The Awakening

The Awakening by Kate Chopin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I dislike books with whiny protagonists for the most part. I can sympathize for Edna, though. To have nothing that you can call your own is very difficult. The Awakening in some ways reminds me of Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own in the need to carve out a piece of one's life just for one's self without all the demands & expectations of friends, family, etc... Having a toddler at home, I understand the innately selfish demands of children and that they're not allayed just by having someone else around to help with the kids. Having a nanny (or a great daycare provider) & knowing the kids are in good hands doesn't remove the feelings of guilt for not being there yourself, for losing your temper over something small, etc... It is extremely difficult to feel like one is "enough" for this task alone.

And yet.

And yet, I think many women dream about who they might be if they stood on their own. "Who is this woman who is mother, wife, daughter? Who would I be if I really wasn't afraid of what they'd think or say." Though I think Edna overreacted to her situation, I can understand the despair that compels her actions (and having a husband who's considering the nuthatch doesn't help either). This book makes me grateful I live at a time where it's common for women to have a career and a family because it does give us time during the day and a place to be someone other than "Mama."

I'd recommend this book to most mothers of young children - though probably not to one who's depressed or really short on sleep. I think that A Room of One's Own would be a terrific follow-up to this book if reading for school (or pleasure).



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