When it was first published, 'The Awakening' shocked contemporary critics - Explore Chopin's presentation of events in the society of the novella, which might have shocked the critics.
Claire Gittoes
When it was first published, 'The Awakening' shocked contemporary critics.
Explore Chopin's presentation of events in the society of the novella, which might have shocked the critics.
Kate Chopin presents the audience with a many concepts and ideas, which may have made them, feel uncomfortable, at least that is what they would have felt at the time. Most critics did not like the fact that "The Awakenings" main character, Edna Pontellier, went against the socially acceptable role of women at that time. At that time in history, women did just what they were expected to do; be good daughters, good wives, and good mothers. Edna's gradually defies all of the social restraints placed on her and this received a great deal of criticism. There are many points in the novel, which one could understand would have shocked contemporary readers, for example, Edna's adultery and her rejection of her 'mother woman' role. As Pamela Knights suggests, "It took tremendous daring to choose a heroine who was not 'a mother woman' in a society where many held the same view, 'there are women lacking the maternal instinct as there are claves born with two heads, but for the purpose of generalization theses exceptions may be ignored.'"
Throughout the novella Edna is presented as a distinct contrast to the other Creole women, " she made no ineffectual effort to conduct her household en bonne ménagère going and coming as it suited her fancy", this would certainly have been a foreign concept to the Creole women. As would the way Edna treated her children, leaving them to be brought up by a quadroon, would have been a complete contrast to the other female constructs in the novella. If one of her boys fell, he was not apt to rush crying to his mother's arms for comfort; he would more likely pick himself up, wipe the water out of his eyes and the sand out of his mouth, and go on playing.
Edna is not a typical Creole "mother-woman" who idolized her children (and) worshipped her husband and at times that results in her husband's claims that she neglects her children. Edna's children leave her attached to her husband, and even if she is somehow able to escape the relationship with her husband she will never be able to escape her children. The idea that Edna has the desire to escape her husband and children would not have been a concept that people felt comfortable with. In addition, the idea that being a wife and mother did not come naturally to her and therefore she felt that she was not suited to this role would have been a difficult concept for people to grasp, " the little glimpse of domestic harmony which had been offered to her, gave her no regret, no longing. It was not a condition of life which fitted her, and she could see in it but an appalling and hopeless ennui." So even after seeing the perfect Creole life, she rejects it. This attitude would have been very difficult for readers to understand, especially women. Why would any women not wish to live a life of domestic bliss and desire to 'found oneself' instead? As 'The Nation's' reviewer summed up " the Awakening is a sad story of a Southern lady, who wanted to do what she wanted to. From wanting to, she did, with disastrous consequences" this is exactly how contemporary readers would have viewed it. Rather than interpreting the novella, as a story about a woman who is on a quest for spirituality and artistic freedom many critics would have viewed Edna in purely simplistic terms, a selfish woman who ends her life because she is unhappy with the path she has taken.
In addition, the idea that Edna felt alienated by the Creole society, "the street the children, the fruit vender, the flowers growing there under her eyes, were all part and parcel of an alien world which had suddenly become antagonistic" would have been something contemporary reader would not have understand. Edna's strong desire not to belong to anyone or anything is a difficult concept for people to fathom, especially the women of the time who seemed owned by their husbands, "she had resolved never again to belong to another than herself." As Knights suggests, "through Edna Chopin explores ...
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In addition, the idea that Edna felt alienated by the Creole society, "the street the children, the fruit vender, the flowers growing there under her eyes, were all part and parcel of an alien world which had suddenly become antagonistic" would have been something contemporary reader would not have understand. Edna's strong desire not to belong to anyone or anything is a difficult concept for people to fathom, especially the women of the time who seemed owned by their husbands, "she had resolved never again to belong to another than herself." As Knights suggests, "through Edna Chopin explores alternative constructions of feminine, revising the emptied-out representations of woman as ornament and commodity, or as a 'peculiar and delicate organism.'" It was a fairly innovative idea and by presenting this idea Chopin is bringing to the forefront new societal roles. This makes people question their own morals and principles, which is probably another reason why the novella was not positively received.
Another possibly reason why Chopin's was criticised is how she presents Edna's behaviour towards Léonce. Her behaviour certainly would not have been socially acceptable at the time. For example when describing the feelings Edna had regarding her marriage Chopin describes the marriage as, "An indescribable oppression, which seemed to generate in some unfamiliar part of her consciousness, filled her whole being with a vague anguish. It was like a shadow, like a mist passing across her soul's summer day." Throughout the course of this novel Edna is coming to the realization that she is extremely unhappy with her married life, and she wishes to be free from the oppression that she feels with the relationship with her husband. By Edna acknowledging her marriage as being something 'oppressive' she is rejecting the social values of the time. It would have been unheard of for women to express these types of feelings and for them to feel comfortable with discarding their social obligations, hence why critics were shocked.
Chopin goes even further beyond the boundaries by Edna totally rejecting her societal values which she may or many have agreed with before but used to adhere to; she behaves towards Léonce in a way which is a total shock to him and therefore the reader because Chopin presents how Léonce feels as fact. " Léonce go to bed. I mean to stay out here. I don't wish to go in, and I don't intend to. Don't speak to me like that again; I shall not answer." Not only is Edna's behaviour towards Léonce rude, and would have been seen has extremely unacceptable at the time, but it is also commanding in an attempt to reverse their roles or least place Edna and Léonce as equals. This idea should certainly not have been condoned by critics of the time, to place men and women on an equal level would have been quite unheard of.
Furthermore, Chopin develops Edna's 'awakening' through her presentation of events. The author presents these events without passing comment, allowing the reader to establish their own view on whether Edna's behaviour is morally acceptable or not. This is one of the reasons why this book does not evoke the kind of criticism that it did back then. Because when Chopin published her novel people had a far more narrow view of what is right and wrong but nowadays there is far more scope for people to have a broader view, and express their opinions.
One of the events which I feel Chopin is trying to evoke some kind of a response through is Edna's abandonment of involving herself with her acquaintances and engaging in a whole new approach to life. Edna is required to "receive" guests in her home on a certain day of the week. Such a service was a very important 'duty' of Creole housewives; it was the time when good 'business' relations may be established by the woman of the house: "Let nothing, but the most imperative duty, call you out upon your reception day. Your callers are, in a measure, invited guests, and it will be an insulting mark of rudeness to be out when they call." Edna directly defies this convention. Léonce is visibly upset at her misbehaviour, and the connection with the success of his business endeavours is apparent. She has not upheld her part as an adornment of his household, which operates its social machinery every Tuesday; his financial situation may suffer because of it. By presenting this event in the way that Chopin has it leaves it quite ambiguous as to whether Chopin is condemning Edna's behaviour or not, because she seems to make no attempt to presenting it in a negative light presents critics with a basis in which to form their argument.
Chopin extends this idea of Edna's rejection of societal values further by presenting Edna's release to the 'oppressive' marriage, in the form of an affair, " they became intimate and friendly by imperceptible degrees, and then by leaps... appealing to the animalism that stirred impatiently within her." Chopin presents events in quite graphic terms; well at least it would have been seen as going beyond the limited boundaries of what was acceptable. However, women committing adultery was condemned by society and by Chopin presenting this idea in her novella she is almost acknowledging that this is a fact. She is allowed to experience passion and pleasure with these men, which defies social convention, but she is still treated as a page to be written upon, an object that is useful, as is the series of women which Robert and Alcee have romances with. Furthermore nowhere in the novella does Chopin attempt to criticise Edna's behaviour or actions, she purely presents Edna's character as a construct and allows the reader to come to their own conclusions as to whether or not Edna's actions are acceptable. Clearly, contemporary critics could not condone this type of behaviour.
There are also a few subtle events, which one feels would have evoked criticism, due to its nature. Edna is presented by Chopin as going on a journey or a series of awakenings and whilst on this spiritual journey learns to feel more comfortable with her own physicality." She stretched her strong limbs that ached a little. She ran her fingers through her loosened hair for a while. She looked at her round arms as she held them straight up and rubbed them one after the other," there is a sense that she is enjoying her won physicality for the first time, "as if it were something she saw for the first time." Through this simple passage Chopin has presented the reader with an image, which evokes thoughts of women's freedom and understanding. This I feel is a significant reason as to why Chopin was criticised, because she dealt with concepts which were ahead of their time and it is almost as if society was not ready to deal with these concepts quite yet.
In addition, Edna 'awakening' is presented physically and also one could say that she experiences a sexual 'awakening' as well. This is made especially clear through Chopin description of the sea, ' the voice of the sea is seductive,' and 'the touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace.' By presenting Edna's 'awakening' this way ones feels it leaves Chopin open to criticism. The novella was ahead of its time by suggesting a sinful sexual maturity in a young married woman.
Edna's awakenings and attempts to connect with (or create) her 'self' take various forms. One such attempt manifests itself within Edna's physical being: her body. Long before she has sexual relations with Alcee or passionate physical interactions with Robert, Edna begins to recognize her own flesh as something that does not belong to her husband or her children.
For Edna to desire possession of her own body, then, is a rather revolutionary thing. This desire to shed materiality and her 'self' as a commodity is visible in the interactions with her 'peignoir.' She takes it off or puts it on at various times, according to who is around her and what they want her to be. Even the reader is not fully privy to how Edna is discovering herself and removing robes of objectification, Her final shedding of the commodified self is represented by her nakedness at the beach in the final scene. She can no longer stand to stay clothed in an image, which other people have assigned to her. This adds to the idea of Chopin creating a character who does not feel comfortable within a society in which she cannot be herself. This notion would be something that people many find it hard to come to terms with and therefore would criticise. Evidently Chopin was speaking a language that no one understood.
One event, which highlights Chopin's exploration of the boundaries of what was seen as appropriate, is Edna's disregard for her social obligations. 'Without even waiting for answer from her husband regarding his opinion or wishes in the matter, Edna hastened for preparations for quitting her home on Esplanade street and moving into the little house around the corner," not only is Edna ignoring her husbands wishes, which was an offence in its self but she is also taking her need for freedom to a new level. A women leaving her husband and setting up home alone, would not have been acceptable within society. The character of Mademoiselle Reisz serves to remind us what the repercussions of women living alone in society are: total isolation and rejection. By Chopin creating a heroine who behaves in such a way she is almost acknowledging that this behaviour is acceptable.
Finally, the presentation of the ending of the novella served to shock the reader. There are many ways of looking at the ending that Chopin creates and each offers a different perspective. Edna's suicide is not surprising and is in keeping with Edna's desire not to think of the consequences of her actions or about her future. Her suicide is a result of her desire not to think of the consequences because those consequences are so unattractive. Edna could be seen as abandoning the rational world of rules and responsibilities. Either way Edna rejects the social constraints placed on her and embraces a life without limits. This rejection of society would not have been received positively partly because it is not the type of message that one should been sending out and could evoke a similar behaviour from readers. By Chopin not criticising Edna's behaviour it could be seen as presenting it positively and therefore provoking her readers to attempt to reject their moral principles and try to break free from social constraints. Furthermore, by Chopin not passing judgment on Edna she could to seen to be presenting the Creole society disapprovingly; because if the Creole society had been accepting of Edna then she may not have felt that that was her only option.
In conclusion, there are a series of events which Chopin takes further and further, firstly Edna's resistance to Léonce, then the flight to the 'pigeon-house' and finally, the walk into the unconfined space of the sea. Chopin makes no attempt to morally condemn Edna or in fact any of the character she creates. There is no suggestion that Edna's behaviour and attitude is wrong. By Chopin creating a character who pursues 'unwomanly ends' she is challenging the very morals, which mould society, prompting criticism to these revolutionary ideas. One cannot help but suggest that it was Chopin's decision not to pass judgement that was her down fall. However, this is ironically what makes the novella so appealing to the modern reader.
