Naked and Free in The Awakening :: Chopin Awakening Essays

Naked and Free in The Awakening    The Awakening, by Kate Chopin seems to fit neatly into twentieth century patterns.  Chopin addresses psychological issues that must retain been difficult for people of the late nineteenth century to grasp.  Just as Edna died a premature death, Chopins book died too.  The rejection of this book, at the time, ironically demonstrates the pressure many women must have felt to conform to society.  Chopin shows the reader, through Edna Pontellier, that society restricts women the adept to individuality.  This restriction by society can be seen in the clothes Victorian women wore during the time.     For example, we see wearing used as an important allegory in the story.  Victorian womens clothing was extremely confining, much like their life.  The clothing can be seen as a type of cage which is seeming when we see Edna and Adele walking to the beach in chapter seven.  Adele wore a veil, doe uncase gloves, ashen gauntlets ... was dressed in pure white, with a fluffiness of ruffles that became her (478).  Adele was the ideal of beauty.  Edna, on the other hand, wore a cool muslin that morning ... a white linen collar and a big straw hat (478).  We admit that a casual and indiscriminating observer ... might not rolling wave a second glance (478) towards Edna.  The fact that Edna was simply dressed showed her non consent towards societys standards.  When the two women get to the beach, Edna removes her collar and unbuttons her dress at the throat.  Her decision not to wear all the garments is a hint at the rebellion to come.   another(prenominal) obvious example of the symbolism of clothing is seen at the end of the invention when Edna removes all of her clothing before committing suicide.  Chopin writes that when Edna was there beside the sea, absolutely alone, she cast the unpleasant, tingle garments from her, and fo r the first time in her life stood naked in the discourteous air (558).  Edna seems to be removing her final restrictions before finding her freedom in death.  This last rebellion against society seems to give Edna her final arouse.  This awakening can be seen when Chopin writes, She felt like some new innate(p) creature opening its eyes in a familiar knowledge base that it had never known (558).