progressivist and all for women's rights, but I thought the way Edna went about implementing her enlightened thought was extremely selfish. First of all, she tries to emulate the lifestyle of Mademoiselle Reisz, but they are two different people living completely different lives. Edna cannot be as independent as Mlle. Reisz; she is married, has children, and therefore has responsibilities that she must attend to.
Edna's idea of independence was one of self-gratification, which is not exactly what I think of when I think of the word. I view an independent woman as one who is comfortable in their own skin, someone who isn't afraid to voice their opinions, but also someone who is mature enough to sacrifice their time and abilities for someone else. I believe the quickest way to find your true self is to actually lose it in the service of others, which seems contradictory, but it's actually not. I've always felt happiest when I focus my time and attention not on my problems, but on finding solutions to other people's predicaments.
Edna sent her children away, and then began living wildly without any thought of consequence, exhibiting painful immaturity rather than independence. Chopin's message hidden within Edna's behavior was one of the stereotypical feminist: women are confined to the home, and should instead pursue other interests and develop themselves. What I don't think she understood is that there can be a balance. Instead of distancing herself from her family, I feel like Edna could've strived to strike a happy medium between family time and personal time. I've seen it done many times, successful women by the world's standards who lovingly raise a family as well.
I guess I'm just too much of a family person to fully appreciate the theme of the novel, but that kind of extreme feminism really irks me. Of course, I don't think that women should live solely for marriage and children, but at the end of the day, a women's role is one of precious motherhood. I think all Edna needed was a friendly reminder that it's not a crushing burden to be a mother, but a true gift.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a progressivist and all for women's rights, but I thought the way Edna went about implementing her enlightened thought was extremely selfish. First of all, she tries to emulate the lifestyle of Mademoiselle Reisz, but they are two different people living completely different lives. Edna cannot be as independent as Mlle. Reisz; she is married, has children, and therefore has responsibilities that she must attend to.
Edna's idea of independence was one of self-gratification, which is not exactly what I think of when I think of the word. I view an independent woman as one who is comfortable in their own skin, someone who isn't afraid to voice their opinions, but also someone who is mature enough to sacrifice their time and abilities for someone else. I believe the quickest way to find your true self is to actually lose it in the service of others, which seems contradictory, but it's actually not. I've always felt happiest when I focus my time and attention not on my problems, but on finding solutions to other people's predicaments.
Edna sent her children away, and then began living wildly without any thought of consequence, exhibiting painful immaturity rather than independence. Chopin's message hidden within Edna's behavior was one of the stereotypical feminist: women are confined to the home, and should instead pursue other interests and develop themselves. What I don't think she understood is that there can be a balance. Instead of distancing herself from her family, I feel like Edna could've strived to strike a happy medium between family time and personal time. I've seen it done many times, successful women by the world's standards who lovingly raise a family as well.
I guess I'm just too much of a family person to fully appreciate the theme of the novel, but that kind of extreme feminism really irks me. Of course, I don't think that women should live solely for marriage and children, but at the end of the day, a women's role is one of precious motherhood. I think all Edna needed was a friendly reminder that it's not a crushing burden to be a mother, but a true gift.
Hmmm, interesting! I love your thoughts on this book, it actually makes me want to read it just to see how the author tries to make her point, thought I'm sure I would agree with you. It reminds me of when I finally understood Edith Wharton. I used to read her books and think, "these characters are all so depressing and selfish!! Who wants to read this!!" Until I realized they were all satires on the lifestyles of that time. All of a sudden her books made sense. I might have to go look for The Awakening and see what I find between the lines! :)
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