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Included here are: a preface, a critical essay and explanatory
annotations by Margo Culley; essays by acclaimed Kate Chopin
biographers; selections from the conduct books of the period;
contemporary perspectives on womanhood, motherhood and marriage;
and reviews and interpretative essays.
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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The Awakening (Paperback)
Kate Chopin; Introduction by Deirdre Osborne
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R222
R182
Discovery Miles 1 820
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Written in the late Victorian era, The Awakening features a young
woman who flings aside the norms of society and rejects her role as
wife and mother. She abandons her family for a hedonistic and
contrarian lifestyle before eventually committing suicide. The
novel deals with the issues of interracial marriage and contains
passages of overt sexuality, both of which contributed to the
widespread outcry upon its original publication in 1899. Today it
is seen as a portent of the future and admired for its direct and
naturalistic style. Flame Tree 451 presents a new series, The
Foundations of Feminist Fiction. The early 1900s saw a quiet
revolution in literature previously dominated by male adventure
heroes. Both men and women moved beyond the norms of the male gaze
to write from a different gender perspective, sometimes with female
protagonists, but also expressing the universal freedom to write on
any subject whatsoever. Each book features a brand new biography
and a glossary of literary terms.
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.
This candid portrayal of a woman who refuses to accept her allotted
role as wife and mother caused an outcry when it was published in
1899. It is the story of Edna Pontellier, who spends the summer on
the Gulf of Mexico with her businessman husband and her two sons.
When an illicit romance awakens unfamiliar ideas and longings in
Edna, she discovers a new identity for herself, but cannot hope for
understanding in the stifling attitudes of Louisiana society.
This is the first paperback edition to bring out in one volume Kate
Chopin's extraordinary novel The Awakening (1899), along with the
complete text of her two collections of short stories, Bayou Folk
(1894) and A Night in Acadie (1897), and twelve uncollected tales.
The Awakening is a strikingly modern, evocative story of
self-discovery and female emancipation, set in the sensuous
environment of Southern Louisiana, where the young Edna Pontellier
reclaims her own individuality, refusing to be defined by her roles
of wife and mother. Chopin's stories are brilliantly observed,
compassionate and often humorous, alert to the foibles, weaknesses
and small triumphs of her characters. Overshadowed by the
relatively recent fame of The Awakening, they contain some of the
best work of this remarkably original author.
While spending the summer in the resort of Grand Isle with her
husband and children, Edna Pontellier begins a process of
self-discovery that is accelerated after she meets the charming
Robert Lebrun. Yet, when Robert departs for Mexico and the summer
vacation ends, Edna's new-found sense of independence and personal
freedom mean that she isolates herself from New Orleans society and
rejects her former lifestyle. Moving into a home of her own and
choosing a lover, Edna soon becomes a protegee of the
unconventional pianist Mademoiselle Reisz, through whom she learns
that Robert still longs for her. Centring upon the conflict between
Edna's increasingly unorthodox views on femininity and motherhood
and the prevailing social attitudes of the fin de siecle American
South, The Awakening is widely seen as a landmark of early feminism
and a precursor of American modernism.
ENDURING LITERATURE ILLUMINATED
BY PRACTICAL SCHOLARSHIP
EACH ENRICHED CLASSIC EDITION INCLUDES:
- A concise introduction that gives readers important background
information
- A chronology of the author's life and work
- A timeline of significant events that provides the book's
historical context
- An outline of key themes and plot points to help readers form
their own interpretations
- Detailed explanatory notes
- Critical analysis, including contemporary and modern
perspectives on the work
- Discussion questions to promote lively classroom and book group
interaction
- A list of recommended related books and films to broaden the
reader's experience
Enriched Classics offer readers affordable editions of great works
of literature enhanced by helpful notes and insightful commentary.
The scholarship provided in Enriched Classics enables readers to
appreciate, understand, and enjoy the world's finest books to their
full potential.
SERIES EDITED BY CYNTHIA BRANTLEY JOHNSON
First published in 1899, this novel shocked readers with its open sensuality and uninhibited treatment of marital infidelity. Poignant and lyrical, it tells the story of a New Orleans wife who attempts to find love outside a stifling marriage. Critics have praised it as a first-rate narrative and a forerunner of the modern novel. Newly available in this inexpensive edition, "The Awakening" offers modern readers superb characterization and an insightful portrait of a woman's awakening to physical passion. New introductory Note.
Edna is an obedient wife and mother vacationing at Grand Isle with
her family. While there, however, Edna become close to a young man
named Robert Lebrun, but before they act on their mutual romantic
interest in each other Robert leaves for Mexico. Edna is lonely
without his companionship, and meets the attractive rake Alcee
Arobin. Instead of spending her days concerned with household
matters, Edna pursues her interest in painting. Rather than
depending financially on her husband, Edna moves into a house of
her own. By the time Robert returns, professing his love for Edna
and his desire to marry her, Edna no longer believes in the
limitations of traditional marriage. What will she choose instead?
Is it possible to be a free woman and be responsible for the needs
of others?
'She wanted to swim far out, where no woman had swum before.' Kate
Chopin was one of the most individual and adventurous of
nineteenth-century american writers, whose fiction explored new and
often startling territory. When her most famous story, The
Awakening, was first published in 1899, it stunned readers with its
frank portrayal of the inner word of Edna Pontellier, and its
daring criticisms of the limits of marriage and motherhood. The
subtle beauty of her writing was contrasted with her unwomanly and
sordid subject-matter: Edna's rejection of her domestic role, and
her passionate quest for spiritual, sexual, and artistic freedom.
From her first stories, Chopin was interested in independent
characters who challenged convention. This selection, freshly
edited form the first printing of each text, enables readers to
follow her unfolding career as she experimented with a broad range
of writing, from tales for children to decadent fin-de siecle
sketches. The Awakening is set alongside thirty-two short stories,
illustrating the spectrum of the fiction from her first published
stories to her 1898 secret masterpiece, 'The Storm'. ABOUT THE
SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made
available the widest range of literature from around the globe.
Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship,
providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable
features, including expert introductions by leading authorities,
helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for
further study, and much more.
The groundbreaking depiction of a woman who dares to defy the
expectations of society in the pursuit of her desire, with an
insightful introduction by author Claire Vaye Watkins. A Penguin
Vitae Edition When Kate Chopin's classic was first published in
1899, charges of sordidness and immorality seemed to consign it
into obscurity and irreparably damage its author's reputation. But
a century after her death, The Awakening is widely regarded as Kate
Chopin's great achievement and a celebrated work of early feminist
literature. Through careful, subtle changes of style, Chopin shows
the transformation of Edna Pontellier, a young wife and mother, who
- with tragic consequences - refuses to be caged by married and
domestic life, and claims for herself moral and erotic freedom.
Penguin Classics launches a new hardcover series with five American
classics that are relevant and timeless in their power, and part of
a dynamic and diverse landscape of classic fiction and nonfiction
from almost seventy-five years of classics publishing. Penguin
Vitae provides readers with beautifully designed classics that have
shaped the course of their lives, and welcomes new readers to
discover these literary gifts of personal inspiration, intellectual
engagement, and creative originality.
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The Awakening (Paperback)
Kate Chopin; Contributions by Mint Editions
|
R312
R263
Discovery Miles 2 630
Save R49 (16%)
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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First appearing in 1899 The Awakening is regarded as work presaging
both feminist fiction and literary modernism. The author's clear
vision of a woman's internal and external conflicts continue to
demand engagement and response from readers. The Awakening follows
Edna Pontellier as she recognizes and attempts to deal with her
confining lot as a woman and mother in the 19th century American
South. Torn between traditional roles and an inchoate desire for
independence and a more passionate life, she faces more than one
difficult choice, leading to a grim reckoning. Initially receiving
a mixed critical reception, including much condemnation for its
frank depiction of adultery, the novel has gone on to be recognized
as both a classic piece of fiction and a groundbreaking work of
women's realism. The poignant portrayal of the protagonist
attempting to determine her true feminine identity makes this one
of the first novels willing to openly confront women's issues, to
make clear that traditional roles could be limiting and to
legitimatize an emotional life that transcended society's
boundaries. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally
typeset manuscript, this edition of The Awakening is both modern
and readable.
"She grew daring and reckless. Overestimating her strength. She wanted to swim far out. Where no woman had swum before."
The Awakening shocked turn-of-the-century readers and reviewers with its treatment of sex and suicide. In a departure from literary convention, Kate Chopin failed to condemn her heroine's desire for an affair with the son of a Louisiana resort owner, whom she meets on vacation. The power of sensuality, the delusion of ecstatic love, and the solitude that accompanies the trappings of middle- and upper-class convention are themes of this now-classic novel. The book was influenced by French writers ranging from Flaubert to Maupassant, and can be seen as a precursor of the impressionistic, mood-driven novels of Virginia Woolf and Djuna Barnes. Variously called "vulgar," "unhealthily introspective," and "morbid," the book was neglected for several decades, not least because it was written by a "regional" woman writer.
The pioneering short novel of feminist fiction is a sympathetic
portrayal of a woman's discovery of the stifling bonds of her
marriage and the strength of her own sexuality. First published in
1899, it shocked the popular taste of the day, outraged official
morality, and destroyed the author's reputation and career. Today,
however, this novel and Kate Chopin's other writings have found a
highly receptive audience among a generation of women who have
learned to value their own individuality and independence.
'The voice of the sea is seductive; never ceasing, whispering,
clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in
abysses of solitude' When 'The Awakening' was first published in
1899, charges of sordidness and immorality seemed to consign it
into obscurity and irreparably damage its author's reputation. But
a century after her death, it is widely regarded as Kate Chopin's
great achievement. Through careful, subtle changes of style, Chopin
shows the transformation of Edna Pontellier, a young wife and
mother, who - with tragic consequences - refuses to be caged by
married and domestic life, and claims for herself moral and erotic
freedom. The Penguin English Library - collectable general readers'
editions of the best fiction in English, from the eighteenth
century to the end of the Second World War.
The classic book, The Awakening by Kate Chopin There's a reason why
The Awakening is one of the best books of all time. If you haven't
read this classic, then you'd better pick up a copy of The
Awakening by Kate Chopin today
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The Awakening (Hardcover)
Kate Chopin; Contributions by Mint Editions
|
R544
R446
Discovery Miles 4 460
Save R98 (18%)
|
Ships in 10 - 15 working days
|
First appearing in 1899 The Awakening is regarded as work presaging
both feminist fiction and literary modernism. The author's clear
vision of a woman's internal and external conflicts continue to
demand engagement and response from readers. The Awakening follows
Edna Pontellier as she recognizes and attempts to deal with her
confining lot as a woman and mother in the 19th century American
South. Torn between traditional roles and an inchoate desire for
independence and a more passionate life, she faces more than one
difficult choice, leading to a grim reckoning. Initially receiving
a mixed critical reception, including much condemnation for its
frank depiction of adultery, the novel has gone on to be recognized
as both a classic piece of fiction and a groundbreaking work of
women's realism. The poignant portrayal of the protagonist
attempting to determine her true feminine identity makes this one
of the first novels willing to openly confront women's issues, to
make clear that traditional roles could be limiting and to
legitimatize an emotional life that transcended society's
boundaries. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally
typeset manuscript, this edition of The Awakening is both modern
and readable.
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