Analysis Feminism In The Awakening Novel By Kate Chopin

By

Chrysantia Dwina / 4516051001

English Department

Faculty of Letter

Bosowa University

2018/2019
 Chapter I

Introduction

A. Background

Prose is a type of writing that is distinguished from poetry because of the greater variation in
rhythm, and the language that is more in line with its lexical meaning. The word prose comes
from the Latin "prose" which means "frankly". This type of prose writing is usually used to
describe a fact or idea. Therefore, prose can be used for newspapers, magazines, novels,
encyclopedias, letters, as well as various other types of media. Prose is a literary work divided
into three, namely romance, novels and short stories Waluyo (2006).

Novel is a long prose essay that contains a series of stories of a person's life with people around
him and highlights the character (character) and nature of each actor. Novel consists of certain
chapters and sub-chapters according to the story of the story. Contrasted with short stories, the
difference is that short stories focus on intensity, while novels tend to be broad "expands". Good
novels tend to focus on the emergence of complexity, which is the ability to convey complex
problems in full, create a world that is "made", different from short stories that are implicit,
namely to tell the problem briefly.

Feminism is a range of political movements, ideologies, and social movements that share a
common goal: to define, establish, and achieve political, economic, personal, and social gender
equality. Hannam (2007) stated that feminism can be interpreted as : A Recognition of an
imbalance of power between the sexes, with woman in a subordinate role to men.

Kate Chopin “The Awakening” was bold piece of fiction in its time and protagonist Edna
Pontellier was a controversial character. She upset many nineteenth century expectation for
woman and their supposed role. Kate Chopin displays this rejection gradually, but the concept of
motherhood is major theme throughout the novel. Because that's what makes researchers
interested in analyzing the value of feminism in the novel
B.Objective of Research

1. Describe Feminism in The Awakening Novel by Kate Chopin

2. Means feminism in The Awakening Novel

C. Significance of Research

The writer hopes that this article will be useful for readers interested in learning English
Literature and novels in English in general. To be more specific to the importance of this
research :

1. Being useful information for the writer himself to analyze literary works

2. Being useful information for students who study literature because they can learn a lot about
literary appreciation and analysis

3. Being useful information for other researchers who analyze literature, so that the results of this
study can be information material for similar research in the future
 Chapter II

A. Previous study

Thesis by Dedi Rahman Nur (2017) entitled “An Analysis of the feminist characters in
Kate Chopin the Awakening” which analyzes feminist characters in the Kate Chopin
work, with the focus of research how is the feminist character reflected on Kate Chopin
Awakening and how do the feminist character affect the development plot in Kate
Chopin novel. With the results of research that Edna Pontellier feminist character has a
contribution to the development of the plot of the stories.

B. Feminism Theory
1.1 Definition
Feminism is a range of political movements, ideologies, and social movements that
share a common goal: to define, establish, and achieve political, economic, personal,
and social gender equality. This includes fighting gender stereotypes and seeking to
establish educational and professional opportunities for women that are equal to
those for men.
Feminism, the belief in social, economic and political equality of the sexes.
Although largely originating in the west, Feminism manifested worldwide and is
represented by various institutions committed to activity on behalf of women’s rights
and interest.

1.2 History

Charles Fourier, a Utopian Socialist and French philosopher, is credited with having
coined the word "féminisme" in 1837. The words "féminisme" ("feminism") and
"féministe" ("feminist") first appeared in France and the Netherlands in 1872, Great
Britain in the 1890s, and the United States in 1910, and the Oxford English
Dictionary lists 1852 as the year of the first appearance of "feminist" and 1895 for
"feminism". Depending on the historical moment, culture and country, feminists
 around the world have had different causes and goals. Most western feminist
historians contend that all movements working to obtain women's rights should be
considered feminist movements, even when they did not (or do not) apply the term
to themselves. Other historians assert that the term should be limited to the modern
feminist movement and its descendants. Those historians use the label
"protofeminist" to describe earlier movements.

The history of the modern western feminist movements is divided into three
"waves". Each wave dealt with different aspects of the same feminist issues. The
first wave comprised women's suffrage movements of the nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries, promoting women's right to vote. The second wave was
associated with the ideas and actions of the women's liberation movement beginning
in the 1960s. The second wave campaigned for legal and social equality for women.
The third wave is a continuation of, and a reaction to, the perceived failures of
second-wave feminism, which began in the 1990s.

C. Synopsis

The novel opens with the Pontellier family—Léonce, a New Orleans businessman of
Louisiana Creole heritage; his wife Edna; and their two sons, Etienne and Raoul—
vacationing on Grand Isle at a resort on the Gulf of Mexico managed by Madame
Lebrun and her two sons, Robert and Victor.

Edna spends most of her time with her close friend Adèle Ratignolle, who cheerily
and boisterously reminds Edna of her duties as a wife and mother. At Grand Isle,
Edna eventually forms a connection with Robert Lebrun, a charming, earnest young
man who actively seeks Edna's attention and affections. When they fall in love,
Robert senses the doomed nature of such a relationship and flees to Mexico under
the guise of pursuing a nameless business venture. The narrative focus moves to
Edna's shifting emotions as she reconciles her maternal duties with her desire for
social freedom and to be with Robert.

When summer vacation ends, the Pontelliers return to New Orleans. Edna gradually
reassesses her priorities and takes a more active role in her own happiness. She starts
to isolate herself from New Orleans society and to withdraw from some of the duties
traditionally associated with motherhood. Léonce eventually talks to a doctor about
diagnosing his wife, fearing she is losing her mental faculties. The doctor advises
Léonce to let her be and assures him that things will return to normal.
 When Léonce prepares to travel to New York City on business, he sends the boys to
his mother. Being left home alone for an extended period gives Edna physical and
emotional room to breathe and reflect on various aspects of her life. While her
husband is still away, she moves out of their home and into a small bungalow nearby
and begins a dalliance with Alcée Arobin, a persistent suitor with a reputation for
being free with his affections. Edna is shown as a sexual being for the first time in
the novel, but the affair proves awkward and emotionally fraught.

Edna also reaches out to Mademoiselle Reisz, a gifted pianist whose playing is
renowned but who maintains a generally hermetic existence. Her playing had moved
Edna profoundly earlier in the novel, representing what Edna was starting to long
for: independence. Mademoiselle Reisz focuses her life on music and herself instead
of on society's expectations, acting as a foil to Adèle Ratignolle, who encourages
Edna to conform. Reisz is in contact with Robert while he is in Mexico, receiving
letters from him regularly. Edna begs Reisz to reveal their contents, which she does,
proving to Edna that Robert is thinking about her.

Eventually, Robert returns to New Orleans. At first aloof (and finding excuses not to
be near Edna), he eventually confesses his passionate love for her. He admits that the
business trip to Mexico was an excuse to escape a relationship that would never
work.

Edna is called away to help Adèle with a difficult childbirth. Adèle pleads with Edna
to think of what she would be turning her back on if she did not behave
appropriately. When Edna returns home, she finds a note from Robert stating that he
has left forever, as he loves her too much to shame her by engaging in a relationship
with a married woman.

In devastated shock, Edna rushes back to Grand Isle, where she had first met Robert
Lebrun. Edna escapes in an ultimate manner by committing suicide, drowning
herself in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico

Review :

The Awakening is most certainly a feminist novel or at least a Protofeminist novel since
the book predates both the word and concept feminism.
 Chapter III
A. Finding
1.1 Feminism in The Awakening novel
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 7)
He reproached his wife with her inattention, her habitual neglect of the children.
If it was not a mother’s place to look after children, whose on earth was it ( Chopin13)
A feeling of exultation 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,
overestimating her strength. She wanted to swim far out, where no woman had swum
before ( Chopin 47)
She wondered why Robert had gone away and left her. It did not occur to her to
think he might have grown tired of being with her the livelong day. She was not tired
and she felt that he was not. She regretted that he had gone. It was so much more
natural to have him stay when he was not absolutely required to leave her.( Chopin 67)
I would give up the unessential. I would give my money. I would give my life for
my children, but I wouldn’t give myself. I can’t make it more clear. It’s only something
which I am beginning to comprehend which is revealing itself to me ( Chopin 80)
She was seeking herself and finding herself in just such sweet half-darkness
which met her moods. But the voices were not soothing that came to her from the
darkness and the sky above and the stars. They jeered and sounded mournful notes
without promise, devoid even of hope ( Chopin 87)
A Feeling that was unfamiliar, but very delicious came over her ( Chopin 120)
The pigeon house pleased her, it at once assumed the intimate character of a
home, while she herself invested it with a charm which it reflected like a warm glow.
There was with her a feeling of having descended in the social scale, with a
corresponding some of having risen in the spiritual. Every step which she took toward
relieving herself from obligations added to her strength and expansion as an individual.

she began to look with her own eyes, to see and to apprehend the deeper undercurrents
of life.( Chopin 156)
 She understood now clearly what she had meant long ago when she said Adele
Ratignolle that she would give up the unessential, but she would never sacrifice herself
for her children (Chopin 188).

1.2 Meaning
Personal property (Chopin 7)
it's quite clear that Mr. Pontellier sees his wife as a piece of property rather than
equal partner or individual
Irresponsible mother (Chopin 13)
Mr. Pontellier denounced his wife for neglecting her children and as an irresponsible
mother
Beginning of Edna Awakening(Chopin 47)
it appears that the character of Edna began to develop, wanting to start something
new
Dependence on Robert( Chopin 67)
It means that Edna has lost Robert a lot and she is very dependent on him
Edna self & Soul (Chopin 80)
She tells Adele that she would give up the inessential, money and her life for her
children but that she wouldn’t give up herself.
Foresight of independent(Chopin 87)
She was looking for herself and finding herself just as sweet as half-darkness which
met her mood.
Toward independence(Chopin 120)
That the character of Edna will lead to freedom, independence
Solitary (Chopin 156)
The more she cast off the obligations and responsibility for her by society the more
Edna became individual
Forever Caged(Chopin 188)
the soul slavery that her children will drag her role that society decrees for edna,
dedicated wife and mother is exactly this- her identity- which will not sacrifice for her
children. The only way to get this fate is to drown to sea
B. Conclusion

In the awakening Edna Pontelier undergoes many changes. She discovers a sense of independent
and shows this through her emotions and rebellion against the society. Edna’s life changed
drastically that she realized that she can no longer live a lie, playing the role of a mother and
woman
 References

Herman. J Waluyo. 2006. Pengkajian dan apresiasi prosa fiksi. Surakarta.: Universitas sebelas
maret

A Suminto Sayuti.2000. Berkenalan dengan prosa fiksi. Yogyakarta. Gama Media

Hannam. J . 2007.Feminism.England. Pearson/Longman

Brunell laura,Burkett Elinor.2019. https://www.britannica.com/topic/feminism ( Access Saturday

5th 2019, at 17.00 pm )