About this blog:
Welcome class! This page is dedicated to a discussion of various works of literature in history. I am not limiting the discussion to just one era, but several including American and British literature, and of course Shakespeare. Creating a culture of readers who are familiar with all types of works is important for growth in the literary world. I appreciate any questions or comments about the works discussed.
The Awakening was set during the late 1800s during the Victorian period. The main character, Edna Pontellier goes against the Victorian role of a woman in society in that she does not uphold the traditional image of a mother and wife. She finds herself at odds with the conventions of a culture that requires a woman to give up who she is to her family. She goes through a series of awakenings to what she really desires in life through art, love and music. Edna is actually a terrible mother - in one chaper her children are off gallavanting in the sea and she's not even paying attention! She also stops doing what her husband wants like staying home to greet visitors. Instead, she moves out of their massive home while he is away on business and tries to live the life of a bachelorette. Through exerting this independence and refusing to conform, Edna’s former self and former life begins to unravel leading to a life of unfortunate solitude.
There are so many ideas to talk about along with this novel, but what I found most interesting were women's roles in society. Women in the Victorian era had very different fashions than women today. Corsets were popular - they were made like a cage which tightened around a woman's waist:
The corset is very similar looking to a bird cage I noticed. Not only were women caged by their clothing, but by their role in society. Birds are an important symbol in this novel and represent how women are trapped. We have come a long way since Edna's time... but have we?
How do you think women have changed since Edna's time? Do think gender stereotypes still exist and why? I'd love to hear what you have to say below!
Click here for some further reading on the Victorian Era.
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ReplyDeleteI do think that women's roles in society have changed since Edna's time. Today, if a woman is interested in remaining single and living the life of a bachelorette, she has that option. Although some would consider it an unconventional choice, ultimately a woman can choose to live her life in this manner. However, I definitely do think that gender stereotyples still exist to a large degree. Women are still thought of as the more nuturing gender, and therefore are more likely to stay home with the kids while her husband works. Women are also still overwhelmingly represented in "nurturing" occupations such as teaching and nursing. I do, however, think that some of these gender stereotypes are very slowly beginning to change. KE
ReplyDeletePeople may think that women's roles have changed, but not too much. Women still are the primary caretakers of the children, are pressured to maintain their looks and take care of men.
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