The Awakening Essay

Literature may be studied--criticized--from many different viewpoints. Some critics examine literature, and the characters that authors create, from psychological viewpoints--perhaps even through the lens of a specific psychologist such as Freud. Other literary critics examine novels and plays through specific economic/political ideologies such as Marxism. Still others compare a piece of literature to the historical events happening at the time the novel or play was written. However, Chopin's novella The Awakening may be best examined through the lens of feminist theory which explores the female characters in any novel or play--how are they repressed by male characters; how society views their role within that society; and how they attempt to find freedom and power within a society which views them as inferior. In a well organized essay which features a clear and concise introduction, discuss how Edna attempts to find her place in a world which doesn't seem to care about her as an individual. Be sure to suggest whether her attempts are successful or not. You may consult your text for the correct spelling of character names. Be sure to underline the title. Be sure to rely on a predominate present tense. If you are already not doing so, make an effort to provide your reader with sentence variety. Sentence variety may be achieved by starting sentences with dependent (subordinate) elements such as "Later in the novel," or "After Edna decides to become an artist,".