Character Interaction
Question/Answer
How does The Awakening speak to the roles of women and the conventions of literature at the end of the 19th century?
The Awakening speaks to the roles of women at the end of the 19th century by focusing on the expectations of women in the time era. Edna, along with other women, are supposed to specifically focus on their roles as house wives, their sole purpose in life being to please their husbands and care for their children. Women are not supposed to be independent and are not supposed to have strength without their husbands, mentally or physically. The women are supposed to solely depend on their husbands and are supposed to listen to whatever the men have to say. The Awakening illustrates these expectations through the description of Adéle’s lifestyle as well as the description of the lady in black’s lifestyle. Adéle solely lived to love her husband and care for her children, devoting her entire life to her role in society. The lady in black, who was a widow, saw no enjoyment in life and sulked around, simply because she could not function or succeed without her husband. Both of these women were viewed as ideal women in the 19th century, acting as complete contrasts of Edna. Literature in the 19th century was not based on affairs and definitely was not based on feminism. Literature mainly focused on male protagonists and females were seen as supporting characters. Romantic literature was based on firm relationships and adultery was very looked down on in the 19th century. When The Awakening was written, it received much criticism for its unconventional views compared to other pieces of literature during the specific time era.
The Awakening speaks to the roles of women at the end of the 19th century by focusing on the expectations of women in the time era. Edna, along with other women, are supposed to specifically focus on their roles as house wives, their sole purpose in life being to please their husbands and care for their children. Women are not supposed to be independent and are not supposed to have strength without their husbands, mentally or physically. The women are supposed to solely depend on their husbands and are supposed to listen to whatever the men have to say. The Awakening illustrates these expectations through the description of Adéle’s lifestyle as well as the description of the lady in black’s lifestyle. Adéle solely lived to love her husband and care for her children, devoting her entire life to her role in society. The lady in black, who was a widow, saw no enjoyment in life and sulked around, simply because she could not function or succeed without her husband. Both of these women were viewed as ideal women in the 19th century, acting as complete contrasts of Edna. Literature in the 19th century was not based on affairs and definitely was not based on feminism. Literature mainly focused on male protagonists and females were seen as supporting characters. Romantic literature was based on firm relationships and adultery was very looked down on in the 19th century. When The Awakening was written, it received much criticism for its unconventional views compared to other pieces of literature during the specific time era.
Question and Answer Audio |