1. Kate Chopin

2. Kate Chopin, born Katherine O'Flaherty, was an American author of short stories and novels. She is now considered by some to have been a forerunner of feminist authors of the 20th century

3. Realism Renders reality closely and in comprehensive detail. even at the expense of a well-made plot Character is more important than action and plot; complex ethical choices are often the subject. Class is important; the novel has traditionally served the interests and aspirations of an insurgent middle class. Events will usually be plausible. Realistic novels avoid the sensational, dramatic elements of naturalistic novels and romances. Diction is natural vernacular, not heightened or poetic; tone may be comic, satiric, or matter-of-fact. Objectivity increases as authorial intrusions diminish as the century progresses.

4. Creole refers to people of any race or mixture thereof who are descended from settlers in colonial French Louisiana before it became part of the United States in 1803 with the Louisiana Purchase. Spanish, French and free people of color lived together and created a distinctive Creole culture with its own traditions, dialect, and cuisine. Overwhelmingly Roman Catholic Influenced by traditional French and Spanish culture from early colonization Fiery temperament

5. Creole Women Very conservative, perhaps the most conservative group in the nation They were frank and open in discussing their marriages and children, but could do so because their very moral nature did not allow any doubt as to their chastity They were committed as a group to their husbands and children and had a deep personal and religious commitment to fidelity

6. The Culture Under the Louisiana Code, patterned after the Napoleonic code of France, a woman belonged to her husband. Article 1388 established the absolute control of the male over the family. Article 1124 equated married women with babies and the mentally ill, all three were deemed incompetent to make a contract. The one-drop rule is an historical colloquial term in the United States that holds that a person with any trace of sub-Saharan ancestry (however small or invisible) could not be considered white

7. Sociological Criticism Sociological criticism boils down to one question: “Who has the power, and who wants the power?” Some types of sociological criticism include: gender criticism (including feminism), Postcolonialism (effect of imperial cultures), and Marxism (socioeconomic class). Every individual has multiple “roles” in society. Conflict arises when one challenges his/her role.

8. Symbols and motifs in The Awakening The Awakening is a novel full of symbolism; within each narrative segment there is often a central and powerful symbol that serves to add meaning to the text and to underline some subtle point Chopin is making. Motifs are recurrent symbols (not always presented in the exact same manner) that are used to develop tone, mood, theme, etc.

9. Art: Art becomes a symbol of both freedom and failure. It is through the process of trying to become an artist that Edna reaches the highest point of her awakening. Edna sees art as a way of self-expression and of self-assertion. Mlle. Reisz sees becoming an artist as a test of individuality.

10. Birds: Birds are major symbolic images in the narrative. They symbolize the ability to communicate (the mockingbird and parrot) and entrapment of women (the two birds in cages; the desire for flight; the pigeon house). Flight is another symbol associated with birds, and acts as a stand in for awakening. The ability to spread your wings and fly is a symbolic theme that occurs often in the novel.

11. Houses: There are many houses in the novel The one on Grand Isle The one in New Orleans The pigeon house The house in which Edna falls asleep on Cheniere Caminada The first two of these houses serve as cages for Edna. She is expected to be a "mother-woman" on Grand Isle She is expected to be the perfect social hostess in New Orleans The other two are places of supposed freedom

12. Learning to swim: Edna has struggled all summer to learn to swim. She has been coached by the men, women, and children on Grand Isle. In chapter ten, Chopin uses the concept of learning to swim as a symbol of empowerment. It provides Edna with strength and joy. Also attached to the concept of swimming are the ideas of staying afloat and getting in over one's head Edna manages to do both.

13. The moon It is used as a symbol of mythic power and femininity Can be an allusion to the Titan goddess of the moon, Selene. Selene's great love was the shepherd prince Endymion. The beautiful boy was granted eternal youth and immortality by Zeus. (romantic love) Edna is sexually aware of Robert for the first time, this is the fertility aspect of the goddess Artemis. Artemis is strong and commanding, the goddess of the moon and the hunt. (sexual love) Moonlight also symbolizes the struggle Edna has with the concepts of sexual love and romantic love.

14. Ocean, Gulf, or Sea: The ocean is a symbol of both freedom and escape. Edna remembers the Kentucky fields of her childhood as an ocean, she learns to swim in the gulf, and she finds a kind of escape in the sea. The ocean is also a source of self-awareness, both an outward knowledge of the expansion of the universe and an inner direct obsession with self. The sound of the surf calls to her, comforts her throughout the novel, and acts as a constant beckon in the text.

15. Piano playing: Music is an important symbol in text, both Adele and Mlle. Reisz play the piano. Each woman functions to underscore a different aspect of the narrative. Adele is considered a musician by Leonce, but she does not play for art, instead she does so to keep her husband and children cheerful and to set time for parties. Mlle. Reisz, on the other hand, is disliked by all, but is granted status as a musician by only Robert and Edna. The issue of the piano playing echoes the issue of placement in society. If you follow the rules and norms whatever you accomplish is considered great, if you defy those rules you are shunned and disparaged.

16. Sleep: Sleep is an important symbolic motif running through the novel. Edna's moments of awakening are often preceded by sleep and she does a great deal of it. Each major episode is punctuated by specific mentions of Edna’s sleep or lack of sleep Sleep is also a means of escape and of repairing her tattered emotions. In fairy tales, sleep is a key ingredient.