Examples Of Feminism In The Awakening

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Feminist Criticism on The Awakening In the novel The Awakening by Kate Chopin, Edna Pontellier greatly differs in the way that a woman is supposed to act and behave towards their husband and children. In the Victorian Era, especially for Creoles, the relationship between men and women was that the husband was praised by his wife and the wife was to be responsive to the needs of her husband. Men had more dominant roles in society working real jobs and providing the income for their families, while women were expected to take care of the house and tend for the children. This relationship between men and women was specifically shown in the novel by Adele Ratignolle who was seen as the most perfect Creole woman and wife. Adele possessed many…show more content…
This connects to Leonce's concern about Edna because he feels as if he is losing control over his wife. Femininity in this novel is defined as having many womanly graces and charms and being loving, caring, and supportive towards the husband and children. Although Edna was a woman, she did not embody many of the characteristics that were seen as necessary for a woman to possess. Edna wanted to branch off from the traditional idea that women are supposed to care and support their husband and children, but be their own person and do what pleases them. Edna wanted to live life for herself forgetting about her husband, children, and her responsibilities as a wife. There were instances in the novel where Edna completely disregarded the opinions of her husband and did what she wanted. For example, Edna was laying out on the beach and Leonce was urging to her come inside the house before she was bitten by bugs, but no matter how many times he urged her to go inside, she would resist and follow her own rules. Throughout the novel, Edna challenged what was considered normal for a woman during the Victorian Era, but ultimately let the overlying stress take control of her body and mind and kill

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