The Awakening

The sea in The Awakening symbolizes rebirth. In the opening chapters of the novel, Edna’s swimming is the first step in her gradual escape from former life, while in the final chapter, walking out into the water is the only way for Edna to preserve her individuality while escaping social constraints. Moreover, the sea is what enables Edna to discover her own strength, and this strength gives her the confidence to shed her old self.

The sensuous sound of the water seduces Edna through the novel, as she reacts to the “never ceasing, whispering, murmuring, inviting” (14) voice of the sea that invites “the soul to wander for a spell in the abysses of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation” (14). This reaction kindles Edna’s search for her own sensuality, and fosters her awakening.

Chopin is also using the sea to symbolize rebirth. Since water is often associated with cleansing and baptism, the sea serves as an indication that Edna’s awakening is also her spiritual and emotional rebirth. The sea also represents freedom and solitude that Edna needs in order to discover her true self and to explore her inner world. 

Each of the main characters in The Awakening perceives and understands music in their own way, which allows us to see how these characters relate to one another in terms of their views and values. For Edna, music is a powerful force that uncovers unexplored emotional territories within herself. Yet the influence that music has on Edna also depends on who is playing it. While Adèle’s piano playing only evokes sentimental imagery, Mademoiselle Reisz’s music stirs deep feelings within her. Adèle uses music only for social purposes, as she plays primarily to entertain her guests, but for Mademoiselle Reisz, music is a means of self-expression. Adèle’s piano playing—as well as the piano playing by the Farnival twins—serves as a model of how Victorian women were expected to use art. 

Edna’s changing reaction to music also serves to signify different stages in her awakening. At first, music only evokes sentimental pictures in her mind, but with time she is able to recognize what music says to her. In this way, Edna’s understanding of music mirrors her development as a self-aware and self-sufficient woman.

In the novel, clothing often represents external control and adherence to a predetermined set of social rules. At every stage of her awakening, Edna’s clothing signals her inner transformations. Edna “loosened her clothes, removing the greater part of them” (93), when she was left alone in Madame Antoine’s home on the Chênière Caminada, which marked the beginning of her sexual awakening. One Tuesday evening, shortly after returning from their vacation on Grand Isle, Edna does not wear her usual Tuesday reception gown, but instead puts on an ordinary house dress. Léonce first notices the change in Edna’s clothing, and only then does he begin to see her internal changes as well. Edna’s refusal to wear a reception gown symbolizes her refusal to adhere to social standards and rituals, and it marks yet another stage in the process of her transformation.

In the last chapter of the novel, Edna’s faded bathing suit serves to represent her old life. At first she puts it on, but “when she was there beside the sea, absolutely alone, she cast the unpleasant, prickling garments from her” (301). Only when Edna stands near the sea, naked, does she feel “like some new-born creature, opening its eyes in a familiar world that it had never known” (301). Edna realizes that she cannot simply return to her old life, so she casts it aside and instead stands before the world naked. Although Edna’s nudity is associated with her vulnerability, it also symbolizes her final liberation from any external control and her ability to embrace her freedom.