The Awakening ~ Kate Chopin

Major Concepts to Consider Defiance Control - Caged Personal Freedom Fidelity Dreams v. Reality Individual v. Society Freedom - Flight

Key Characters Edna Pontellier Leonce Pontellier Robert LeBrun Madame Ratignolle Mademoiselle Reisz Dr. Mandelet

Opening Lines… “A green and yellow parrot, which hung in a cage outside the door kept repeating over and over: “Allez vous-en! Allez vous-en! Spristi! That’s all right!” What is the significance of this opening passage?

The Awakening… “A certain light was beginning to dawn dimly within her – the light which, showing the way, forbids it” (13). “But the beginning of things, of a world especially, is necessarily vague, tangled, chaotic, and exceedingly disturbing. How few of us ever emerge from such beginning. How many souls perish in its tumult!” (13).

Side note: Just love this line! Who can tell what metals the gods use in forging the subtle bond which we call sympathy, which we might as well call love” (14).

Foreshadowing… “Her marriage to Leonce Pontellier was purely an accident…” (18). “ You will take cold out there,” he said, irritably. “What folly is this?” (31). “She was blindly following whatever impulse moved her, as if she had placed herself in alien hands for direction, and freed her soul of responsibility” (32).

Aha! “ She had all her life long been accustomed to harbor thoughts and emotions which never voiced themselves” (47). And…Page 52: What is the parallel to something you’ve already read?!!

The Custom Of The Age “Mr. Pontellier had been a rather courteous husband so long as he met a certain tacit submissiveness in his wife” (57). “Put your foot down gold and hard, the only way to manage a wife. Take my word for it” (71).

Not so hidden anymore… “ You are purposely misunderstanding me, ma reine. Are you in love with Robert?” (81).

A key...and a great quote! “ The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings. It is a sad spectacle to see weaklings bruised, exhausted, fluttering back to earth” (83).

And another… “The years that are gone seem like dreams – if one might go on sleeping and dreaming – but to wake up and find – oh! Well! Perhaps it is better to wake up after all, even to suffer, rather than to remain a dupe to illusions all one’s life” (112).

Rewrite the ending…? “There was no despondency when she went to sleep that night; nor was there hope when she awoke in the morning” (105).