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The Awakening, originally titled A Solitary Soul, is a novel by
Kate Chopin, first published in 1899. Set in New Orleans and on the
Louisiana Gulf coast at the end of the 19th century, the plot
centers on Edna Pontellier and her struggle between her
increasingly unorthodox views on femininity and motherhood with the
prevailing social attitudes of the turn-of-the-century American
South.
A green and yellow parrot, which hung in a cage outside the door,
kept repeating over and over: "Allez vous-en! Allez vous-en!
Sapristi! That's all right!" He could speak a little Spanish, and
also a language which nobody understood, unless it w
HarperCollins is proud to present its range of best-loved,
essential classics. 'I would give up the unessential; I would give
my money, I would give my life for my children; but I wouldn't give
myself.' Heralded as one of the first instances of feminist
literature and rejected at its time of publication by the literary
set on grounds of moral distaste, Kate Chopin's The Awakening
caused consternation in 1899. Constrained and confined by the
limitations surrounding marriage and motherhood in the late 1800s,
Edna Pontellier begins to challenge the notion of femininity
through her thoughts and actions. Questioning her love for her
husband, and opening herself up to the possibilities of other men
and a life outside of societal convention leads to a gradual
awakening of her desires. Chopin's fascinating exploration of one
woman challenging the expectation that surrounds her is powerful,
daring and ultimately tragic in its conclusions.
'The Awakening' follows Edna Pontellier's journey of
self-discovery. She is 28 years old, has a comfortable life, a
loving husband, and two adoring sons. However something is missing
in her life and this makes her restless and yearning for
excitement. Eventually her inner feelings are awakened when she
falls in love with another man. Edna will soon discover that
following her heart doesn't necessarily bring her happiness, but
tragedy.
Kate Chopin's startling portrayal of Edna Pontellier, a young,
upper-class woman who rejects her duties as a wife and mother,
shocked readers upon its release in 1899. In lyrical and
impressionistic prose, Chopin conveys "a part of female experience
that had never before been acknowledged" (Barbara Kingsolver) -the
inner turmoil of a young woman unable to find a way of living in
the world that accommodates the person she has discovered herself
to be. Its unflinching truth continues to resonate with readers
even now, cementing The Awakening as Chopin's most famous and
influential work.
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