The Awakenning: Edna's Cowardly End

Justin Wickett 5/25/2004 Edna's Cowardly End <Tab/>Victorian women of the late 1800s were expected to perform their domestic duties and care for the health and the happiness of their families, which prevented them from seeking the satisfaction of their own wants and needs, thus limiting the opportunities for individual expression. In The Awakening by Kate Chopin, Edna's gradual process of awakening unfolds causing her to discover her own identity and acknowledge …

…Mademoiselle Reisz had simply won. Edna's suicide would not have been necessary had she followed in the footsteps of Mademoiselle Reisz, who was Edna's main role model, yet she spent so little time learning from her and taking her words to heart. Although suicide was an effective way of escaping society, Edna was not able to enjoy the freedoms that she would have otherwise had if she spent the time being counseled by Mademoiselle Reisz.