Construction And Deconstruction, Of Female Self-consciousness

The Awakening is American female writer Kate Chopin's masterpiece. This book depicts a middle-class married woman Edna, who audaciously bids defiance to the conventional morals and codes in order to pursue female selfhood and independence. After her spiritual and sexual awakenings and bold revolt, Edna ends her search of selfhood in death. Critics have for long debated Edna's awakening and death and opinions mainly fall into two groups. Feminists affirm Edna's endeavor for self and think of her death as a victory of feminism while naturalists deny her by saying that her awakening is full of regression and her death is an escape from the social pressure and her responsibility. This thesis offers a dialectic analysis of Edna's awakening and her death.The first chapter makes a general overview of the critical reputation of The Awakening. The second chapter discusses the construction of Edna's selfhood. The Victorian notion of womanhood and the dominance of patriarchy obliterate women's self. Edna's natural aspiration for freedom and independence, the customs of the Creoles, and the free settings of the Grand Isle awaken Edna's hibernating self and urge her to search for selfhood. After her spiritual and sexual awakenings, she constructs her selfhood. However, undermining factors also lurk during her awakening. The third chapter discusses the deconstruction of Edna's female selfhood. Because of the influence of long dominance of patriarchy, Edna shows habitual compromise in her seeking for self and her revolt is not thorough and trenchant. Moreover, she is not powerful enough to defy motherhood. The last chapter lays emphasis on Edna's death and its significance. Her death cannot be simply regarded as a compromise with the conventional rules; rather, it is a beginning and rebirth of a new life.