The Awakening

The Summary (No Spoilers)

Written in 1899, The Awakening is “one of the greatest feminist novels ever written”. I have been meaning to read it for years, and finally picked it up from Strand’s Central Park pop-up while I was in NYC recently. It is a slim volume, just 173 pages, and an easy read. It is the story of a (wealthy) woman in New Orleans who finds herself discontent, adrift, in a state of ennui about her life.

Touchstones

I do not know if it was meant to be satirical; likely just the reality of the times. But some lines are very funny. Like this one:

“If it was not a mother’s place to look after children, whose on earth was it? He himself had his hands full with his brokerage business.”

Or this one along the same theme:

““She’s making it devilishly uncomfortable for me,’ he went on nervously. ‘She’s got some sort of notion in her head concerning the eternal rights of women'“

Other excerpts cut more to the heart of it. This one I hope to carry with me, as my kids get older and I gain time and space to expand myself. It is good for me as a mother to spend some time outside of their world. I spend so much time and energy immersed in their needs. It is for the good of everyone in this house that I do not lose myself in that work.

“I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children; but I wouldn’t give myself.”

And two others about holding onto oneself regardless of what others may say:

“It sometimes entered Mr. Pontellier’s mind to wonder if his wife were not growing a little unbalanced mentally. He could see plainly that she was not herself. That is, he could not see that she was becoming herself and daily casting aside that fictitious self which we assume like a garment with which to appear before the world.”

“When I left her today, she put her arms around me and felt my shoulder blades, to see if my wings were strong, she said. ‘The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings. It is a sad spectacle to see the weaklings bruised, exhausted, fluttering back to earth.’”

My Review

I really enjoyed this book. For one thing, I love an efficient text. One that tells a story beautifully and relatably, but without going on and on. I appreciate that while it takes place over a century ago, there is much that feels true today. I give The Awakening 5 stars.