Question

symbolism in the awakening

Answer 1

symbolism in the awakening --Kate Chopin, in her novel 'The Awakening' uses the symbol of caged birds to signify entrapment of Victorian women in general and Edna's entrapment in particular. The symbol of the sea to represent freedom and escape.Madame Lebrun's parrot and mocking bird represent Edna and Madame Reisz respectively. Like the birds, the women's movements are limited and they are unable to communicate with the world around them. The novel's winged women may only use their wings to protect and shield, never to fly. Edna's attempts to escape her husband, children and society manifest the arrested flight, as her efforts only land her in another cage, i.e. the pigeon house. While Edna sees her new house as a sign of independence, the pigeon house represents her ability to remove herself from her former life, as her move takes her just two steps away. In the end 'a bird with a broken wing was beating the air above, reeling, fluttering, circling disabled down, down to the water', if the bird does not symbolize Edna herself (her suicide), them its fall represents the fall of convention achieved by Edna's suicide.

The sea is the vast expanse that Edna can brave only when she is solitary and only after she has discovered her own strength. When in the water, Edna is reminded of the depth of the universe and of her own position as a human being within that depth. The sensuous sound of the surf constantly beckons and seduces Edna throughout the novel. Water's association with cleansing and baptism make it a symbol of rebirth. The sea, thus also serves as a reminder of the fact that Edna's awakening is a rebirth of sorts. Appropriately, Edna finds her life in the sea; a space of infinite potential becomes a blank and enveloping void that carries both promise and a threat. In its sublime vastness, the sea represents the strength, glory and lonely horror of independence. I HOPE IT HELPS U ALOT.