Edna Takes Flight in the Awakening

Kate Chopin's The Awakening is embellished with all the prerequisites of a fine Victorian novel, from its elegant prose to its heartrending romance. What makes The Awakening especially enjoyable is Chopin's infatuation with symbols. One of her most tangible symbols is the bird, which represents the overall portrayal and development of the novel's protagonist, Edna Pontellier. A master writer, Chopin's diction, imagery, and tone create birds that convey Edna's transformation from a submissive nineteenth-century wife clad in whale-bone corsets and fine, white lace to a wise and independent woman intoxicated with bliss.