Authenticity And The Meaning Of Life:An Existentialist Analysis Of The Awakening

The Awakening,written by Kate Chopin,was published in 1899.It tells the story of Edna Pontellier and her pursuit of freedom and self identity.Edna’s awakening and death have aroused wide research interests.Although many critics use different theories to interpret the meaning of Edna’s death,few of them go further to explore the fundamental reasons for her suicide.With Sartre’s theory of “situation,” “bad faith,”and “authenticity,” this thesis aims to analyze the process of Edna’s awakening and the fundamental causes of her death.From the perspective of existentialism,the present thesis explores the facticity that surrounds Edna,the bad faith of Robert Lebrun and Ratignolle,and Edna’s pursuit of authenticity.It argues that Edna’s death indicates her failure in achieving authenticity.This study may contribute to the interpretation of Kate Chopin’s concerns about how to live.