Context
Kate Chopin’s The Awakening has become one of the classics of feminist literature because of its theme of sexual awakening and a woman’s right to freedom of choice in matters of love. Feminists believe that the sexual repression of women, which is still common throughout the world, is a necessary precondition of the political repression and economic exploitation of women that are also still found on every continent of the globe. Feminists believe that until women have control of their own bodies, they cannot hope to have control of their own lives.
Chopin was ahead of her time. Her novel The Awakening met with critical abuse and public denunciation. A reviewer writing for the magazine Public Opinion in 1899 stated that he was “well satisfied” with Edna’s suicide because she deserved to die for her immoral behavior. Chopin never wrote another novel and gradually gave up writing altogether. During the early part of the twentieth century, she had become virtually forgotten. Then the very qualities that had caused her to be condemned as an evil influence brought her to the attention of a few critics who saw that Chopin had created a minor masterpiece of feminist literature.
Currently, The Awakening is enjoying great popularity and is available in many different editions. The rediscovery of this novel has revived interest in Chopin’s other writings. Several biographies have been published, along with a number of full-length critical studies. The Awakening is assigned as required reading in many women’s studies and literature courses. Because of the renewed interest in her groundbreaking novel, Chopin is also being read in translation in many foreign countries, including France and Japan. She is one of the few writers to have had the good fortune to be figuratively brought back from the dead, and her work is exerting a considerable influence on women’s literature and feminism in general.
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"The Awakening - Context." Masterpieces of Women's Literature, edited by Frank Northen Magill, eNotes.com, Inc., 1995, 8 Nov. 2024 <https://www.enotes.com/topics/awakening/in-depth/historical-social-context#in-depth-historical-social-context-context>
Background
Kate Chopin grew up in violent, turbulent times. She came from a slaveholding family in a city that was a major center for slave trade. There was constant fighting in St. Louis over secession. The Civil War began in 1861 when she was 11 years old, and she and everyone she knew lived in constant terror. There were times when she was confined to her home because of the fighting in the street. She learned to be self-sufficient from an early age.
After the Civil War ended, a period of strong activism among St. Louis women began. There were many outspoken suffragists, and other women who were beginning to question the path of marriage and motherhood. Susan B. Anthony was traveling and speaking extensively about equality and women’s rights. By the 1890s there were many “New Women” making their way in St. Louis. These were single women who became doctors, lawyers, and journalists.
Additionally, the works of Darwin, Spencer, and Huxley were transforming intellectual thought. People were beginning to question things they had always held as truth, including definitions of morality. Finally, the Industrial Revolution was well under way, and the whole world was changing. The Awakening was published in 1899, just at the turn of the century, and there was constant tension between tradition and movement, old and new.
The majority of the reviews for The Awakening were unfavorable. Although her writing was praised, the book was described as “unhealthy,” “unwholesome,” “unpleasant,” and “a dangerous specimen of sex fiction.” Despite the fact that many women had begun to write novels with daring themes by the time The Awakening was published, for example, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, even novels with the most radical themes still tended to promote traditional values and have traditional resolutions. Even some of the most radical women still thought that sexual passion was immoral and unhealthy for women. So it is no surprise that even amidst the incredible changes, for women and the country as a whole Kate Chopin was censured for the choices made by her protagonist, Edna Pontellier. Edna’s passion was described by one reviewer as an “ugly, cruel, loathsome monster.”
Kate Chopin, herself, and through Edna Pontellier, questioned the traditional idea of woman as wife and mother, without passion and without her own mind. The Awakening depicts the powerful “cage of convention” and the futility both Kate and Edna felt in trying to live a life of freedom.
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"The Awakening - Background." MAXnotes to The Awakening, edited by Dr. M. Fogiel, Research and Education Association, Inc., 2000, 8 Nov. 2024 <https://www.enotes.com/topics/awakening/in-depth/historical-social-context#in-depth-historical-social-context-background>
Historical Context
Creole Society
Kate Chopin lived in the South and frequently wrote about Southern life. In The Awakening, she focused on Creole society in northern Louisiana. The Creoles distinguished themselves from Anglo-Americans, preserving cultural traditions inherited from their French and Spanish forebears. They relished gambling, entertainment, and social gatherings, dedicating much of their time to these pursuits. Outsiders were rarely welcomed into their social circles, and newcomers were expected to adhere to their customs. Men held dominance in the households, expecting women to maintain well-kept homes and produce many children to continue the family lineage. Women responded by having children and honing their social skills. While Creole men engaged in revelry, their women managed the households and refined their talents in music, art, and conversation, thereby enhancing their husbands' social standing.
The Beginnings of the Women's Movement
The 1800s marked a shift in women's status. Chopin's character, Edna Pontellier, embodies the independent spirit that women began to recognize within themselves. Edna felt there was more to life than living in her husband's shadow and suppressing her own aspirations and dreams. Women of that era shared similar sentiments. As early as 1848, women convened in New York State to address issues of equality. ©2000-2004 eNotes. This inaugural women's convention laid the foundation for the women's rights movement. Women's groups continued to organize, educating women about social and political issues and providing a platform for discussions. Although women did not secure the right to vote until 1920, these early efforts established a lasting voice in society. Edna's actions in The Awakening reflect the era and the feelings of many women who sought personal freedom.
Literary Criticism
Chopin's editors were more accepting of her bold themes and the actions of her characters than were critics and the general public. Chopin depicted life authentically and did not shy away from controversial subjects. The characters in her short stories and novels often illustrated the "dual lives" that women of the 1800s led. In a period when women's roles were evolving, Chopin's characters grappled with the tension between conformity and duty versus freedom and personal identity.
Kate Chopin herself embodied the spirit of the women's movement during the 1800s. Married to a wealthy Southern businessman, she defied convention by assisting her husband with his business, taking solitary walks through New Orleans, and smoking cigarettes. Her blatant disregard for societal expectations reached its zenith in The Awakening. Her character, Edna Pontellier, mirrors many aspects of Kate Chopin's own life. Edna views herself as separate from her family and society, challenging the roles imposed on her and bravely rejecting them.
Critics harshly denounced Chopin for granting Edna Pontellier the liberty to reject societal norms. They also took issue with Chopin's apparent empathy towards her character. This backlash revealed that the literary community was unprepared for the realism depicted in Chopin's novel. Despite the evolving roles of women in society at the time, Chopin's candid portrayal of female sexuality, social misconduct, and personal freedom unsettled the literary establishment. Critics lambasted the novel, and libraries pulled it from their collections. Despite the more liberal environment fostered by the women's movement, the St. Louis Fine Arts Club expelled Kate Chopin from its membership. Nonetheless, Chopin continued to write, allowing her characters to push beyond the restrictive limits imposed by society. Modern critics now appreciate her craft and commend her realistic depiction that captures the essence of late nineteenth-century society.
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"The Awakening - Historical Context." Novels for Students, Vol. 3. Gale Cengage, 8 Nov. 2024 <https://www.enotes.com/topics/awakening/in-depth/historical-social-context#in-depth-historical-social-context-historical-context>
Social Sensitivity
The Awakening has gained new relevance since the rise of the women's movement. Intense literary debates have emerged regarding the meaning of Edna Pontellier's awakening, her suicide, and the tension between motherhood and career for women in the 19th century. Many critics argue that Edna's suicide was a triumph over societal constraints. Others believe she ended her life because she felt overwhelmed by society and did not want to bring shame to her children.
In the late 1800s, women's issues were still too nascent for the book to make an impact upon its release. However, feminists from the 1940s and 1950s have since acknowledged the book as a crucial contribution to understanding women's evolving roles in society. Chopin was attuned to women's issues and had a broader interest in universal human nature. Through her characters, she examined the relationship between the self and society.
Chopin, particularly aware of women's struggles—partly due to her French heritage and female perspective—offered readers a unique view of women in American society, distinct from other writers of her time. Her characters often displayed unconventional attitudes toward themselves and societal norms. These characters attempted to integrate into society while staying true to themselves. Edna Pontellier is a prime example, representing women of both past and present. She stands alongside other of Chopin's female protagonists, forming a foundation for dialogue about a society that once undervalued female sensuality and independence.
The 19th century, in particular, witnessed a shift in the status of women. Chopin's character, Edna Pontellier, exemplifies the independent spirit women began to recognize within themselves. Edna believed there was more to life than living in her husband's shadow and suppressing her own desires and dreams. Women of that era shared similar sentiments. As early as 1848, women gathered in New York state to address issues of equality. This first women's convention laid the groundwork for the women's rights movement. Women's groups continued to organize, educating women about social and political issues and providing a forum for discussion. While women did not secure the right to vote until 1920, these early efforts gave women a voice that could not be silenced. Edna's actions in The Awakening mirror the sentiments and emotions of many women who sought personal freedom.
Chopin's editors were more accepting of her bold themes and characters' actions than the critics and general public. Chopin wrote about life as it truly was and did not avoid subjects considered taboo. The characters in her short stories and novels often illustrated the "dual lives" that women of the 1800s led. During a time when women's roles were evolving, Chopin's characters found themselves questioning conformity and duty versus freedom and personal identity.
Kate Chopin embodied the spirit of the women's movement in the 1800s. Despite being married to a prosperous Southern businessman, she broke with tradition by helping her husband with his business, strolling alone through the streets of New Orleans, and smoking cigarettes. Her open defiance of societal norms reached its zenith in The Awakening. The protagonist, Edna Pontellier, mirrors many of Kate Chopin's own thoughts and actions. Edna views herself as distinct from her family and society. She challenges the societal role imposed upon her and boldly rejects it.
Critics condemned Chopin for giving Edna Pontellier the freedom to defy conformity and criticized what they perceived as Chopin's empathy for her character. The backlash revealed that the literary world was not prepared for the realism depicted in Chopin's novel. Although women's roles were evolving in reality, Chopin's candid exploration of female sexuality, social rebellion, and personal autonomy caused an uproar in the literary community. Critics denounced the novel, and libraries removed it from their collections. Nevertheless, Chopin continued to write, allowing her characters to push beyond societal constraints. Modern critics now celebrate her artistry and commend her realistic portrayal of late nineteenth-century society.
Cite this page as follows:
"The Awakening - Social Sensitivity." Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults, edited by Kirk H. Beetz, Vol. 11. Gale Cengage, 1999, 8 Nov. 2024 <https://www.enotes.com/topics/awakening/in-depth/historical-social-context#in-depth-historical-social-context-social-sensitivity>
Compare and Contrast
1890s: The women's movement starts to establish itself in American society. Despite this, women still lack the right to vote, and women's issues are absent from the political agenda.
Today: Women have enjoyed the right to vote since the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution in 1920.
1890s: Legally, a married woman's property was owned by her husband, even if she had inherited it before marriage. In the event of a divorce, the property would remain legally his.
Today: Women have equal legal rights to property, and divorce settlements typically result in the wife receiving at least half, if not more, of the couple's assets.
1890s: The first advice columns for women appeared. Dorothy Dix launched her column in 1895, introducing a platform in newspapers for discussing women's issues.
Today: In addition to publishing women's columns in newspapers, entire magazines are now dedicated to women's issues.
Cite this page as follows:
"The Awakening - Compare and Contrast." Novels for Students, Vol. 3. Gale Cengage, 8 Nov. 2024 <https://www.enotes.com/topics/awakening/in-depth/historical-social-context#in-depth-historical-social-context-compare-contrast>
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