The Awakening

The initial metaphor of the bird trapped in the cage carries through the novel as Edna being trapped by her surroundings from a feminist point of view. Various aspects of her life stifle her such as her husband, children, and, especially, the social responsibility she holds as a women. She is neither required to educate herself and go into the work force not to devote herself to household as she has employees to take care of that. Edna is respectable due to her individuality and conviction to stay true to herself and not worry about societal implications. She does what she wishes and does not let herself be negatively affected by what people attempt to demand of her. She is constantly doubted and criticized by her husband, not wanting his ‘property’ to be damaged or out of the ordinary. She is not willing to lose herself to society, her husband, or her children. She is willing to give up her belongings and any material possession for her children and even give her own life. However, she is not willing to give up herself; she is not willing to lose her identity for her children. This is an admirable trait of Edna as she is committed to holding true to her own personality, yet, at times, it is very selfish of her. In the beginning, when her husband begs her to go check up on their children, she is very unwilling to do so, and, when she finally does, she has little concern for children. She does not have a consistent care for them when she is not around them and does not dote on her children. She is the exact opposite of Adele, however, this is only good to a certain extent. If Edna showed a bit more concern yet still held true to her own set of beliefs, she would be more admirable of a mother. Simply not performing the tasks expected of her does not make her a strong character but rather one to ignore her responsibilities, the most important being her children.

            Does Edna’s individuality prevent her from being a compassionate mother responsible for caring for them? Does her dedication to preserving her identity cause her to be irresponsible and careless to any degree?