Since the date of publication of Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, the novel has raised a great deal of disturbances. The contemporary society held a negative view against the novel and severe attacks on it. The Awakening challenges the long-lasting patriarchal institution, family system, and motherhood as a vocation.
At first glance, Kate Chopin’s The Awakening indeed caused some dissatisfaction and offensiveness for the majority of people in that era. Being a mother, however, the protagonist abandoned her husband especially her children in order to seek her illusions for love and the pursuit of self. But once we read the text closely, we will discover that the heroine in fact is pursuing the basic freedom as a human being; nevertheless, under the historical context and social culture, a woman is denied having such rights.
Transforming from a traditional submissive woman into a woman pursuing independence and autonomy, Edna confronts not only the long-time male-dominated societal sovereignty but also the almost indissoluble cultural institution.
In this thesis, I will explore the contemporary societal environments and ambiences in which Edna lives; the stereotype and expectations toward women’s roles; furthermore, the unique cultural background where Edna visits and who she meets and later trigger her yearning for individuation.
