This past month we finished reading The Awakening by Kate Chopin and while reading it I realized I was truly enjoying what I was reading. Now upon reading the back cover and seeing that is a book about a married woman who discovers "the power of her own sexuality" and I thought why do I like this book about a married woman cheating on her husband? Usually when that happens in a book I no longer enjoy it because it goes against my moral code but it's because it wasn't a story focused on adultery, that wasn't the main statement. This was an empowering statement about individuality and how women are given roles by society.
When I started reading the book I really enjoyed the atmosphere the imagery put me in. The beach in the Gulf of Mexico is definitely a more desirable place to be than wintery Pennsylvania. I also enjoyed reading about Edna's friendships with the people they met on vacation. The dinners together and music to me was lovely.
Upon reading the book I discovered the social commentary that Chopin was making about the treatment of women. Now I'm not a crazy feminist, I like guys opening doors for girls and I believe in a marriage there are certain things husbands and wives should do. However, what the book addresses and what I also believe is that anyone, man or woman, needs their own identity before entering a relationship. The reason I liked this book was because Edna realized that she had no identity besides the one handed to her, being a wife and a mother, and discovered she was more than that. She was a human being, she had feelings and thoughts and emotions.
However she also recognized that society was not going to accept her and so she swam out into the ocean and killed herself. Another part of books I don't usually like, however Edna's choice to me was empowering. Compared to Okonkwo and Invisibleman Edna's suicide did not seem like the end, it was more like moving on to the next thing. The way Chopin wrote the story and built up to it there was no other way to end the book. The ending was inspiring rather than depressing. I'm not saying I condone suicide but for the statement Chopin was making the ending was perfect.
Now, Edna was not without fault. The concept of her liberation that I did not approve of was her choice for adultery as a way of finding herself. She was depending on a man to help her to find herself, which is not a weight another human being can handle. This is a huge problem for people in relationships. They become consumed with the idea of the other person so much that they begin to become their identity. When people refer to them instead of calling them their name it becomes so-and-so's girlfriend or boyfriend. They also find their self worth in how that other person views and treats them. Edna was guilty of this and it is the one aspect of her finding herself I didn't like because she is on a path towards self discovery and it was as a result of falling in love with one man and sleeping with another. Even though both instances were steps towards her self discovery it sent a mixed message.
Now, in this whole process of reading I was wondering how I could fit my faith into my interpretation of the Awakening. The statement made by the novel was that we need to find ourselves and women at this time period were not allot the ability to find themselves. Edna never actually found herself completely she started the process however moved on to the next life. It spoke on the fact that we as humans are all empty and need to be filled. Edna was first established on her roll as a wife and mother, then she tried to fill herself with the affection of a man, and even physical affection, however none of these were sufficient. However that hole can be filled with the Holy Spirit. I don't mean to get all wacky and spiritual, however Jesus is where I ground my identity. When I think about who I am the answer is I am a beloved daughter of Christ. I am strong in that, and because that is in the core of my being it transfers itself throughout my life and I am filled with confidence. I also know I am loved by my family and friends. Being loved by God first grounds me in who I am and then from there it's the love of other people. People change and are inconsistent which is why they can't be used to define us. God is constant.
Because this books addresses the emptiness caused by sin and also addresses the importance of finding ourselves I can say with confidence that I really liked the Awakening.
