Life in the Iron Mills

Both Life in the Iron Mills and The Awakening represent the tragic death of an artist. Rebecca Harding Davis describes the life of Hugh, an aspiring artist confined to his role as a lower class mill worker. Kate Chopin portrays Edna Pontellier as a talented painter similarly confined by her role as a wife and mother. Both Edna and Hugh possess an artistic talent that leads them to question the meaning of their existence. Each …

…than any life of blind contentment in a societal role. Each novel echoes the teachings of Emerson to transcend the material world for greater truths. Chopin even writes that Edna picks up Emerson to read one afternoon. While neither character epitomizes Emerson’s ideal man, each attempts to follow the path of Emerson to transcend their roles in life and actualize their art. Both authors maintain that this is the only path to true happiness.