The Awakening, published in 1899, was a controversial novel. It upset critics because of the limits of marriage and motherhood that it portrays, and the novel was banned for decades. At first, the novel takes place in Grand Isle, Louisiana, and then takes place in New Orleans. The novel is about a woman named Edna Pontellier, and her search for self-discovery. It tells the story of her abandonment of her family, her seduction, and her awakening overall. However, her awakening forshadows her downfall.

Kate O' Flaherty was born in St.Louis, Missouri in 1850. She was the daughter of Eliza and Thomas O' Flaherty, and was the third of five children. Her father died when she was five years old, which left her to be raised by three wonderful women. Kate was raised by her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, all being very smart and independent, single women. At the age of twenty, she married Oscar Chopin. By the time she was twenty eight, they had five boys and 2 girls. When Oscar died of Swamp fever in 1882, she took over their plantation for over a year. In 1884, she sold the plantation and moved back with her mother. Her mother died the next year, leaving Chopin alone with her children. To support herself and her young family, she began to write. She wrote many short stories about people she knew in Lousiana. The Awakening was inspired by a true story of a New Orleans woman who was famous in the French Quater. Kate Chopin is known for being ahead of her time, and being a local colorist. She publicized over one hundred short stories, essays, and sketches in literary magazines.

"The Story of an Hour"

"Desiree's Baby"

"The Storm"

"A Doll's House" by Henrik Ibsen

1. The book opens with a caged bird making a lot of noise. What is your interpretation of this bird in the story?

2. Why does Edna not care for the children when they are sick?

3. What are Edna's feelings toward Robert?

4. When Mademoiselle Reisz plays the piano, what feelings does the music bring to Edna?

5. What is the symbolism of the sea?

6. When idea takes place when Edna learns another language?

7. What is the awakening, when does it occur, and what message does it bring across?

8. At the end, she has her independence, but she is lonely. What is that?

9. What feelings do the children cause Edna to have?

10. Is Edna an uncaring mother?

11.The book opens with a caged bird making a lot of noise. What is your interpretation of this bird in the story?

questions here