The Awakening 21-30 Dialectical Journals

Quotes	Analysis
“  To be an artist includes much; one must possess many gifts -absolute gifts- which have not been acquired by one's own effort. And moreover, to succeed, the artist must possess the courageous soul” 85	After Edna had discussed her wish to be an artist to Mademoiselle Reisz, she was notified that it would not be an easy battle to achieve her dreams. Due to the time era of which they reside, women are not allowed to be creative or progressive because that would contest their domesticity and potentially give them more power than the men in the household. The audience already knows edna wants to be progressive and be free from the expectations due to the symbolism of the water but here we blatantly see that there needs to be a drastic change for edna to achieve what she wants. Chopin includes the personification of a courageous soul to enhance the message to Edna how crucial it is to her to be courageous and defy the norms of society.
“When edna was at last alone, she breathed a big genuine sigh of relief. A feeling that was unfamiliar but very delicious come over her” 97	The continuation of the feeling of satisfaction and comfort when edna is alone emphasizes the idea that edna is trying to not conform and is becoming progressively more apparent as the story progresses. Chopin uses the descriptive detail to display to the audience the immense release that she feels when she is alone and not suppressed by the ideas of society.
“There was an overwhelming feeling of irresponsibility. There was a shock of unexpected and unaccustomed” 113	After Edna had kissed Arobin, and she surprisingly feels a sensation of regret and irresponsibility towards her expectations to be a woman. Here is a great example of when the narrator truly gets into the emotions of the protagonist and attempts to portray the war going on inside of her head. This war that is being depicted is the battle between her guilt and her desire. She feels guilt but will do not do anything to change this feeling because she is doing what she believes is right.