Characters With Strong Personality In The Kate Chopin's Book "The Awekening"

“I agree with the fact that the inconsistencies in her life, led her to become independent through her writing, and even unconventional behavior” is a quote from Jasdomin Tolentino goes straight to the point that the works of Kate Chopin was influenced by her experiences. It’s a common sense that she was ahead of her generation. Many feminists believe that she was a precursor of their movement, mainly after the discovery of the “The Awakening”. However, a closer look into her works will show us that she expressed in her characters not a freedom aimed one gender only, but that anyone, man or woman, should live as they would like.

The life experiences influenced Kate Chopin in strong characters creation as in “The Storm” and "The Awakening”, opposition to societal norms exposition as in “The Awakening”, and class, gender, and race description as in “Desiree’s Baby”.

As in “The Storm”and “The Awakening”, Chopin created characters with a strong personality.

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She was raised around women basically. Although she got married, soon she became widow, having to run her husband business. This background shows us how strong she was, once a life without a man in that time was not easy. Her background proportioned her the creation of strong characters such as Calixta in “The Storm”. Adultery is still something that is not acceptable in our days. To commit an adultery in the late 1800’s could be a statement of exclusion of the society for a woman. Calixta was described as a good wife, housekeeper, and mother.

Apparently her husband was a good man. She was daring by maculate her own home. Traces of her boldness can be seen when she is still a young woman, and had her sexual impulses contained by Alcee. Chopin used Calixta’s strength to easily switch between female gender roles to nontraditional roles of adulteress.

Kate Chopin’s The Awakening was a boldness portion of novel in its time for being contrary to social standards in its time. It was a female role be submitted to her husband. Married woman had no voice in the society. "The Awakening” broken the rules, and because of that it was not accepted. Chopin went against the society norms by creating a character by creating Edna Pontellier that was motivated by her fulfill wishes, not seem to had a a great cause for which to fight, but only to be her without labels imposed by the society. Edna is a aware character of her sexual desires, and is bold to act on them. Kate Chopin shocked her society by gave to Edna an identity independent of her husband and children. Definitely, Chopin was beyond her time. Edna rejected the entire idea of marriage, “she doesn’t want to be Mr. Pontellier’s possession - she doesn’t want to be anyone’s possession. And why did Edna drown herself? It was because she lost her love or she realized she as ahead of her time, not being accepted by the society in which she lived? After “The Awakeness”, Kate Chopin did not write other novel.

“Desiree’s Baby” describes an intersection of racism, classism, and sexism as they were lived by the people in its time. The lack of equality can be seen in part of that story as in the relationship of La Blanche, the slave, and Armard, who is white and has a wealthy position, and because of that he is allowed to have complete control over his possession: a slave woman. Desiree is as an object that could be bought/claimed by being fine clothes and gifts for her. This shows the difference of Armand’s status as well as Desiree as a possession. The fact of Armand throw in a bonfire Desiree’s possessions, also shows that class, gender and race interacted culturally. Armand thought that burning the Desiree's things would be removing her from his memories. It also demonstrates the position of Armand as a wealthy person that can afford for the luxury of burning possessions. Kate Chopin showed that a person cannot be measured by the color of his/her skin.