"Interesting and timely...Chopin's oracular feminism and prophetic psychology almost outweigh her estimable literary talents."
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The Awakening is a novel written about a young woman named Edna Pontellier, who rebels against social norms and teachers herself to become an independent human being. With feminism being a huge theme in the novel, Edna believes that women are just as independent and driven as men are and makes an attempt to prove such. As a part of the Creole society, she is supposed to be a loyal wife and mother but would rather be on her own. Along with her independence, she has an affair which is once again strongly against social norms. Her rebellion and intimate desires lead to her eventual downfall and death.
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About the Author
Kate ChopinKate Chopin was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1850. While many of her stories were children's stories, the majority of her novels focused on the live of sensitive and intelligent women. While many of her novels were loved, The Awakening was widely hated. Many critics called it "morbid", "unhealthy", and "poison". Once published in 1899, the novel was criticized for decades. Finally, in 1969, Kate Chopin became the first woman writer in American literature to accept passion as a subject for outspoken fiction. She was then known for her knowingness of the truth and the complications of freedom as a writer.
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Missouri History Museum, St. Louis, USA
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