Grace Millan . Mrs. Schroeder . Ap Literature And...

Grace Millan Mrs. Schroeder AP Literature and Composition January 3 2017 The Awakening: 2014 Prompt In The Awakening by Kate Chopin, Edna Pontellier is a housewife who spend her days chatting with friends and going to the beach in Grand Isle, Louisiana. She feels empty, and almost like an object, whose sole purpose is to satisfy the needs of her family. However, after a summer on Grand Isle, she begins to express her feelings and desires with the help of her friends and the surrounding Creole culture. Edna eventually undergoes a massive transformation during which she discovers what she is really passionate about and begins to do what she wants, when she wants, without the limitations of her husband or children. However during this†¦show more content†¦However, all the time she spends listening to piano playing, is time she is not spending with her children or husband and neglecting her social duties. They become so distanced around this time that they are not even sleeping in the same bed and barely even see each other. This demonstrates that all of Edna’s creative ventures have come at a price, her marriage, but she values her self expression so much that she does not seem to mind. Edna’s sacrifice of her family also illuminates one of her main values, freedom. In the beginning of the novella, Edna is reserved and demure. However her friendship with Adele Ratignolle encourages her to follow the creole style of expression and become more open and candid with her actions and voice. The friendship helps her learn to value herself as a person with real emotions, rather than a piece of property for her husband. This marks the beginning of her awakening, as she becomes more open with her feelings, prompting her to further her relationship with Robert. They begin to move past the level of innocent flirtation the Creoles are accustomed to, against the advice of Adele, leading Edna to a new sexual freedom as she continuously chooses to spend her time with Robert rather than her family. However, perhaps one of the most prominent examples of Edna’s high value of freedom comes at the very end