Naturalistic Tendency In Kate Chopin's The Awakening

Appearing at the end of the 19th century, The Awakening is one of the most controversial novelettes written by Kate Chopin in 1899. In recent years, some American critics, such as Donald Prizer, began to realize the naturalistic tendency in The Awakening, but they didn't analyze it in detail. On the basis of their achievement, the paper analyzes the novel's symbols, character, and plot from the naturalistic aspect in detail.The first part gives a brief introduction to Kate Chopin, her works and the critical responses and the main features of naturalism.In Chapter 1, naturalistic tendency is obtained from aspect of the employment of environment as symbols. Symbolism is employed a lot to reinforce a given natural reality. In The Awakening, caged birds and the bird fallen to the sea, the indifferent sea, and the lovers and the woman in black are powerful symbols. They fully develop the plot and foreshadow Edna's death in the end.In Chapter 2, naturalistic tendency is illustrated from the aspect of careful insight into the protagonist. Edna's sexual desire and her futile struggles are illustrated in detail to prove the naturalistic tendency in The Awakening.In Chapter 3, the development of plot evidently shows the novel's naturalistic tendency. There exists a mysterious force of nature (fate) in the universe and it plans everybody's life. Those who separate from it will lead a miserable life, no matter how hard they struggle. Fate appears as an artistic motif in a great variety of forms:chance and coincidence, man and woman in conflict, and conventional laws.The final part summarizes naturalistic tendency in The Awakening. Symbols, character, and plot are interwoven perfectly together to develop the plot and prove the novel's naturalistic tendency.