The (in)appropriateness of Edna's behavior throughout the novel. Does her "awakening" benefit society, women, or herself? "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin.

When "The Awakening" begins, Edna is a polite and respectable woman who concerns herself little with her standing in society; however, as her "awakening" progresses, she's transformed into a self-centered and detrimental member of her community. Edna lets her misconception that she has a more complex understanding of the world serve as an excuse for her to harm everyone around her. In reality, Edna's "awakening" is only a change from a kind to an unappealing …

…and Robert is left heartbroken. Edna's immorality hardly makes her a model for other women to follow, and if anything, Edna has wasted an opportunity to make a stand for women, and instead, has only disgraced the cause. In the end, Edna has virtually squandered the final hours of her life. She has not been a source of happiness or good deeds, or strength for others. All Edna accomplishes is a quiet death by drowning.