The Awakening - an absolutely wonderful work, which dives deep into the concept of a woman's independence, and her ability to do as she wishes, despite society's contrary expectations. I liked Edna Pontellier immensely despite, or perhaps because of her conflicting character, and her ever developing character -- going from a woman meek and shy beneath the spotlight of society to a strong, independent, and decided lady. I highlighted so many different lines and found the writing so lovely, and found it reminiscent of Virginia Woolf's writing, especially To The Lighthouse!

Emancipation - A life Fable - an interesting little story that I quite enjoyed despite its shortness. It makes me think a lot, especially about the idea that one raised in a cage notices nothing wrong, and fears the outside.

The 'Cadian Ball - A story that didn't hold much meaning to me, though it is an interesting view into said time in North America -- likely the Acadian diaspora in Louisiana given The Awakening was in New Orleans -- as well as some insight into the lives and treatment of other races and minorities such as African Americans and Spanish folk, by the white majority. 

Desiree's Baby - A conflicting and sad story that really reflects this period's harshness against people who are not white. I feel extremely sad for Desiree especially, for being condemned and revoked of the love of a man who once gave her all the love in the world, for something that should not be criticized, nor can it be controlled -- especially because of the ending's plot twist that it was actually Armand himself who was mixed. It's terrible and lamentful, that something as commonplace and simple as race could cause such an abhorrent reaction back then. 

La Belle Zoraide: Another story where we are present witnesses to the villainy of racism -- my heart aches terribly for Zoraide, her baby, and the man she loved. It's so terrible to think people could be so afflicted by someone else's race, as to ruin their whole life in a design to 'fix' them.

At Cheniere Caminada - a small but emotional story about the pangs of love and what they can do to someone who has fallen hopelessly in love with someone they cannot have -- I really liked it, despite its shortness!

The Story of An Hour - another short story, this time a little similar in the prospect of one's freedom from the weight of another's control and expectations -- I found it really interesting despite its length, especially Chopin's choice in having Louise die at the end! Perhaps she acquired her freedom in another sense?

Lilacs — a first heartwarming and then sorrowful story! I will admit i’m not entirely sure of its general meaning, though it seems to have connection to how some religions view the world, but all in all i think it’s very understandable for Adrienne to want to have some reprieve and refreshment away from the bustle of the active, urban world, and to return to the peacefulness and serenity of a childhood safe space -- and to banish her from that for such a frivolous reason as not being the same as the nuns or, i assume, something pious of the sort, due to her liveliness and wild nature, living a more 'worldly' life, is too sad!

Athenaise - a story about another independent young woman that I felt conflicted about, as there are so many ways to interpret it -- on one hand, it is sweet in the sense of Athenaise seeming to learn more about herself and her own soul through her experiences, but also somewhat bittersweet, the strain of her flighty manner and childishness on all of her relationships. She returns to her husband of her own will, it seems, after recognizing the love buried within her bosom, and I do hope that it really is love -- for it would be terrible for the both of them if another rift in their relationship occurred, where they did not rejoin after some reprieve. But really, it is dramatic, and yet all relationships are like this in some extent, with their major highs and lows in the process of loving someone.

A Pair of Silk Stockings - a story really about the sheer difference of even a small sum of money for a person living a much less lavish life than those typical of the period -- and the timeless fact of temptations and enjoyment born anew, that follow in succession. It sort of makes me think of a light in the dark, that will burn for a moment, flicker, and then dim to darkness once again.

Nég Créol — so utterly sad!

Elizabeth Stock's One Story - a brief story where you can't help but feel for the protagonist and her endeavors! so sad!

The Storm - a not so great sequel to The 'Cadian Ball that is simply about cheating on one's lover during a storm...

Before saying anything I have to clarify that this review is focused on <i>The Awakening</i> alone, since I've not been able to get through all of the short stories yet and what I had to read for class was the novella. So because the rest of the stories were not mandatory I will just review what I needed to read and once I've read everything I'll make an edit or I'll update if my review has changed. 

To be honest I think <i>The Awakening</i> has been one of the most enjoyable readings that I've had to read for class this year so far (together with <i>The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn</i>). Like with any other classic that I read I listened to an audiobook to go faster (since I'm always way behind schedule and need to finish everything ASAP, day in the life of a procrastinator). However, with Kate Chopin's novella I found myself many times pausing the audiobook and reading by myself to enjoy more what the narrator was telling, because I didn't want to skip any details. I love everything that this story has to tell and say, and the important message that it carries, so liberating and awakening (see what I did there?). It was neither too long, nor too ornamented with complicated words and sentences.

I guess the only thing left for me to say is: beware Alcée Arobin, I'm coming for your stupid ass, I don't like you.

A review just on The Awakening. I haven’t yet read the short stories.

I’ve been assigned this work twice now, and each time I’ve read it, I’ve loved it and gotten more out of it. It’s always incredible to me when a work from 100+ years ago still resonates so deeply. I hate how much I can empathize with Edna, but I appreciate having her as a character I can look to for comfort, almost, or maybe to feel seen and understood.

However, I can’t and won’t ignore how this narrative and other feminist narratives of this time period have huge issue regarding race and eugenics. Those topics need greater recognition and acknowledgement when early feminist media is discussed. It’s awful to think that these white women were begging for freedom and rights, yet would step on black women, poor women, disabled women, etc. to get where they wanted to be. 

Both of these points of view can exist simultaneously, people!

This novel/collection of stories is solidly written. There are more than a few beautiful passages. I found the writing stunning, woven together in a wonderful way, and I always felt drawn into the world. The way Chopin frames Edna’s frustration in her life is beautifully done. I felt drawn into the mental state of this woman through the clarity of the writing, and I appreciated that deeply. I do think that sections were perhaps slower than necessary at times, and that pulled me from the story every once in a while.

The characters are fantastically crafted. Edna in particular felt alive, with her dreams and hopes hanging in the balance as she attempted to discover her true desires. I actually enjoyed the characterization of her husband as well, as he tries (and fails) to understand what’s going on with his wife. My only complaint with the characters is that I would have loved a bit more space and time spent on her and Robert’s relationship. 

It’s a feminist story written potentially well before its time. I enjoyed the flow of events, and I was captivated throughout at various moments. However, a small complaint: I did feel lost at the treatment and story around Edna’s children. I felt like that kept pulling me from the story. 

The end was a bit mixed for me.

 "In short, Mrs. Pontellier was beginning 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." Chapter VI, p. 17. This is a quote from the book that made me invested in not just the story but the world in which the author was writing in. The Awakening by Kate Chopin was published in 1899. Set in and around New Orleans, The Awakening tells the story of Edna Pontellier, a young wife and mother who meets and falls in love with the son of a Louisiana resort owner. As she grows distant to her husband, Edna begins to develop a sense of herself as a whole person, with unique desires and interests. Wanting to take her life by her own hands, she flouts convention by moving out of her husband's house, having an adulterous affair, and becoming a painter. Despite the novel receiving appreciation from Chopin's contemporaries, she would have remained neglected by literary history if it were not for the recovery of The Awakening in the 1960s.

The novel is easy to read and medium paced, although it doesn't have the Victorian style English I was expecting it to have, I was still happily surprised by Chopin's eloquence in her narration. It didn't feel like she was portraying Mrs. Pontellier as either a protagonist or an antagonist but simply a flawed young woman in an incredibly sexist society, figuring out her place in it. The way sexism was depicted was not subtle but in your face which I liked. Quotes like "If it was not a mother's place to look after children, whose on earth was it? (Chapter III, p. 7)" and "Woman, my dear friend, is a very peculiar and delicate organism... Most women are moody and whimsical. This is some passing whim of your wife, due to some cause or causes which you and I needn't try to fathom. (Chapter XXII, p. 89)" highlights both the willful ignorance of men toward the fact that women have complexity and their accustomed place of privilege by gender. They cannot fathom a woman not wanting to be a mother or having emotions that doesn't meet their idea of how a woman should behave. Reading these parts of the novel just makes me imagine Chopin writing it with a smirk, knowing well that it will provoke the 19th century men who will read it. 
 

Mrs. Pontellier and her story throughout the novel raises many questions about womanhood, autonomy, and the gender roles placed in our society. She is a simple house wife and mother in the eyes of her husband and friends, but is that really all she is? Throughout the novel we get to have a piece of her mind: she wants to become an artist, to travel, to abandon her husband and run after a man she genuinely has feelings for, to live; not to just merely exist within the confine of societal expectations. The ending of the novel made many readers confused and provoked. Spoilers ahead. 

Swimming naked in the sea whilst thinking of her husband, her children, her lover, and her friends. They never really understood her perspective. Perhaps it was the pressure of gender roles that finally got to her, or the ignorance of men, or the hopelessness of pursuing art in a world where women were belittled; she gives up swimming and her strength is gone. Her suicide had many interpretations throughout the years, but that I will not go through for the sake of brevity. What is important is to know what she felt throughout the snippet of her life in which we were able to witness in the novel. 

The popularity of the novel speaks volumes on how relatable it still is today. How many women feel like Mrs. Pontellier? How many men are still ignorant over basic facts about womanhood? The character that Chopin created depicts a reflection of what needed to change in her world. During the 19th century, women were not able to vote, to pursue careers dominated by men, to continue to a higher education, to take a book in the library without the assumption that they are there to obtain it for their husband or father. Today, we have seen progress in gender equality, and in light of that we must appreciate works like Chopin's The Awakening; works that were ahead of its time and caused a multitude to think and act differently, to question the very way their society functions. 

To wake up. 

The Awakening features a frustrating, unrelatable, though somewhat sympathetic heroine whose story is made entertaining through Chopin's rich, colorful, page-turning prose. Replete with words like "befurbelowed" and French phrases, & set within a dreamy picture of 19th-century Louisiana, it goes at soap opera pace. The plot is as entertaining as it is stimulating, watching how women's role in society has both changed and not changed. The way that characters of colors are left nameless and reduced to only descriptions of their skin is repugnant, as is the heroine's enormous privilege. Much of the dialog is comically overdramatic. I found it charming. The realism of many passages is natural and makes it a joy to read. I found myself thoroughly entertained overall

but deeply disappointed with the ending.

4.5 for the Awakening only. The short stories fell a little short for me, but I absolutely loved The Awakening.