Three Different Views on the Awakening by Kate Chopin
An Introduction to the Critical Perspectives
A novel, a piece of literature, a story, or a book; all names for pieces of work in which a reader can assess the author’s choice of character, symbolism, setting, background, and point of view from different perspective to gain a deeper meaning of the words put to paper. There are three main perspectives or views in which a work of literature can be analyzed: feminist, historical, and psychoanalytical. This particular essay will focus on a description and analysis of the psychoanalytical view. Let us first get a small background in the three perspectives first: To look at the inner workings of a novel using the feminist perspective is to assess prior said literary elements from this feminist mindset. Did a character go against the grain when it came to the ideals of feminine culture? Was the author a feminist or against feminism? Also, through the eyes of the feminist view, we can take a look at race, ethnicity, and other such backgrounds that may have struggled with inequality or prejudices. Then there is the historical perspective in which the literary elements are analyzed in accordance to the time period. When was the novel written? Did the character stand for someone who was an object of importance during that time? Was there a significant historical event at the time of the novel’s release? Finally, there is the psychoanalytical perspective where literary elements are looked at and analyzed at a much deeper angle. Why did that character think and act the way she did? Did her actions have a deeper significance that was a symbol from the author? Perhaps there was a message in the symbolism used from the author to her audience; such as the symbolism we find in The Awakening, by Kate Chopin. If we take a deeper look, and psychoanalyze some of the repeating objects in Chopin’s novel, we will see a great significance and a deep connection between these items and the characters themselves. As we dig deeper into the
A novel, a piece of literature, a story, or a book; all names for pieces of work in which a reader can assess the author’s choice of character, symbolism, setting, background, and point of view from different perspective to gain a deeper meaning of the words put to paper. There are three main perspectives or views in which a work of literature can be analyzed: feminist, historical, and psychoanalytical. This particular essay will focus on a description and analysis of the psychoanalytical view. Let us first get a small background in the three perspectives first: To look at the inner workings of a novel using the feminist perspective is to assess prior said literary elements from this feminist mindset. Did a character go against the grain when it came to the ideals of feminine culture? Was the author a feminist or against feminism? Also, through the eyes of the feminist view, we can take a look at race, ethnicity, and other such backgrounds that may have struggled with inequality or prejudices. Then there is the historical perspective in which the literary elements are analyzed in accordance to the time period. When was the novel written? Did the character stand for someone who was an object of importance during that time? Was there a significant historical event at the time of the novel’s release? Finally, there is the psychoanalytical perspective where literary elements are looked at and analyzed at a much deeper angle. Why did that character think and act the way she did? Did her actions have a deeper significance that was a symbol from the author? Perhaps there was a message in the symbolism used from the author to her audience; such as the symbolism we find in The Awakening, by Kate Chopin. If we take a deeper look, and psychoanalyze some of the repeating objects in Chopin’s novel, we will see a great significance and a deep connection between these items and the characters themselves. As we dig deeper into the
References: Chopin, K. (2005). The Awakening [VitalSource digital version]. Raleigh, NC: Hayes Barton Press Acosta, David L. Pike and Ana (). Literature: A World of Writing Stories, Poems, Plays, and Essays VitalSource eBook for Education Management Corporation [1] (VitalSource Bookshelf), Retrieved from http://digitalbookshelf.southuniversity.edu/books/9780558711825/id/fm01 Rachel Ford ©