What Makes Edna's Struggle In The Awakening

The ocean is a vast expanse of mostly unexplored space, a place with limitless opportunity and mystery. No one knows what they may find in the darkest depths of the ocean. Kate Chopin takes advantage of this unforeseen power in “The Awakening” by associating the ocean with the power to open one's mind to the freedoms that surround them and the choices they can make. Edna’s initial awakening lead to her become her own person and continuously more independent from Léonce. This change was completely in her interest because it allowed her to enjoy life more than she would have by being compliant to Léonce’s every demand. Her enjoyment mainly stems from becoming independent of Léonce, and completely disregarding the fact that they are married. Edna’s
The first instance of this tangible defiance is the night of the ocean scene when Léonce calls out “why don’t you come in?” (Chopin 31) Edna’s response of “I don’t wish to go in, and I don’t intend to” (Chopin 31) is clear cut and leaves no room for uncertainty. She formally disobeys Léonce’s request verbally and because she continues to lay in the hammock, physically as well. At any prior point in the book, Edna would have been compliant to Léonce’s demands and requests but now that she has discovered her freedom, she uses it to the furthest extent. Edna knows what she wants and is officially putting that in front of what Léonce wants because the ocean awakened her body as well as her mind to the freedom of choice. Edna’s firm defiance isn’t only directed at Léonce, it is also aimed at Arobin when he requests to “come up to [her] atelier.” (Chopin 76) Edna shuts him down quickly and makes him leave by physically removing herself from his reach and by verbalizing her disapproval of the idea. She does the same thing when she moves out of the house and into the new smaller one that she can afford by herself. She writes Léonce a letter telling him of the plan and when he retorts with a letter of disapproval, Edna ignores him and goes ahead with the plan anyway. The enlarged
Just like in the first awakening, Edna is in the ocean although, this time she is naked. This symbolizes Edna emerging from the shell everyone is expected to live in their whole lives. All the other characters in the book live in their clothes because it is a societal standard that everyone is expected to comply with. Edna’s blatant refusal to conform is a message to the reader that she is going to do something that none of the other characters ever will. “She felt like a new-born creature, opening its eyes in a familiar world that it had never known.” (Chopin 115) Chopin likens this new awakening to the first one by referencing the new born metaphor but differentiates the two by using an oxymoron here. Nothing can be familiar to Edna if she had never known it before, so by adding that bit Chopin attempts to tell the reader that while Edna had already undergone one awakening, she doesn’t know what this next one will result in. In the first awakening, Edna’s thoughts become more self centered and the same thing happens in the second. She reflects on different parts of her life and eventually feels the terror that spiked during her first swim as well. The difference this time is that she embraces it, and allows herself to become completely enveloped by the vast ocean. The awakening she has here is not for her