The Awakening

The Awakening

1899 • 116 pages

Ratings14

Average rating3.5

15

I read this book in high school and could not remember much about it, except that it had a profound effect on me at the time. So, on a whim, I picked it up again this summer, and now I see why it gets so cleverly under the skin. Edna Pontellier is one of those undefinable characters in literature who ask more question than they answer. She is no hero, but neither is she the victim of this story. Instead, she's caught somewhere in between, in that frustratingly flawed space that it can be painful to face. But Chopin is unflinching, and thank god for that.