Spatial Narrative In The Awakening

The Awakening, as the masterpiece of the famous American writer Kate Chopin in the19th century, is considered as an epoch-making novel in the end of19th century. The Awakening is not only vehemently focused because of its unique theme, but also highly praised for its exquisite narrative techniques.Literary works possess both temporal and spatial dimensions. Since the20th century, the trend of temporal dimension in narratology has turned into a trend of spatial dimension, and the spatial issues in novels have gained more and more attention. The Awakening shows its spatial significance owing to its designated setting of places and peculiar performing of space. Based on the spatial theories of Gabriel Zoran, this thesis gives its main concern on the textual space, chronotopic space and topographical space in The Awakening to demonstrate the narrative functions of space and the interplay of space and time in the novel.At first, the thesis provides an analysis of textual space specified by discourse space and image space in the work. The protagonist Edna Pontellier and the narrator Kate Chopin reveal different senses of space and spatial distance in discourse through different points of view. Four images such as the bird, the music, Cheniere Caminada and the Garden present their different spatial importance and narrative functions. Then the thesis discusses the chronotopic space in The Awakening, including synchronic level and diachronic level. The exploration at the synchronic level proves that Adele Ratiognolle and Mademoiselle Reisz are generally at rest at most points of the narrative, while Edna Pontellier is in motion. The diachronic level reveals Edna’s circular movement and its determinant powers. The thesis further manifests the topographical space. The typical topographical places of Grand Isle and New Orleans in the work display their periodical functions in Edna’s awakening. The present study in The Awakening from the perspective of spatial narrative offers a new method for the narrative research of this work, and is also conducive to further exploration into the thematic and narrative significance in The Awakening.