The Awakening of a Modern Self : Self-Discovery in Kate Chopin’s Novel The Awakening

Sammanfattning: This essay argues that The Awakening treats the 1890s “modern woman” that arose from feminist ideas and the women’s movement, challenging patriarchal society with an independent lifestyle. Following Ringe, this essay suggests that the novel has a purpose of showing the process and the development of the protagonist’s individual self. But rather than connect this theme to the transcendentalist notion of the self, as Ringe does, this essay looks at this theme in the light of the notion of the “modern woman”. By arguing that Edna develops into a modern woman during this process, the essay finds that she moves from the traditional position as a “patriarchal woman” towards the role of an “emancipated woman”. Further, the essay shows that Edna’s development and thereby her attempt to change her position fails as the process of self-discovery is conflicted, resulting in Edna’s suicide. Finally, by also arguing that the novel treats a woman’s self and the process of a development, the essay visualizes that the novel is built-up by seven steps that together constitute the process from “patriarchal woman” to “emancipated woman”. This process awakens a self-awareness and self-image within Edna that are strengthened with each of these step as she becomes a “modern woman”.