Historical Perspective of Motherhood in "the Awakening"

Kate Chopin's 1899 novel, The Awakening, shows a woman's struggle to find herself in late 19th century America. The novel focuses on women's issues with psychological complexes of the 19th century South. Edna Pontellier finds independence and freedom of expression all while hiding behind the marriage and family she believes is holding her back. Women during this time were discriminated upon: they were not allowed to participate in politics, many were not allowed proper schooling, and they were treated as property. The changes we know of today were because of the strong, self-confident women of the 19th century.

The Awakening takes place in Louisiana in the late 1800s, during a time where Modernism was taking over the Victorian era. Edna married into the Creole society and never really took to how the Creole lived. Creole's "were considered elite members of society and they celebrated their French culture and lived according to the mannerisms and traditions of European society" (N.A., 2009). Family was also most important to the Creole society. Traditionally, men were heads of the household, while the women dedicated their lives to the home and family. Marriage in the Victorian era was not romanticized like many novels of the time depicted. Actual love played a minor role marriage. Engagements were done more like business deals and there were many rules to follow. Victorian women had to be equipped with a dowry, and the future husband had to prove he could support his new wife. Women didn't marry for love - they married because they had no other option. They were not formally educated and they needed someone to support them. Their only purpose was to marry and have children. Divorce was looked down upon and was hard to obtain. One of the only reasons for divorce was adultery, but it was really only valid for a man. Women could use adultery as an excuse, but she would have to prove incest, bigamy or excessive cruelty. Laws in the mid-19th century were modified to make divorce more accessible, but it was still scarce. It was extremely expensive and was neither socially or economically practical" (Ziegenfuss, Unknown). In today's world, love is the main reason for marriage. In the early 20th century, dating was on the rise. In the 1950s, marriage was almost mandatory and the term "nuclear family" was born. In the 1970s, couples decided to divorce instead of making things work, causing divorce rates to skyrocket. Marriage today is based on love. Many people are waiting to marry rather than rushing into it (PT Staff, 2008).

Religion represents one of the normalcies that modernism begins to undermine. Edna has never been one for church, both as a child and as an adult and tries to reject organized religion as a source of solace and valid truth. She thinks back to one of her childhood memories of wandering through a field of tall grass, and tells Madame Ratignolle, "Likely as not it was Sunday . . . and I was running away from prayers, from the Presbyterian service, read in a spirit of gloom by my father that chills me yet to think of" (Chopin, 21). Edna feels oppressed and drowsy during service. She feels trapped in religion and it becomes uncertainties in the course of her awakening. The mother-women that surrounded Edna have given up their identities with religious conviction. "They were women who idolized their children, worshiped their husbands, and esteemed it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels" (Chopin, 12). Edna compares Madame Ratignolle to the faultless Madonna. Edna begins to reject the Victorian expectations and begins to take toward the Modernist. The absence of her children makes her feel free of her responsibility, though she does not admit this, even to herself. She values herself rather than motherhood, telling Madame Ratignolle, ""I would give up the unessential;. . . but I wouldn't give myself" (52).

Female