The Awakening
Kate Chopin

Kate Chopin's short novel The Awakening tells the story of Edna Pontellier, a woman who lives a privileged life in New Orleans and spends summers vacationing on the Gulf of Mexico. One summer by the ocean, Mrs. Pontellier begins “to realize her position in the universe as a human being, and to recognize her relations as an individual to the world within and about her” (17). First published in 1899, this story so shocked its readership that Kate Chopin's promising literary career came to an abrupt--and premature--end. It drew a storm of criticism for its "shocking, morbid, and vulgar" story and quickly went out of print. The novel was not resurrected until the 1950s, when its importance was recognized by participants in the growing women's movement. However, today The Awakening is among the five most-read American novels in colleges and universities and is considered an early example of American realism.

Either this summer or in the first few days of school, your assignment is to read the novel (including the introduction), paying attention to the key textual details that influence our perceptions of Edna and her life, including her social roles and relationships, her inner life or consciousness, her motivations, and any important conflicts or changes that she experiences. You will be completing the following assignments in the first weeks of school.