The Awakening: My Critical Essay
Tony Orellana
Mrs. Johnson
AP Literature
March 6th, 2012
Title and Author
The title of the novel is The Awakening by Kate Chopin.
Setting and its Significance
The Awakening is set in New Orleans at the end of the Victorian era. The significance of the novel being set in the Victorian era is the way women are treated and looked at. For a typical Victorian woman, she was expected to be faithful and do what the husband desires, take care of the children, and basically be entertainment for man. If affects the novel because the main character will go through awakenings that will challenge this social norm.
Point of View and the Significances The point of view of The Awakening is third person omniscient that looks over mostly at Edna Pontellier. This gives more of an insight into the life and thoughts of Edna, while at the same time not encouraging a bias toward a character and allowing for the reader to develop individual preferences.
Major Characters
There are a couple of major characters in the Awakening:
Edna Pontellier is the main character of the novel, meaning she is the protagonist. Edna is a woman with two children, married to a Leonce Pontellier. Though she complied with society most of her life, she has always felt empty. She loves her husband but is not in love with him. She realizes her oppression and want for freedom when she learns to swim. Her thoughts on love and sex are two un-related things.
Leonce Pontellier is the ideal man of the Victorian Era. His view of women is that they are man’s possessions. He tends to think of his reputation instead of Edna’s wellbeing. His is an antagonist throughout the novel, and is also a static character.
Robert Lebrun is the son of the owners of the Grand Isle resort. He and Edna develop a romance in which he knows will not workout. Although he greatly cares for her “He cannot bring himself to join her in rebellion”(Bogarad 5)
Adele Ratignolle is the complete opposite of Edna. She is the
Mrs. Johnson
AP Literature
March 6th, 2012
Title and Author
The title of the novel is The Awakening by Kate Chopin.
Setting and its Significance
The Awakening is set in New Orleans at the end of the Victorian era. The significance of the novel being set in the Victorian era is the way women are treated and looked at. For a typical Victorian woman, she was expected to be faithful and do what the husband desires, take care of the children, and basically be entertainment for man. If affects the novel because the main character will go through awakenings that will challenge this social norm.
Point of View and the Significances The point of view of The Awakening is third person omniscient that looks over mostly at Edna Pontellier. This gives more of an insight into the life and thoughts of Edna, while at the same time not encouraging a bias toward a character and allowing for the reader to develop individual preferences.
Major Characters
There are a couple of major characters in the Awakening:
Edna Pontellier is the main character of the novel, meaning she is the protagonist. Edna is a woman with two children, married to a Leonce Pontellier. Though she complied with society most of her life, she has always felt empty. She loves her husband but is not in love with him. She realizes her oppression and want for freedom when she learns to swim. Her thoughts on love and sex are two un-related things.
Leonce Pontellier is the ideal man of the Victorian Era. His view of women is that they are man’s possessions. He tends to think of his reputation instead of Edna’s wellbeing. His is an antagonist throughout the novel, and is also a static character.
Robert Lebrun is the son of the owners of the Grand Isle resort. He and Edna develop a romance in which he knows will not workout. Although he greatly cares for her “He cannot bring himself to join her in rebellion”(Bogarad 5)
Adele Ratignolle is the complete opposite of Edna. She is the
Cited: Bogarad, Carley Rees. "`The Awakening: A Refusal to Compromise." DISCovering Authors. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Discovering Collection. Gale. Springdale Schools. 6 Apr. 2012 Eble, Kenneth. "A Forgotten Novel: Kate Chopin 's The Awakening." EXPLORING Novels. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Discovering Collection. Gale. Springdale Schools. 6 Apr. 2012 Green, Suzanne D. "Overview of The Awakening." EXPLORING Novels. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Discovering Collection. Gale. Springdale Schools. 6 Apr. 2012