Transcript The Awakening by Kate Chopin (Chapter 1)

By: Tatiana Fernandez, Mariaelena Guerrero,
Denise Ma, Hanna Morales, Christopher Shell,
and Omobolade Teriba
Symbols
 “A green and yellow parrot, which hung in a cage outside the door, kept repeating over
and over:
‘Allez vous-en! Allez vous-en! Sapristi!’ ”
 Symbol: The parrot, incarcerated in a cage, forebodes what is to possibly happen with
Edna Pontellier. At the time, women would be prisoners in their own homes, just like
the parrot in this case. The little bird, with its screams, may be sending a message to
Edna, so that she can save herself and recuperate her freedom before is too late.
 The mocking-bird that hangs on the other side of the door, interestingly enough,
drowns the parrot’s warning with its “fluty notes.”
 The parrot may be represent the woman who, back in the late 1800s and early 1900s,
began the process of turning into a new woman. The mocking bird may represent the
true woman.
 Mr. Pontellier doesn’t like the parrot.
Symbols
 Symbol: Mr. Pontellier’s cigar, as compared to Robert Lebrun’s cigarette, is more
expensive. We can tell that Mr. Pontellier is richer than Robert, that his status in
society is much higher, and that he is older than Robert (as we later confirm, Robert
being 26 and Mr. Pontellier 40).
 Edna is 28 years old. She may have an easier time relating to Robert than to Léonce.
One may also consider the fact that Léonce, being much older, may not have enough
energy to do all the activities that Edna wishes to do with him.
 “Both children wanted to follow their father when they saw him starting out. He
kissed them and promised to bring them back bonbons and peanuts.”
 Symbol: The bonbons are a way to flatter Mrs. Pontellier (In this case, they are for the
children. But there have been instances where they are for her). In a later chapter, we
find out that Edna married Léonce not because she was in love with him, but because
he flattered her. That was her downfall. Now, she accepts the bonbons, but with no
enthusiasm.
Symbols
 Symbol: Klein’s hotel is where Léonce spends most of his time. This is an indication of
the conflicted relationship between Edna and Léonce. Ironically, the money that
Léonce makes at Klein’s hotel, he gives to Edna, which she later uses to leave the big
house and move to the pigeon house.
 “Looking at them reminded her of her rings, which she had given to her husband before
leaving for the beach. She silently reached out to him, and he, understanding, took the
rings from his vest pocket and dropped them into her palm….The rings sparkled upon
her fingers.”
 Symbol: The rings may represent shackles. One of them is probably her wedding band,
something that ties her to her husband. We see her leaving the rings with her husband
to go to the beach, a place that she enjoys very much. Though free for a short amount
of time, she eventually comes back to her husband, back to the rings and the
incarceration they represent. The rings’ shine may be just a disguise which Edna has
not been able to look through.
 Symbol: The beach is spacious, sunny, and relaxing, with soothing waves and some
fresh air. For Edna, it means freedom. She is able to release her stress, to think without
being disturbed. She is away from the community, the children, and the neighbors. Only
Robert is there with her.
Symbols
 “He walked down the gallery and across the narrow bridges’ which connected the
Lebrun cottages one with the other. He had been seated before the door of the main
house.”
 Symbol: The cottages where the Pontelliers are staying for the summer represent society.
This is the community which requires Edna to follow certain practices and behave in
certain ways. The lady in black, with her somber attire and praying beads, is the typical
traditional woman which, to some extent, Edna has to imitate (In a later chapter, we
see Edna going to mass, regardless of how sick she feels). There is also the couple, whose
love and care for each other should be the way Edna and Léonce’s relationship goes.
 “He fixed his gaze upon a white sunshade that was advancing at snail’s pace from the
beach.”
 Symbol: Edna, loving the beach as she does, gets really tanned. She loses her
“whiteness” and thus her purity. Her husband hates it when she gets a tan. By doing
this, she goes against his wishes of staying home. The white sunshade (white again, the
color of purity) acts as a type of shield for Edna. Not only is she being protected from
the Sun, she is also being protected from losing her purity.
Setting
 Location: Grande Isle. Edna’s life in Kentucky was different from what it is now. As
a young woman, she began to fall in love with men, to develop an urge for freedom, and
to want to experience new adventures. Her family, of Presbyterian background, must
have been very rigid and suffocating for her. The fact that Léonce is Catholic had
created a problem before their wedding. That is how serious things were for her family.
Now, at Grande Isle, where people are a little more open, Edna takes the opportunity
to loosen herself, but she goes too far, rebelling against her husband and failing to take
good care of the house and the kids.
Point of View & Tone
 Omniscient narrator who seems to side with Edna (at some point in the story, this
narrator says that Mr.Pontellier looks upon his wife as “one looks at a valuable piece
of personal property.” If this narrator had been on Mr. Pontellier’s side, s/he wouldn’t
have made the man look like such a possessive, inconsiderate person.)
 Tone: Mostly objective, though, as we already mentioned, the narrator sometimes
deviates from this objectiveness to portray Edna’s desires and behavior as acceptable
and her husband’s behavior as rude and cruel.
Motifs
 The beach (Edna is often going back to the beach, where she finds freedom)
 The cigars (later on, Robert buys a box of cigars for himself; status change; Robert is
becoming more like Mr. Pontellier)
 The houses (the cottage, where she is always surrounded by people, having to keep up
appearances; the big house, where she is left alone, to some extent; the pigeon house, the
house of her dreams)
 The pianos (Mademoiselle Reisz plays this instrument, as well as Mrs. Ratignolle and the
Farival twins. Edna, on the other hand, doesn’t. Playing an instrument is one of the many
practices which women should follow in Edna’s society. She, however, does sketching and
drawing.)
 “Extrapolation:” Edna’s paintings (her dreams and desire to be free, to do whatever she
wants; her way of expression)
Quotes & Individual Interpretations
 Tatiana:
 "The parrot and the mocking-bird were the property of Madame Lebrun,
and they had the right to make all the noise they wished. Mr. Pontellier had
the privilege of quitting their society when they ceased to be entertaining."

The contrasting presentations of the parrot and the mocking-bird shown in the beginning of
the chapter seem to represent the juxtaposing images society held of the new woman and
the old woman, as well as Edna's shift between the two. The parrot, meant to represent the
new woman, is an unattractive bird speaks forwardly in "a language that nobody
understands," just as Edna does to Leonce when going back to New Orleans from the Grand
Isle. The mocking-bird is a small delicate creature that sings beautiful note instead of saying
abrasive things; Edna is seem this way in the first chapter, only saying sweet and agreeing
things to her husband. Also, the mention in the last sentence of Mr. Pontellier's "privilege"
could be considered his attitude towards Edna; she is just a piece of property that he can
walk away from when she's not entertaining him.
 Mariaelena:
 “She slipped them upon her fingers; then clasping her knees, she looked across at
Robert and began to laugh. The rings sparkled upon her fingers. He sent back an
answering smile.”

Interpretation: Edna is at the beach with Robert while vacationing with her family at the
Grand Isle. Despite the fact that in the first chapter Edna does not explicitly exhibit any
rebellious or scandalous attitude, it is clear that there is something going on between Robert
and her. It is quite strange the fact that her husband sees this and is hardly if at all bothered
by the connection his wife has with this other man. It is obvious that the relationship
between them is not one that was consummated under love and this is just one of the many
instances
Quotes & Individual Interpretations
 Denise:
 “It all depended upon the company which he found over at Klein's and the size of
"the game." He did not say this, but she understood it, and laughed, nodding goodby to him.”

Although Edna has no affection for Leonce, she knows him well. In fact, when she asks Leonce if
he will be back for dinner as he left to Klein's Hotel to play billiard, she automatically knew the
answer without Leonce replying. This shows the ‘True Woman’ side of Edna and it contrasts with
what Edna has changed into in the end of the story. How well she understands and obeys her
husband is an indicator of how much she has turned into a New Women.
 Hanna:
 “‘You are burnt beyond recognition,’ he added, looking at his wife as one looks at a
valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage.”



He’s 40. She’s 28. He’s very possessive of her. He wants her to look perfect because, for
him, she is nothing more than just a trophy wife, a piece of property which he wants to
boast about and display around town.
As the story progresses, Edna becomes more and more rebellious, but this is the
beginning, or turning point for her. Her husband didn’t want her at the beach, but she
stayed. He may not have recognized her because of her tan, that tinge of rebellion with
which she has been “stained.” Her “whiteness,” or purity, is now gone.
The fact that Edna’s tanned means that she didn’t have much clothes on. Like the new
woman, she is leaving behind the traditional clothing styles and dressing more
comfortably (Mrs. Ratignolle, on the other hand, covers herself completely when at the
beach, gloves included).
Quotes & Individual Interpretations
 Chris:
 Chapter I Page 1: A Green and yellow parrot, which hung in a cage outside the door,
kept repeating over and over: "Allez vous-en! Allez vous-en! Sapristi! That's all
right!" He could speak a little Spanish, and also a language which nobody
understood, unless it was the mocking-bird that hung on the other side of the door,
whistling his fluty notes out upon the breeze with maddening persistence.

Analysis: This passage is very important and is fitting for the beginning of the story. This
passage alone contains a lot of symbolism and gives the reader an idea about what
obstacles the protagonist Edna is going to face. The parrot being caged symbolizes Edna
living in a society and a marriage where she is constraint and cannot be free to express
herself. Edna is not understood by people and is not being heard. All her cries for help are
falling upon deaf ears in a sense.
 Omobolade:
 “You are burnt beyond recognition,” he added, looking at his wife as one looks at a
valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage. (The
Awakening, Chapter 1)

Analysis: Mr. Pontellier views his wife as “property” and something he owns rather than as
an equal partner or individual. This goes back to the role of the “true woman” during the
nineteenth century where woman were considered to be assets of their husbands, which
adds to why women felt a lack of identity and individualism. Women were expected to
simply protect and serve their families; nothing more, nothing less.