The Awakening Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Relationship of The Awakening and Creole Society &9In The Awakening, Kate Chopin brings come out of the closet the essence of through the characters of her novel. In this novel Edna Pontellier faces many problems because she is an outcast from society. As a result of her isolation from society she has to learn to fit in and deal with her problems. This situation causes her to go through a series of awakenings that dish out her find herself, but this also causes problems with her preserve because she loses respect for him and the society she departs in. end-to-end the novel she is faced with unfavorable circumstances which confuse and eventually gobble up her. Kate Chopin uses Creole Society in the 1890s as a foot for her novel and expresses it through Creole women, personal relationships, and etiquette.&9The Awakening is a book based on French Creoles and their lifestyle which is expressed throughout the novel. Creoles were French Creole Society descendents of French and Spanish Colonists of the 1700s. They had strong family ties because of universality and were a tight community because they where considered outcasts of Anglo- American society. Clement Eaton says that"the Creoles, to a greater degree then Anglo-Americans, lived a life of sensation and careless enjoyment. They love to dance, gamble, fish, attend feasts, play on the fiddle and to live without much estimation of the morrow." Eaton 252Creoles were very lively outgoing people because of their comfortable tight society. Activities such as Mardi Gras and Sunday afternoon Mass holiday spirits afford the liveliness of these people (Walker 252). A large reason for their comfort and "live for the moment" attitude was that Creoles did not move west like near other colonists to claim land. Instead they stayed in relatively the same field of study and just grew in population without consumption of other lands . This caused a shortage of land so it had to be repeatedly divid ed among the families and it also make it difficult for the plantation system to operate successfully (Walker 253).Background of Creoles Until 1888 the husband was legal guardian and was given custody of the children when in a divorce. In the 1890 segregation was legalized (Jim Crow laws), but blacks horizons were expanding also. "In Louisiana after the genteel War, African American men had voted in lar... ... of the Old South. Ed. Albert D. Kirwan. Lexington &9U of Kentucky P, 1968. 83. Qtd. in Walker, 252.Shaffter, Mary L. "Creole Women." The Chatauquan 15 (1982) 346-347. Rpt. in"The Awakening" An compulsive Text. Ed. Margo Culley. in the raw York Norton, 1994. 137-139.Walker, Nancy. "Feminist or Naturalist?" The Social Context of Kate Chopins The &9Awakening. 17(1979) 95-103. Rpt. in "The Awakening" An Authoritative &9Text. Ed. Margo Culley. fresh York Norton, 1994. 137-139.Wells, Richard A. "An Etiquette Advice entertain Sampler.&q uot Decorum A Practical&9&9Treatise on Etiquette and beautify of the Best American Society. (1886) 248-49.&9Rpt. in "The Awakening" An Authoritative Text. Ed. Margo Culley. New&9York Norton, 1994.122-125.Young, John H. "An Etiquette Advice Book Sampler." Our Deportment, Or the&9Manners, Conduct and fig up of the Most Refined Society. (1882) 56. Rpt. in&9"The Awakening" An Authoritative Text. Ed. Margo Culley. New York Norton, 1994. 122-125.