The Awakening - Kate Chopin

The Awakening by Kate Chopin was a beautiful story of a married woman named Edna who was just caught up in “life.” During the 1800’s when Chopin wrote this story, life for a woman was quite different than it is today. The typical married woman had “womanly” expectations that women no longer conform to as much this day and time. Edna being married to man of wealth, their social standing was a top priority and it was her responsibility to see that their social standing was catered to. In this life style, she lost herself and she became mechanical in her day to day living. Having servants and someone to tend to the children, she wasn’t needed in the home in a nurturing way that typically gives a woman worthiness that she is designed to need and desire.
While her and her family is vacationing at their summer home on the Gulf, her husband spends much of his time working away from his family. When he is around, he fulfills his life with material things and social needs. With his wife Edna, he sees her faults and reminds her repeatedly of the responsibilities she needs to adhere to in his eyes. Edna is slack on her mothering skills, but life seems to have her so burdened down, that she seems to have lost the ability to know true happiness, until Robert comes into the picture. While on the Gulf, Robert spends much time with her. They become great friends, but Robert falls in love with Edna and with her being a married woman, he decides to go to Mexico and leaves abruptly. With his leaving, Edna realizes also that she has fallen in love with him and falls into depression during his absence. Since she and her husband have never had a normal loving intimate relationship, she feels that this is the first time she has ever really felt love. She spends months longing for him and visiting Mademoiselle in hopes she had received a letter from Robert since he had not written her. Edna later finds out that Robert is finally planning to return and she becomes anxious to see him. When she learns he has return by accidentally running into him, she realizes he has purposely been avoiding her. In their chance meeting, she remembers how Mademoiselle told her that Robert was actually in love with her. This echoes continually in her mind. When she finally sees Robert again, she kisses him and admits her love for him and in return he does the same. During this moment of passion, she is called to tend to a friend of hers who is apparently deathly sick. When she returns, she finds that Robert has left her again. Edna then falls back into her heavy state of depression and decides that her husband, her children, nor anyone else is worth much to her other than Robert. In this realization, she is disgusted with herself and walks to the beach, removes her clothing and begins to swim out until she is completely exhausted. As the author reveals the last paragraph of the story, it is apparent that Edna drowns.
This story was full of vibrant details that give its reader a wonderful since of being a part of the story. There were times I could feel Edna longing for Robert and the great descriptions given to the intricate details of the home, we quite visionary.