The doctors told that her death was because she was so happy that she died, and it is sad that they got it completely wrong. None of them truly knew what was going on in Louise Mallard’s head before her death. She was filled with excitement about life and nobody was aware of the freedom she felt. It is hard to imagine a death where nobody truly knows about how someone feels.…
Edna’s suicide was a happy ending for her alone. She came to the realization that she couldn’t remain awakened and live in a world filled with moral conventions and responsibilities. Her death reconciled her life with freedom.…
Mark Cunningham wrote “The Autonomous Female Self and the Death of Louise Mallard” in response to Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”. Chopin’s short story centers around Mrs. Louise Mallard, a housewife in nineteenth-century America that has just been informed of the demise of her husband. While Mrs. Mallard mourns Mr. Mallards death, she becomes aware of her newly gained autonomy, which results in joy overcoming her. Even so, as she exits her room at the pleas of her sister, Josephine, the living Brently Mallard enters through the front door, and Mrs. Mallard falls to the floor with a cry and dies. Many critics assume that Louise perished from the shock of seeing her husband; however, Cunningham believes that she in fact did not see her…
In Kate Chopin’s “The Awakening” Kate explores a depressed high class woman’s psychological journey and gender issues towards enlightenment and end up committing suicide as she couldn’t open up herself to anybody who could help her in the situation she was going through. The position of women in society in 19th society was limited to household activities, taking care of children, and work according to the husband to please him all the time. Edna, who is self-aware and she wants to live her life in her own way rather than dancing on tunes of her husband to fulfil his desires. The Awakening supports women to obtain independence physically, emotionally, and financially which was impossible for the women of 19th century.…
In Chapter III of The Awakening by Kate Chopin we see the character Edna asleep when her husband Leonce comes home and gets aggravated when he is talking to her and she does not act upon his words. Aggravated, he goes to check on his sons and comes back to announce their son Raoul seems to be feverish and criticizes Edna for being a negligent mother. It is clear at this point that Edna would play an unconventional female character who is different from what is expected of woman in society in this time. When Edna is outside crying while listening to the ocean I think it is at this exact moment she came to the realization that she was not living her life, but in forced to put on a mask and play a act she wants no part in. We see a woman who doesn't…
During their talk in chapter 7, Edna also tells Adele something about her feelings for her children. Edna loves her children but feels weighed down with a responsibility that is suited to her nature. She feels relief when they are away. Edna is not a “mother-woman” like the women that surround her on the island, and their children, when they fall over and hurt themselves, do not rush to her as other women's children do, but they merely pick themselves up and carry on playing. Although Mr. Pontellier is therefore not able to point the finger towards any definite dereliction of duty as a mother, the way that Edna is obviously so different from the other mothers with them that summer highlights that she has a very different kind of relationship…
Mallard in the story, which allows us to envisage the irony in the story. It starts on the substantial belief of “weak heart”, therefore,” Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband's death.”(Choplin 1) But, till the readers reach the end the death of Louise brings out the irony in the story.” The Joy that kills” (Choplin 20) relates to her death because of sudden loss of independence she found a while ago. Mark Cunningham also debates on the similar theme that Louise’s death is caused by the shock of the new found…
In “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin, the author contrasts the three different men who love Edna with each other, revealing the different types of love that each of them represent, causing Edna to understand the type of love that she relates most too.…
Chopin is a very realistic and Edna is the complete opposite of her and is more a naturalistic person. It's quite ironic how Chopin admires and has so much respect for her as a character so that leads her to think that Chopin created Edna to be the “Idealistic” woman of the time or at least what she wanted to be. Edna always seems to be making little steps of progression but never fully does anything special. An example of this is when she goes swimming because she paddles around but never actually swims. This tests her selfhood and ultimately she views the suicide as…
Leary, Lewis. Southern Excursions: Essays on Mark Twain and Others. Baton Rouge: Lousiana State Press, 1971.…
Mallard, in her final moments of life. As the reader shares in the heartache, joys and conflict, that Mrs. Mallard feels at the news of her husband’s death, to the moment of her realization of what that would mean for her future, the reader is reluctant to tear their eyes away from Chopin’s plot twisting story. In a twist of fate, Mr. Mallard appears unharmed and the hopes and dreams of poor Louise, just recently resurrected from the grave, die and are buried along with her. Through key literary elements and devices, the author creates a stunning and surprising work that highlights the joy of remaining independent, and the suffrage that may come along with marriage. Chopin uses this short story to share an insightful underlying message that continues to resonate with me: to live for…
In the novel The Awakening by Kate Chopin, the readers are introduced to the creole society in which the main character, Edna Pontellier, lives. Readers soon discover that Edna herself does not quite fall into place within the society and she feels uncomfortable at several points within the text. While she is feeling uncomfortable within the society she lives, she is actually becoming more comfortable with herself. This “comfortableness” she is obtaining is actually her awakening. Edna is gaining a new outlook on life within this novel and the new view is affected by the people she encounters and skills she learns. Robert, a young man she met during the summer, has a huge impact upon Edna. The awakening that was instinctively occurring within Edna was soon terminated due to the love she found in Robert; her awakening soon turned more abrupt, reckless, and rebellious which ultimately lead to her suicide.…
As Edna neglects her social reputation and duties by having affairs, she seems to become an independent woman whose power is guided by love, but she soon crashes through this dream as reality kicks in that she still has a family that she must take care of and expectations to reach. Robert realizes this, which is why he leaves, but seeing her lover float away, Edna loses her fight for control and thus decides to take her own life, sadly much like how many other people in society decide to deal with their problems. If one is going to fight for control and rebel against expectations, he or she must be prepared for the…
Edna Pontellier’s action in the novel “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin, could be justified as her being selfish and unjustified in her actions. The story's romanticism changes the outlook of Edna to being an admirable character, in many ways. She emancipated herself from her restraints and achieved nearly all that she desired. Chopin could have used this book to glorify the women of this age, but because of the time period and life styles, most of what was referred to in the story was very straightforward and possible. Therefore, I believe her affairs, treatment of her family and lovers, and suicide were completely unnecessary and, well, idiotic.…
There is nothing that Edna Pontellier wants more than to be unbounded and free from society’s expectation of women. In “The Awakening”, Kate Chopin clearly exhibits her personal stance on women’s roles through the main character. The characterization of Edna allows her personal passion to alter her personality and make several prominent changes to her lifestyle.…