The Awakening of Edna in Kate Chopin’s The Awakening from Feminism perspective

【Abstract】The Awakening， published in 1899， written by famous American writer Kate Chopin. Chopin supports feminism and highly praises the value of womens freedom， independence and liberation， as well as the awakening of self-consciousness. In The Awakening， Chopin created a new woman Edna who refused to perform the obligation of the mother and wife， and she fights against the Paternity. She is the representative of pursuing womens liberation and the desire for a better life. The paper analyzed the causes and manifestations of Ednas awakening， delving into the core demands of Ednas act and concluding the feminist consciousness in Edna. Although Ednas awakening was failed， her death has opened a new chapter for the womens liberation movement in the new era， providing a new ideological weapon for modern women to pursue self-consciousness， equality and freedom.

【Key words】Edna； Paternity； Awakening； Feminism

【作者簡介】薛濟琛（1995- ），男，漢族，山東青島人，學生，翻譯碩士，云南農業大學外語學院，研究方向：英語筆譯（專業碩士）。

I. Feminism Theory

“Feminism is a belief and an action to fight for equal rights and opportunities for women； or it is a proposal for social change， and a campaign to end the oppression of women. ” （Liuni p24）.

The Western feminist theory is the result of the feminist movement. “To change the traditional education， which was looked as the way to entertain men， and to give women the equally educational rights. To achieve really equality in life and career， and to promote social progress.” （Mary Wollstonecraft）. The feminists initially concern the fundamental factors， such as the place of oppression of women， whether is mainly in the workplace or in the family， in the field of production， sexuality or perform the duties of the mother. Analyzing the causes of womens oppression from different angles.

“I confirm that the principle of regulating the social relations between the genders - a gender that is legally subordinate to another - is wrong in itself， is one of the major obstacles to human progress. ” （John Stuart Mill）. Feminists hold that view because of the gender discrimination， the special needs of women are still being ignored or not satisfied. Therefore， in order to meet the special requirements， women need to take radical revolution in society， radical changes of economy and political order.

II. Analysis on Ednas Awakening

1.Rebelling to Leonce Pontellier

It is Edna that made a choice to marry Leonce， nobody did impose her. Although it seems like the “arranged marriage”， she did not make any resistance， even to be pleased to accept. However， no love and understanding of the marriage make Edna marriage life dull， she suffered the endless pains.

1.1 Leonces reproach

Leonce is Ednas husband in the marriage， he is a wealthy merchant and a representative in paternity. When he saw Edna came back from sea， blaming her for not protecting beauty， He thought that Edna was not an obliged wife， neither protecting herself nor his reputation. Leonce looked Edna as an individual possession as well as the wealth for flaunting his social status. Edna was also not a qualified mother in Leonces eyes.

1.2 Leonces command

As a member in the paternity， obedience and royalty to male should be put first in the head. The first rebellion started in a night when Leonce asked Edna to sleep， while Edna rejected him，Leonce cant accept Ednas lack of attention. At the beginning of the novel， like the parrot， Edna is trapped by social standards and dominated by Leonce. After yelling at her husband， Edna felt a sense of oppression in her true nature， in other words， the “oppression” became the force that drives her to fight against her husband and let her realize the sense of consciousness. Edna did not long for becoming an obedience wife and loving mother， while her husband was her first enemy to fight for achieving female rights in her marriage.

2.Pursuing true love

While taking vacation on Grand isle， Edna met Robert， a young man who selects one married woman to be his friend every summer. Edna was his target in this summer， two people often take a walk along the sea shore. When Edna was painting， Robert once put his head on Ednas arm， she refused him but he did it again and did not say sorry. Robert gets along with Edna closer in the summer， Edna became aware that Robert was her true love.

2.1 Roberts accompany

She invited Robert to church， this was the first action to show that Ednas willing to pursue her own love. In Madame Antoines house， Edna indulged in the romantic world with Robert， Edna compared herself with sleep beauty. She desired to love someone and to be loved.

Regardless of the ethics and terrible results， she fell in love with Robert， no emotion and enthusiasm to husband， she released her love to the replacement —Robert. It was Robert who aroused her love and fantasy in life. Edna found her marriage was an accident， but she couldnt change the situation. Not only was the physical love for Edna， Robert was also the emotional catalyst into Ednas inner heart.

2.2 Roberts departure

With the development of relationship， Roberts cowardice and weakness fully manifested， he would not like to sacrifice everything for love. He couldnt further accompany with Edna， he had found work in Mexico so that he could avoid Edna. The desire for love made her more aware of her pursuit. Aiming at getting rid of the fetters of a loveless marriage， she put all hopes on Robert. Robert loved her， but due to public—opinion， career and a series of realistic factors， he did not have the courage to make sacrifices for love， and ultimately chose to escape from her. Additionally， Roberts speechless departure also made her recognized that there were no one can give her love.

3.Pursuing Independence

If women want to get real liberation， not only did she need self -consciousness， but she knew how to achieve economic independence and independent consciousness.

3.1 Economic independence

Although as the merchants wife， material enjoyment did not make Edna happy. In the pursuit of self -value， the first step was to pursue economic independence. At the mid of the novel， she had painting as a hobby， and her works were not professional. As time goes by， she made a living by painting， and seriously considered that the painting could be her career. After that， Edna did not want to be confined to the cage which was provided by her husband， so she moved to her own “pigeon”， she has made up his mind that she will never belong to anyone but herself. Painting， pigeon house and birthday party made Edna felt that there is a sense of decline in social status， but at the same time， a sense of promotion in the spiritual world.

3.2 Equal status

Edna refused to play the social role as an understanding wife and loving mother， she hoped to extricate from her husband， break the yoke of marriage； she hoped to free from the shackles of child， break the yoke of maternal love. Edna was a mother， a hostess， a wife. Not only did she take care of the children， but also entertained her husbands guests every Tuesday and met the sexual requirements of her husband.

The essence of this model is to limit women into the social life circle. In the circle， womens duties and obligations have been determined by traditions， any self-consciousness and individual freedom would be suppressed. Edna no longer accepted visitors， nor visited others. On the contrary， she loves solitude， going to the strange place alone. She thought the wedding was the worst thing in the world， rejecting the invitation of sisters wedding ceremony， and the children were sent to grandmothers home， even locked the door of “old house” and moved into a pigeon house.

III. Conclusion

The reason why the awakening of Edna has been widely concerned by the society at that era is that the novel reflects the theme of the emergence of womens personal demands of a new era in the context. That is to say， the awakening of Edna also suggests that the new era is awakening， it is the cornerstone of feminist Era.

Autonomy in her destiny is the core theme that women pursue. The theme guides Edna moved toward deviation and rebellion against paternity. The pursuit of independence and personal value for Edna is more important than the pains that brought by previous marriage and family， even children can be abandoned. It would be said that she has digressed herself from society. The honor for individual independence contained in feminism is well presented.

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