The Awakening
There are three novels on the reading list for ENGL317 - Intro to Narrative - Coming Through Slaughter by Michael Ondaajte, Foundation by Isaac Asimov and The Awakening by Kate Chopin.
The bonus of The Awakening is that it is freely available from Project Gutenberg. It's considered an early piece of feminist literature, but is so painfully dated and demonstrated the oppression of other classes of women that it is very much a product of its time. Apparently it was quite scandalous and it's easy to see why. The wealthy Edna Pontellier, after experiencing a summertime romance with young Robert Lebrun, returns to New Orleans where she progressively abandons her duties as a lady, her children are sent to live with their grandmother, her husband becomes increasingly puzzled and she pines for Robert. Young Mr. Lebrun, upon discovering that the romance will not work out, runs away to Mexico. Eventually Edna becomes an artist, moves out of her family home and despairs when Robert returns to New Orleans only to emotionally devastate her. As the social constructs fall away she creates her own prison of increasing isolation.
Truly, Kate Chopin was the Stephanie Meyers of her day. The twenty or so chapters that detail (and I do mean detail) Edna's "awakening" are infused with romantic longing and whinging. They are incredibly static and really, one only just needs to read the first 10 chapters and last six to understand the story. The writing is really terrible and not very sensual in the Victorian sense. The overly dramatic ending does the story no favours either - it seems to reinforce that artists only have one choice when dealing with their melancholy. In fact, Edna had some choice, but refused to use it.
It's hard to feel sympathy for the privileged Edna, who keeps black servants, social structure and has the money to escape the social confines of her day. But better a misguided step than no steps at all I suppose. I can see why the book was chosen for the reading list, but I think something more contemporary would have been more relatable.
The bonus of The Awakening is that it is freely available from Project Gutenberg. It's considered an early piece of feminist literature, but is so painfully dated and demonstrated the oppression of other classes of women that it is very much a product of its time. Apparently it was quite scandalous and it's easy to see why. The wealthy Edna Pontellier, after experiencing a summertime romance with young Robert Lebrun, returns to New Orleans where she progressively abandons her duties as a lady, her children are sent to live with their grandmother, her husband becomes increasingly puzzled and she pines for Robert. Young Mr. Lebrun, upon discovering that the romance will not work out, runs away to Mexico. Eventually Edna becomes an artist, moves out of her family home and despairs when Robert returns to New Orleans only to emotionally devastate her. As the social constructs fall away she creates her own prison of increasing isolation.
Truly, Kate Chopin was the Stephanie Meyers of her day. The twenty or so chapters that detail (and I do mean detail) Edna's "awakening" are infused with romantic longing and whinging. They are incredibly static and really, one only just needs to read the first 10 chapters and last six to understand the story. The writing is really terrible and not very sensual in the Victorian sense. The overly dramatic ending does the story no favours either - it seems to reinforce that artists only have one choice when dealing with their melancholy. In fact, Edna had some choice, but refused to use it.
It's hard to feel sympathy for the privileged Edna, who keeps black servants, social structure and has the money to escape the social confines of her day. But better a misguided step than no steps at all I suppose. I can see why the book was chosen for the reading list, but I think something more contemporary would have been more relatable.