Juan V. Coln Hernndez 801-03-1551 English 3252_L!

2"30-# The Awakening

The Awakening is $he $i$le o% $his no&el' i$ re%ers $o $he $rans%or(a$ion o% Edna $hroughou$ $he s$or). *n $he +eginning' ,e see her as a su+(issi&e ,i%e and (o$her. -u$ as $he $e.$ de&elo/s' an in$ernal 0on%li0$ is seen inside o% her. 1he +egins $o dis0o&er hersel% as an inde/enden$ indi&idual' ,ho has +een $ied u/ $o so0ie$)2s 0us$o(s ,i$hou$ realizing her /ersonal needs. Her lus$ and /assion ,as dead in her (arriage3 +u$ as she s$ar$s $o a,a4en' all o% $his is rea0$i&a$ed ,i$hin her' ,hi0h re%le0$s in her a%%airs' her %an$asies and in her i(/ulsi&e a0$ions' li4e (o&ing suddenl) $o $he s(all house. 5he $i$le hen0e re%ers $o her /a$h %ro( +eing $ied and en0losed' $o $ha$ o% +eing $ruer $o hersel%' her needs and her ,an$s.

Edna has learned $o 4ee/ her %eelings %or hersel% all $hroughou$ her (arried )ears. 1he has +een e(o$ionall) dead' in a rela$ionshi/ she doesn2$ ,an$s $o +e in' and %eels $ra//ed. 5his is re%le0$ed in $he ,a) she $rea$ed her 0hildren and her hus+and' (os$ o% $he $i(e ,i$h indi%%eren0e' onl) +e0ause $he) are a res/onsi+ili$) ra$her $han a 6o)%ul e./erien0e. 1he %eels relie&ed ,hen she2s le%$ so(e $i(e %or hersel%. 7ll o% $hese re/ressi&e %eelings and $oughs are gi&en $o $he reader' +u$ no$ nor(all) $o $he o$hers 0hara0$ers in $he s$or) ,hi0h +egin $o $hin4 she is going insane3 $hough she a0$s &er) ,ell and nor(al ,hen $he do0$or &isi$s $he( %or dinner' he 0an onl) in%er +) $he s$or) she $old ,ha$ ,as going on ,i$h her. e 0an in%er $ha$ she has so(e e./erien0e in hiding her %eelings a,a). 7ll o% $his holding u/' (a4e her /ra0$i0all) e./lode +) $he la$$er /ar$ o% $he s$or)' $hen ,e +egin $o see $he a+ru/$ 0hanges in her a0$ions' and a grea$ un+alan0e in her a$$i$ude.

*$2s in$eres$ing $o no$e $ha$ as she goes (ore and (ore in$o hersel%' and in$o 0on0ei&ing her ,ill' she ,an$s (ore $o +e an ar$is$' and s$ar$s ,or4ing hard %or i$. *$2s a good ,a) in ,hi0h Cho/in e./resses $he ar$s as +eing relie&ers and %orgers o% our ,ill. 8ne s0ene in ,hi0h ,e see $he ar$s as /urga$ion 0a$al)s$s is ,hen 9rs. :eisz /la)s $he /iano and Edna +egins $o %eel $he (usi0 in her soul' $hen +egins $o 0r)3 %ro( $his (o(en$ on she %el$ di%%eren$ and her li%e 0hanged' she s$ar$ed %eeling in ano$her ,a)' and s$ar$ed +eing (ore %ree $han +e%ore. her ar$' ,hi0h ,as dra,ing. e 0an also see ho, as she gained indi&idual s$reng$h ,as a /arallel $o her gro,ing dedi0a$ion o%

5he ending o% $he no&el is an in$eres$ing and a(+iguous one. Edna undresses hersel% in %ron$ o% na$ure and goes in$o a s,i(' she s,i(s un$il she 0ouldn2$ hold an) longer' $hen dro,ns. 5his 0an +e seen as sui0ide' +u$ i guess $he au$hor $ried $o e./ress a dee/er (eaning $o $his /ar$. *$ 0an +e seen as she %inall) go$ o%% all $ha$ ,as 4ee/ing her %ro( %eeling 0o(/le$e' and 6us$ ,en$ $o ,ander %reel) a+ound. Cer$ainl) $his ,as a dra(a$i0 and /oe$i0 ,a) in ,hi0h i$ 0ould +e e./ressed $ha$ she a0$uall) ,as %ree' and she $oo4 li%e and de0isions +) her hands ,i$hou$ 0o(/ro(ise %or an)one else. 7$ $a4ing $his de0ision' and ,i$h $he so0ie$) $ha$ ,o(en had 6udging $he( a$ $he $i(es' she ,as 6us$ des$ined $o dro,n. Her s$rong ,ill 0ouldn2$ hold u/ agains$ $he ,hole so0ie$)' so i$ engul%ed her and /unished her %or $ha$. 5hen again she ,on as an indi&idual3 +e0ause e&en $hough $ha$' she go$ her ,a) ,i$h her de0isions and ,ill. 5his is 6us$ an in$er/re$a$ion o% a s0ene $ha$ 0an +e &ie,ed s)(+oli0all) in (an) ,a)s

7ll o% her des/air as a $ra//ed indi&idual' is re+orn in her 6u&enile lus$.

e see

$ha$ e&en $hough she doesn2$ lo&es 7l0ee' she s$ar$s a se.ual rela$ion ,i$h hi(. 1he gi&es in her $o her /leasures ,hi0h are gi&en $o us in her $hough$s' all o% $hose re/ressed )ears in (arriage loo4 +a04 no, a$ her earlier )ears %or ans,ers. ;i&en $ha$ she 0ouldn2$ %ul%ill her desires 0o(/le$el) +a04 $hen' she (us$ %ul%ill $he( no,' so $ha$ she %eels 0o(/le$e and 0an 0on$inue %or,ard in her inde/enden0e /lan. *% she ha&en2$ go$$en 0losel) ,i$h 7l0ee' she /ro+a+l) ,ouldn2$ ha&e +een

as sa$is%ied and %ul%illed la$er on. E&en $hough she didn2$ go$ her $rue lo&e ,i$h :o+er$ $o (a$erialize' she 0ould a$ leas$ 0ross $he +order +e$,een her ,ill agains$ so0ie$)2s.