59 pages 1 hour read

Kate Chopin

The Awakening

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1899

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Before You Read

Roundup icon

Super Short Summary

The Awakening by Kate Chopin outlines the journey of Edna Pontellier, a woman vacationing at Grand Isle in 1890s Louisiana, who begins to embrace her independence and desires, influenced by her relationships with friends and the attentions of Robert Lebrun. This process of self-discovery continues when she returns to New Orleans, increasingly rejecting societal roles of wife and mother, ultimately facing a profound internal conflict about her freedom and responsibilities. The book includes sensitive topics like infidelity, mental health struggles, and self-harm.

Reviews & Readership

Roundup icon

Review Roundup

Kate Chopin’s The Awakening is celebrated for its pioneering exploration of female independence and sexuality. Praised for its lyrical prose and depth, some readers find its main character's decisions controversial and unsettling. While seen as ahead of its time by many, others criticize it for promoting values they view as morally questionable. Overall, it's a provocative and influential novel.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Awakening?

An ideal reader for The Awakening by Kate Chopin enjoys exploring themes of female independence, self-discovery, and societal constraints. This reader appreciates literary classics such as Virginia Woolf's Mrs Dalloway and Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper, which also delve into women's inner lives and societal roles.

Recommended

Reading Age

18+years

Book Details

Topics

Gender / Feminism

Depression / Suicide

Education

Themes

Values/Ideas: Music

Relationships: Mothers

Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Genre

Classic Fiction

American Literature

Education

Period

Naturalism