Showing results for "The Awakening" in Literary Fiction

Kate Chopin's 1899 novella The Awakening is about the personal, sexual, and artistic awakening of a young wife and mother, Edna Pontellier. While on vacation at Grand Isle, an island in the Gulf of Mexico, Edna befriends the talented pianist Mlle. Reisz and the sympathetic Robert Lebrun, both of whom will influence her startling life choices.

Set in New Orleans at the close of the 19th century, The Awakening follows Edna Pontellier, who, while vacationing with her husband and their two sons, finds liberation from her prudish behavior and repressed emotions and desires. At the coastal resort of Madame Lebrun, Edna struggles to reconcile her increasingly unorthodox views on femininity and motherhood with the prevailing social attitudes of the turn-of-the-century American South.

The Awakening is an 1899 novel by Kate Chopin set in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast at the end of the 19th century. It is widely seen as a seminal work of early feminism which put the spotlight on women's issues. The story is about Edna Pontellier, the wife of a New Orleans businessman, who falls in love with Robert Lebrun, a man she meets at a resort on the Gulf of Mexico. When the family returns to New Orleans, Edna isolates herself from society and withdraws from some of the duties customarily associated with motherhood.

On vacation in Grand Isle, Louisiana, a married woman falls in love with a charming, attentive young man. The relationship spurs Edna Pontellier to explore her longing for independence and creative fulfillment. It also compels her to defy conventions, rejecting the constraints of marriage and motherhood. First published in 1899, Kate Chopin's novel drew criticism for its daring portrayal of female infidelity. Rediscovered decades later, it is now lauded for its lyricism, honesty, and astute social commentary.

Nueva Vida’s holistic retreat in Costa Rica promises to “unveil your inner-knowing and guide you toward your destiny,” but for Marlee, Juliette, Sophia, and Annie, the experience becomes far more life-changing than they ever anticipated. Maggie, a young architect from Pittsburgh who is still grieving her mother’s unexpected death, is welcomed into their group by Marlee and her friends, who each bring their own hidden pain and doubts.

Attending a holistic healing retreat can open the body, mind, and soul. But what happens once you return? How do you integrate this newly learned wisdom? And if you can do so, how does life as you know it change? These are the exact questions that five friends—Marlee, Maggie, Juliette, Sophia, and Annie—must come to terms with a year after visiting Nueva Vida, a spiritual center in Costa Rica. Fully immersed in their daily lives, how will they handle what lies ahead? Do they resort to old behaviors, or do they employ higher, more elevated strategies?

In Beyond the Bayou, La Folle, an ex-slave, lives on an island cut off from the her old home and is afraid to venture back onto the bayou. When a small drought dries up the shallow waters between her home and the bayou, she spends some time with the son of her former master. When the son, whom she calls “Cheri” accidentally shoots himself in the leg, La Folle must overcome her fear of the unknown and go back to the bayou to alert his parents.

In Ma’ame Pelagie, two women inhabit the ruins of their coastal Louisiana plantation, hoarding their pennies so they can restore it to its pre-Civil war glory. Ma’am Pelagie and her younger sister, Pauline sip coffee on the veranda and share stories about the house’s glorious past and their own narrow escape from danger during the war. When their niece arrives from the city for a visit, the sisters are compelled to make a hard choice about the once proud Valmet estate.

In The Kiss, a beautiful young woman, Nathalie, has decided to marry the unattractive and uninteresting but very wealthy Mr. Brantain. When an old friend kisses her passionately in front of Mr. Brantain, Nathalie must control the damage done by this kiss in order to reassure Mr. Brantain. This done, the relieved Mr. Brantain proposes to her. At their wedding, her old friend appears and suggests another kiss. Has Nathalie arranged matters perfectly? Or not?

In The Locket, a confederate soldier declines his fellow soldiers’ request to reveal the contents of the locket around his neck. The locket, which holds pictures of his fiancée’s parents and the date of their wedding is found on the battlefield after a battle. Later, the soldier’s fiancée visits the battlefield with the soldier’s father, both shaken with grief. The soldier’s father asks his son’s fiancée to remove her veil, as it contrasts too sharply with the beautiful day and adds that on such a day miracles seem ready to happen.