In the book, The Awakening, by Kate Chopin, the main character, Edna Pontellier, decides to go on a journey to discover herself. In the late 1800s, women were considered an inferior gender and were expected to stay home and care for their husband and children. Edna however decides that enough is enough and goes on this journey of women empowerment. She tried new things such as swimming, and discovers this new sense of independence. Her whole life, she was barred from discovering new things and focusing on her own satisfaction, but she realizes the problem with this and decides to do something about it. Her story encouraged other women at the time to break through society’s expectations and do what they want for once. She encourages women to worry about what they want and not what other expect of them.

However, upon going on this journey of self-discovery, Edna’s relationship with her husband becomes strained. She encourages her husband to also goon this awakening journey but he doesn’t necessarily like the fact that Edna is becoming so independent. He is torn between his love for her and what society expect of him as a husband. She was learning to languages, and expressing herself beyond what society’s limits were in hat day and time which her husband did not approve of. He left her alone to embark on this journey which would ultimately left her alone in world with new discoveries, that she hasn’t seen before.

I think this story will not have a happy ending, mostly because I read a summary that spoiled the book for me. Edna embarks on this self-fulfilling journey but because everyone laves her solely for that reason, she decides to leave this word completely. One of the reasons may be because she simply could not find joy in the world at that time. She was oppressed for so long because of society’s standards that she no longer as able to handle it, and once she did start to try new things, everyone in her life rejected her because of it. The book is overall very good, and I can’t wait to see the journey that Edna takes us on.