Character Foils In Kate Chopins The Awakening - 1448 Words

DISCUSSION TOPIC - MOTHERHOOD (Nefertari, Alexa, Michelle, Kexin) Chopin defines a â€Å"mother-woman† as someone â€Å"who idolized their children, worshiped their husbands† (8). How do Chopin and Gilman use character foils to give us insight into the protagonists and societal expectations? Chopin uses character foil to give us insight into the protagonist and societal expectations by depicting many socially acceptable roles in society through â€Å"The Awakening† that Edna could embrace (such as Madame Ratignolle an impeccable mother and spouse, old maid who is free yet excluded such as Mademoiselle Reisz and last,but not least Mariequita who is a flirtatious young lover) , however knowing the fact that she is the protagonist of the novella it is†¦show more content†¦Where the narrator explains, her lips being â€Å"so red that one could only think of cherries or some other delicious crimson fruit in looking at them† and There was nothing subtle or hidden about her charms†¦the blue eyes that were like nothing but sapphires†¦One would not have wanted her white neck a mite less full†¦Never were hands more exquisite than hers† (Chopin 11). Adele has a commodity status which is established by the stylistic and linguistic choice s by Chopin where Adele s story is presented to the reader before she makes an appearance in the story. Chopin brings forth many physical attributes of Edna that no only apply to women, but that also those that apply to men. By doing this Chopin sets up the idea that Edna is not fit for the typical roles that she has been assigned to fulfill. Since Edna has been assigned masculine attributes this differentiates her from the rest of the women in the novel during the Victorian Era. For instance Chopin writes how Edna is â€Å"handsome rather than beautiful†(25)) and furthermore Chopin describes Edna to have â€Å"strong, shapely hands† (24), â€Å"thick and almost horizontal† (25) eyebrows, â€Å"firm, round arms† (28), and â€Å"strong, white teeth† (59). These physical descriptions are usually associated to men, however Chopin gives them to her female protagonist Jennie the sister in law of the narrator is content spending their entire time playing the acting role of the perfect housewife, where she is confined toShow MoreRelatedKate Chopin s The Awakening Essay1450 Words   |  6 Pagesroles and individuality was manifested in the culture which was reflected in the reception of Kate Chopin’s The Awakening as she intentionally manipulated gendered language throughout the text. Contrary to what one would expect, the first person introduced is not the main character, Edna, but rather her husband Leonce Pontellier. True to form, Kate Chopin deliberately placed Mr. Pontellier as the first character to establish alluding to his ownership and power of in the life and relationship of Edna asRead MoreThe Awakening By Kate Chopin1633 Words   |  7 Pages1. Title of text (underline novels/plays) author’s name The Awakening by Kate Chopin 2. 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