Edna Pontellier In The Awakening
Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, Emory University historian and women's studies scholar was once interviewed on a documentary about Kate Chopin, the author of The Awakening (Fox, 2007, p. 27). She described Chopin as, "
a woman who took women extremely seriously. She never doubted women's ability to be strong. She came from a long line of strong women whom she loved and respected," (E. Fox-Genovese, personal communication, June 23, 1999). Although she was influenced by the womanizing author Guy de Maupassant, Chopin's most recognized novel, The Awakening, leaks feminism on every page (E. Fox-Genovese). Throughout The Awakening, Kate Chopin develops her heroine, Edna Pontellier, as the "ultimate feminist".
Although the first nine chapters hint and suggest feminism, Edna Pontellier does not begin to express her independence until chapter ten when Edna is able to swim for the first time (Chopin, 1972, p. 47). This epiphany is strongly symbolic of Edna's empowerment and her viewpoint......
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