The Awakening Symbolism

Brittany Tran

The Awakening Symbolism

There are many sources of symbolism in the novel The Awakening by Kate Chopin. The most obvious and repetitive one is the ocean. The sea represents freedom, desires and solitude, these elements of the ocean come together to make Edna's awakening.

Freedom and independence is a very important theme throughout the novel, Edna spends most of the novel trying to free herself from societies expectations. The ocean shows Edna's growing awareness of self-worth. The first moment this is shown is when Edna decides to try swimming for the first time, this shows her growing confidence in herself and her want to be freed from the things that were holding her back. "She turned her face seaward to gather in an impression of space and solitude, which the vast expanse of water, meeting and melting with the moonlit sky, conveyed to her excited fancy. As she swam she seemed to be reaching out for the unlimited in which to lose herself." This shows how Edna wants to be free of responsibilities of motherhood and societies, she wants to lose the part of herself that was controlled and instead become free. Another instance in which the ocean shows Edna's independence is in the final chapters of the novel, when she decides to end her life by drowning in the ocean. This is the ultimate show of her independence and her awakening because it shows that she is completely in control of her life, mind and spirit.

The second theme that the sea represents in The Awakening is Edna's desire, not only her desires to be free but also her sexual desires and her maturation as a character. "A feeling of exultation over took her, as if some power of significant import had been given her to control the working of her body and her soul. She grew daring and reckless, over estimating her strength. She wanted to swim far out" This shows Edna's desire to be free and because she wants to be free so bad she forgets all of her responsibilities therefore over estimating her abilities to handle the freedom that she had wanted so badly, eventually leading to her suicide. The sea shows her desire for passion with Robert and her passionate lust for Alcee.

The final thing that the ocean symbolizes in the novel is solitude. Throughout the novel the sea plays a role in the solitude that Edna feels when she becomes independent. "She turned her face seaward to gather in an impression of space and solitude, which the vast expanse of water, meeting and melting with the moonlit sky, conveyed to her excited fancy. As she swam she seemed to be reaching out for the unlimited in which to lose herself." In this Edna is experiencing her insignificance to the world; she is feeling the loneliness that comes with the desire to be free from the conformities of the Victorian society. "The voice of the sea is seductive;