The Awakening: A NovelA new edition of Kate Chopin’s controversial masterpiece, an essential novel in the canon of early feminism—with an introduction by Carmen Maria Machado, award-winning author of Her Body and Other Parties. “Whatever came, she had resolved never again to belong to another than herself.” With its forthright treatment of sex and depression, The Awakening, first published in 1899, was so shocking to turn-of-the-century readers that it was neglected for decades. Rediscovered in the 1960s, this brief, beautiful novel is considered a landmark of early feminism. It is the story of Edna Pontellier, a twenty-eight-year-old wife and mother of two who—with devastating consequences—rejects her conventional married life for a transgressive path of self-discovery. Edna is vacationing with her husband and children on the Louisiana Gulf Coast when she meets and falls in love with the passionate, impulsive Robert Lebrun. Afterward, Edna can no longer find meaning and satisfaction in her comfortable domestic life and moves out, alone. Her tragic quest for personal, creative, and erotic freedom is at the heart of this now-classic novel which captures women’s desires with extraordinary frankness, sympathy, and intensity. The Modern Library Torchbearers series features women who wrote on their own terms, with boldness, creativity, and a spirit of resistance. |
Contents
Section 1 | 10 |
Section 2 | 15 |
Section 3 | 25 |
Section 4 | 27 |
Section 5 | 37 |
Section 6 | 43 |
Section 7 | 50 |
Section 8 | 57 |
Section 20 | 126 |
Section 21 | 133 |
Section 22 | 137 |
Section 23 | 145 |
Section 24 | 153 |
Section 25 | 156 |
Section 26 | 157 |
Section 27 | 161 |
Section 9 | 60 |
Section 10 | 66 |
Section 11 | 73 |
Section 12 | 76 |
Section 13 | 85 |
Section 14 | 92 |
Section 15 | 99 |
Section 16 | 106 |
Section 17 | 109 |
Section 18 | 115 |
Section 19 | 121 |
Section 28 | 170 |
Section 29 | 174 |
Section 30 | 178 |
Section 31 | 187 |
Section 32 | 192 |
Section 33 | 196 |
Section 34 | 203 |
Section 35 | 206 |
Section 36 | 210 |
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Common terms and phrases
Adèle afternoon Alcée Arobin arms asked Edna Awakening beach Beaudelet began Celestine chair Chênière cigar clatter coffee coup d'état Creole daugh delicious dinner Doctor door dream Edna's exclaimed eyes face father feel felt girl gnolle gone good-by Grand Isle hair hand head heard Highcamp hour husband Iberville KATE CHOPIN kissed knew lady in black laughed leaning leave Léonce letter looked Madame Antoine Madame Lebrun Madame Rati Madame Ratignolle Madame Ratignolle's Mademoiselle Reisz Mandelet Mariequita Merriman Mexico Monsieur Ratignolle morning mother never night once Orleans peignoir perhaps piano pirogue play Pontellier Pontellier's quadroon Robert seated seemed shoulder si tu savais sleep soft soul stay stood Street summer talk tell things thought told took turned Vera Cruz Victor voice wait walked wife window woman women wondered young