Censorship and Sensuality: Kate Chopin's 'The Awakening'

A pioneering work of early feminism, The Awakening by Kate Chopin, caused quite a stir when first publishedin 1899. Though never outright banned, it was censored; critics at the time, though appreciative of the quality of the writing, reacted quite negatively to the content of the novel. For the large commotion it caused, it’s a fairly slim read; my copy is just 110 pages.

The Awakening follows Edna Pontellier as she vacations with her husband and two children at a resort outside of New Orleans. The novel makes it clear from the beginning that it will be tackling society’s perception of women; the first time Edna is introduced it is through the eyes of her husband who views her as “a valuable piece of personal property.” Edna, however, has no use for established gender roles and distinguished herself from the “mother-women” around her who idolize their children, worship their husbands, and esteem it “a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals.”

Over the course of the novel, Edna sets out to reclaim her individuality; while her husband is away on business she moves out of his house, falls in love with one man and engages in an affair with another. She resolves never again “to belay to another than herself” and considers herself “no longer one of Mr. Pontellier’s possessions.” In the end she chooses death rather than submit to the life that society demands of her.

Is any of this shocking 114 years later? Naturally, the idea of suicide as an escape from your family life is still controversial today, though interestingly enough, it was not Edna’s suicide which caused the biggest stir in 1899; Edna’s rejection of social norms and her liberated sexuality were what made the novel dangerous at the time. I think there are few today who can blame Edna’s lack of devotion to a much older man with whom she has nothing in common. Edna’s declaration that she feels no love (only a “fondness”) for her children, however, could still raise some hackles today; our society still treasures the ideal of the devoted mother whose children are always put first. (Though Chopin strongly implies that Edna’s aloof parenting style is actually of benefit to her children.)
Ultimately, the novel’s themes of individuality versus gender and societal norms remain relevant today. While challenging a book for depictions of female sexuality or “immorality” might at first glance seem laughable today, most of the books challenged in the last few years in the US were for those very reasons (and were also overwhelmingly written by female authors). The Awakening’s confronting of society’s perception of women and their role in the family is as powerful today as it was 114 years ago.