The Awakening Reading Guide 'She turned her face seaward to gather an impression of space and solitude…as she swam she seemed to be reaching out for the unlimited in which to lose herself.' The awakening of Edna Pontellier is very closely linked to the sea, which forms both a backdrop and a figurative landscape. What are its many roles throughout the novel? In which ways is it both Edna's challenge and her liberation? Consider the notion of 'losing oneself'. How does this passage foreshadow the ending of the book? How does the warm, languid landscape of Creole Louisiana affect your reading? Could it be described as a character in its own right? 'She felt as if a mist had been lifted from her eyes, enabling her to look upon and comprehend the significance of life, that monster made up of beauty and brutality.' What is the significance of Edna's sexual awakening to the overall story? Why do you think it is Alcèe Arobin who evokes this response in her, and 'not love which held this cup of life to her lips'? Is Robert LeBraun's reponse to Edna at the end of the novel simply a reiteration of the larger society's perspective on appropriate behavior for women? What do you think of his parting note? 'She understood clearly now what she had meant long ago when she said to Adèle Ratignolle that she would give up the unessential, but she would never sacrifice herself for her children' Throughout the novel, Edna strives to define herself outside the roles prescribed for her. Why do you think the role of motherhood is especially challenging to Edna? How does she view that role, and herself within it? How does her understanding change over the course of the novel? In which ways does Adèle form a counterpoint to Edna? Can you think of other themes which start out as half-‐formed impressions to Edna, and which are very clear to her by the end of the novel? 'I wish I could declare The Awakening a period piece, but Chopin's social analysis still hits the mark.' Barbara Kingsolver's introduction makes the case for the continuing relevance of this seminal piece of feminist literature. Do you agree? If the specific circumstances facing women have changed since Edna Pontellier's time, what essentials, if any, remain the same? Why do you think this book is called The Awakening? To what degree does it imply slumber or dormancy, and what forms might that dormancy take?
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