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1、A Thematic Analysis and Artistic Techniques of Kate Chopins The Awakening Contents Acknowledgementsi Abstract she is yours, I should laugh at you both.”(Chopin, 1899:167) Robert was retreated in fear by Ednas self-manifesto gradually and adopted the avoidance form like Ednas feeling that “the day wo
2、uld come when he, too, and the thought of him would melt out of her existence, leaving her alone.” (Chopin, 1899:175) We can see the society of male primarily played the leading role in the process of portraying the female from the communication of Edna, two women and three men. It also certificated
3、 the renowned feminist representative personage Simone De Beauvoirs viewpoint: A person is a woman who is not inbreed but formed (Beauvoir, 1988:23).This socialized result was that the female received disparages and the society encouraged women to give up themselves and the pursuit of being an indep
4、endent person because a female was regarded as her husbands property and sexual object in which women could not maintain their self-consciousness. 2.2 Feminist in Kate Chopins Time 2.2.1 The Womens Movement Emerges 6 The contradiction of society intensified day by day in America since 1990s. Economi
5、c depression deepened the class differentiation between 1893 and 1896. Urbanization and industrialization began to change the traditional life style. The Puritan morality was under the impact. The Womens Movement emerged in America since 1960s. The women of upper class had the opportunity to go to u
6、niversities and women of lower social class had begun to struggle for their bad working conditions. Two female organizations strove for ordinary voting rights in 1890. This time also accomplished a batch of New Women. They tried to be their own masters and choose their own lives. But in the conventi
7、onal custom society, they caused a lot of discrimination and were thought as intelligent but not perfect persons as “False Intellectual” that the doctor and Mr. Pontellier talked about in The Awakening. Kate Chopins resident placeNew Orleans was a rendezvous of women organizations in 1892. But only
8、minority of them joined in the Womens Movement because the female traditional sex role ingrained in male power society. The upper class women in south were requested being noble virtuous young women when they were children. The Creole women played “Family Angels” in relative narrow life spaces. Howe
9、ver, women organizations influenced the local women, provided the channels for the female education and broadened their field of vision (Showalter, E. 1991:67-70). 2.2.2 Kate Chopin in Womens Movement As the American present age feminist representative personage E. Showalter said, Kate Chopins growt
10、h was a synchronization of the three steps of the 19th century American female culture and writing (Showalter, E. 1991:83). She grew up in the Sentimentalism in 1850s and witnessed the situation that the female author who was called “The Local Characteristic Fiction” stepped in male writers creation
11、 domain and put writing the first task and family the second. Even some female writers lived in solitude that they could spare no efforts for their enterprises without implications; she also experienced the prosperity of Womens Movement in 1890s. Although Chopin was not a Womens Right member and had
12、 never run or shouted for womens striving for ordinary voting rights, she was an advocate of freedom, daring to break through the social customs. And she was a woman who had independent straightforward individuality. Her viewpoint closely related with the feminist ideas could be found anywhere in Th
13、e Awakening. Although feminist development has no complete strict ideology until now, but its thought core acknowledged male and female differences continuously and emphasized the equality of the 7 sexes (柏棣, 鲍晓兰, 1995:1). Since 1950s American women have experienced long-term unremitting efforts to
14、strive for equality of the sexes. However, the equality of the sexes was still a stern social reality. In Kate Chopins time, the overwhelming female majority was requested to act upon the female standard of Father Right society because the whole society was controlled by male power. The female self-
15、awareness formed gradually in the process of understanding themselves slowly and difficultly. The society requested women to be good wife, loving mother and family angels who belonged to father before wedding or belonged to husband after wedding (Full, M. Inge, M. Thomas. 1988:224). Being tied by ma
16、rriage, the female was transformed into husbands private property. In The Awakening, making use of what Edna said, Chopin expressed her discontent with this social reality: “I would give up the unessential; I would give up my money, I would give my life for my children; but I wouldnt give myself.”(C
17、hopin, 1899:97) Edna indicated clearly that she wouldnt throw herself into the jail of spirit for any others. It manifested Chopins strong feminine consciousness prominently. The feminist representative personage Virginia Woolf wrote in her work A Room of Ones Own: The females true independence has
18、two conditionshaving her own house and supporting herself in economy (Woolf, V. 1993:4). This viewpoint had obtained general feminists acceptance. Early before then, Kate Chopin discussed these two necessary conditions. After Edna awoke, her first action was taking up the paint brush to show her own
19、 creativity and attempting to be independent by selling her pictures for economic supporting. And her second actions was moving out her husbands luxurious mansion to the pigeon house and getting rid of the influence of the traditional idea from her own thought. The two actions had a common ground wh
20、ich maintains her completeness. Ednas actions indicated her decision that her development wouldnt be limited by society sex roles in which women were asked to be dignified wives and mothers. Her rebellious behaviors could be understood in nowadays. But they were avant-garde in the end of 19th centur
21、y and were dammed strongly. The awakening of sexual consciousness was synchronic with the female self-awareness in Kate Chopins time and the Feminist principal thoughts were vigorously developed. They were inseparable. But the female works did not concern womens desire and body which related to sexu
22、al consciousness in the contents under the 19th century background. Writing the awakening of female sexual consciousness in novels surpassed the imagination of readers, or we can say, that 8 belonged to a restricted zone. As a result, The Awakening was listed in banned books and Kate Chopin was rega
23、rded as an obscene writer. Actually, there was no lack of precedents in this area. D. H. Lawrence, James Joyce and Joyce Carol Oates who had the originality also suffered denouncement because of their bold straightforward descriptions in sexuality (Johnson, 1999:407). In Chopins time, people adopted
24、 evasive manners in sexual consciousness. Comparatively, Chopins action of touching the forbidden areas itself explained her courage of challenging traditional custom and her attention and consideration of female extant social situation. It also indicated Ednas suicide at the end of the novel. Soon
25、after the publication of The Awakening, a doctor wrote a letter to a friend:“Do you think the situation of Edna is an exception? Trust the old doctors words: This is quite universal. The fact is that Edna is much noble than others. She went into the sea but others still living on dishonorably.”(Chop
26、in, K. 1997) The end of going to the sea to drown has obvious certain times mark. At that time, this action would be thought as retribution of not following the traditional woman ethic because they received the condemnation of conscience and social custom that they had no way to escape. But Chopins
27、writing has taunt and subversion obviously. Edna didnt want the public to sneer or accuse her after her suicide. Chopin raises Ednas resistant consciousness in a high level by taking advantage of naked suicide which was identical with the development of Ednas self-awareness. It also expresses she is
28、 duty-bound not turn back and her determination that she would not bow her head to the traditional power. Chopins description on Edna pursuing self-awareness has some important significance. Some critics believe her outlook had been in advance at least ten years than her contemporaries (单雪梅 , 2003:1
29、50). Chopin depicts married women confusions, awakenings, struggling and despair by describing Edna. She gives Edna infinite sympathy, praises her unique quality instead of feeling sorry for her. In the development of American female literature, Chopin carries on the tradition of female literature;
30、meanwhile, she also surmounts of the traditional female novels much more. The pursuing of female self-independent personality and the discussion of the awakening in sexual consciousness all indicate that Chopins female understanding surpasses her predecessors. Chopin discovers the complications in t
31、he process of female psychological growth in male power society and expresses how to develop ones talent and how to achieve one. She dares to say what her 9 predecessor does not dare to, and this is also the reason that she could not be understood. But the history is fair. Feminist Movement had impr
32、oved the woman environment greatly after 1960. Chopin and her The Awakening had the benefit to enhance womens self-consciousness. In some degree, the effect was huge. Chopins unique view had the significance of the caution and the inspiration for us nowadays (单雪梅, 2003:150). 3. The Artistic Techniqu
33、es of The Awakening 3.1 The Imagery of The Awakening 3.1.1 The Imagery of the Bird At the beginning of the story, the one entered the readers view was not the leading character but the parrot which was closed in the birdcage hung outside of the door. Although it was Madame Lebruns pet, this bird cou
34、ld not get rid of the destiny that it was put in jail. The author seemed to remind readers that Ednas destiny was arranged as the same as the birds intentionally: Although she lived superiorly, she did not have the true freedom actually (邓建华, 2005:192). Chopin had arranged this plot: Mr. Pontellier
35、abhorred this parrots boisterousness. But he had no alternative because the parrot was Madame Lebruns pet. And then Mr. Pontellier saw his wife, a leading character coming back from the seashore. He did not keep silent anymore. “What folly! To bathe at such an hour in such heat! exclaimed Mr. Pontel
36、lier. You are burnt beyond recognition, he added, looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage.”(Chopin, 1899:44) If Mr. Pontellier had no right to control and teach his neighbors parrot, he had enough reasons to instruct his wife. As the b
37、ird belonged to Madame Lebrun, his wife belonged to him. Therefore Edna must always follow him undoubtedly. However, Edna was not a bird after all. The experiences of their vacation in Grand Isle had awakened her self-awareness. Edna did not want to become a bird in the birdcage any more but to fly
38、out to be her own master. When she came back from Grand Isle, Edna determined to get rid of her husbands attachment. Well, was this little bird able to bear the test of the wind and the rain? Ednas friend Mademoiselle Reisz, a pianist said sincerely: “The bird that would soar above the level plain o
39、f tradition and prejudice must have strong wings. It is a sad spectacle to see the weaklings bruised, exhausted, fluttering back to earth.”(Chopin, 1899:138) At the end of the story, Mademoiselle Reiszs words were confirmed. Her wisdom appeared gloriously on the paper. 10 Before Edna went to the sea
40、 to commit suicide, she saw “A bird with a broken wing was beating the air above, reeling, fluttering, circling disabled down, down to the water.”(Chopin, 1899:175) Edna wanted to exceed tradition but fell miserably as a bird, which also explains a situation that a woman wanted to obtain independenc
41、e and freedom was impossible in the male power society in 19th century. A resistance often needs to pay the price of blood, which was the same as Edna. 3.1.2 The Imagery of the Sea Ednas self-consciousness was awakened during her vacation in Grand Isle. In the process of her awakening, the sea playe
42、d a role which was not allowed to be neglected. Chopin intended to bring readers attention to the symbolic significance of the sea. First, the sea implied the connotation of loneliness. Ednas yearning for the sea was showed clearly in the sixth chapter: “The voice of the sea is seductive; never ceas
43、ing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation.” “The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace.”(Chopin, 1899:57) Ednas
44、yearning for the sea reflected her lonely inner world similarly. Although she had the abundant material life, she had no real self. Her spirit was lonely in the world for a woman could only be a mans accessory. Under the common custom fetters, Edna was used to this kind of lonely pain which was hidd
45、en in her heart. But she could release this emotion truly on the sea side because only could the lonely sea understand her feeling and comfort her lonely soul. Edna declared that she liked music. Wonderful music could let her reveal the imagination in her heart of hearts. Sometimes she liked to list
46、en to Mademoiselle Reisz playing the piano. Edna called one of the songs Solitude: “When she heard it there came before her imagination the figure of a man standing beside a desolate rock on the seashore. He was naked. His attitude was one of hopeless resignation as he looked toward a distant bird w
47、inging its flight away from him.” (Chopin, 1899:71) According to the plot development, Ednas awakening was emphasized by the imagery of the sea. It did not display the animals natural instinct but the metaphor of love ripples of her feelings. It also let Edna think another image: “A summer day in Ke
48、ntucky, of a meadow that seemed as big as the ocean to the very little girl walking through the grass, which was higher than 11 her waist.” Even more straightforward words: “She threw out her arms as if she was swimming when she walked, beating the tall grass as one striking out in the water.” When
49、Ednas friend asked about her past, she continued: “I felt as if I must walk on forever, without coming to the end of it. I dont remember whether I was frightened or pleased. I must have been entertained.”(Chopin, 1899:60) Lonely soul was the root that Edna getting rid of all the past fetters. And in the process of Ednas awakening, the sea was her mind placebo which strengthened Edna to get rid of the limit of the common custom and gave Edna confidence of being the master of her. By now, the sea had become the free sy