“The Awakening” by Kate Chopin is a story about protagonist Edna’s realization of her role in society and her temerity to seek an independence unthought of by women at the time. To tell this story, Kate Chopin uses birds as symbols to reveal Edna’s journey of awakening to society and herself.
The story starts by describing a “green and yellow parrot, which hung in a cage outside.” The bird speaks a language that no one can understand. It repeatedly banters the same phrase, yet none comprehend it. This parrot symbolizes Edna. Like the bird, Edna also feels unable to express herself in society. She is really only understood by Madamoiselle Reisz, akin to the parrot who is only understood by “the mocking-bird that hung on the other side of the door.” In this way, the mockingbird is representative of Madamoiselle Reisz. The cage the parrot is cooped in is indicative of how Edna is stuck with societal and family constraints. She is expected to care for the children and serve her husband. Edna realizes the “cage” she’s stuck in and longs for a greater sense of independence. Kate Chopin elected to symbolize Edna as a parrot in the beginning of the novel to illustrate the initial causes of her awakening.
Enda is not the only woman in her society symbolized as a trapped bird. The other women are represented by the common caged bird. These women “Protect[ing] their wings when any harm, real or imaginary threatened their precious blood.” A birds greatest ability is to fly away from harm. It is highest form of independence to be able to soar wherever one wants. The woman in the society do not have this coveted ability to fly. They are described as only using their wings to protect themselves. This symbolizes women’s role in society at the time. They didn’t stand up for themselves. It was too gall an action to undertake at the time. Edna awakens to this and wants to stand up for herself and gain independence. She wants to “fly.” Madamoisell Reisz warns Edna that "the bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings." Basically, she tells Edna that she must have courage to defy the norm. Still, Edna yearns to be independent for the typical trapped bird.
As the story progresses Edna cannot seem to find the societal role she so desperately craves. Consequently, at the end of the novel she walks towards to sea to make, ironically, her most independent decision of the novel. Edna decides to take her own life. She walks out into the sea and is swept away by its divine power. However, the symbolism of birds is still present in this scene. Before Edna struts out into the sea, she notices an injured bird. She sees “a bird with a broken wing . . . beating the air above, reeling, fluttering, circling, disabled, down, down to the water.” This plummeting bird represents Edna’s failure to find freedom. I believe this bird is indicative that the time wasn’t right for Edna to take such an enormous leap for independence. Her awakening was too revolutionary for the society of her time. A bird that has never flown before and lived a life of captivity will not know how to react when they are own their own. Society was not welcoming of Edna’s awakening, and she was not prepared for independence.
Throughout the awakening birds symbolize the captivity of women at the time of the novel and help us to understand Edna’s frustrations in life. The birds reveal the frustration, loneliness and confinement of women at the time.
The story starts by describing a “green and yellow parrot, which hung in a cage outside.” The bird speaks a language that no one can understand. It repeatedly banters the same phrase, yet none comprehend it. This parrot symbolizes Edna. Like the bird, Edna also feels unable to express herself in society. She is really only understood by Madamoiselle Reisz, akin to the parrot who is only understood by “the mocking-bird that hung on the other side of the door.” In this way, the mockingbird is representative of Madamoiselle Reisz. The cage the parrot is cooped in is indicative of how Edna is stuck with societal and family constraints. She is expected to care for the children and serve her husband. Edna realizes the “cage” she’s stuck in and longs for a greater sense of independence. Kate Chopin elected to symbolize Edna as a parrot in the beginning of the novel to illustrate the initial causes of her awakening.
Enda is not the only woman in her society symbolized as a trapped bird. The other women are represented by the common caged bird. These women “Protect[ing] their wings when any harm, real or imaginary threatened their precious blood.” A birds greatest ability is to fly away from harm. It is highest form of independence to be able to soar wherever one wants. The woman in the society do not have this coveted ability to fly. They are described as only using their wings to protect themselves. This symbolizes women’s role in society at the time. They didn’t stand up for themselves. It was too gall an action to undertake at the time. Edna awakens to this and wants to stand up for herself and gain independence. She wants to “fly.” Madamoisell Reisz warns Edna that "the bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings." Basically, she tells Edna that she must have courage to defy the norm. Still, Edna yearns to be independent for the typical trapped bird.
As the story progresses Edna cannot seem to find the societal role she so desperately craves. Consequently, at the end of the novel she walks towards to sea to make, ironically, her most independent decision of the novel. Edna decides to take her own life. She walks out into the sea and is swept away by its divine power. However, the symbolism of birds is still present in this scene. Before Edna struts out into the sea, she notices an injured bird. She sees “a bird with a broken wing . . . beating the air above, reeling, fluttering, circling, disabled, down, down to the water.” This plummeting bird represents Edna’s failure to find freedom. I believe this bird is indicative that the time wasn’t right for Edna to take such an enormous leap for independence. Her awakening was too revolutionary for the society of her time. A bird that has never flown before and lived a life of captivity will not know how to react when they are own their own. Society was not welcoming of Edna’s awakening, and she was not prepared for independence.
Throughout the awakening birds symbolize the captivity of women at the time of the novel and help us to understand Edna’s frustrations in life. The birds reveal the frustration, loneliness and confinement of women at the time.