The Voice of the Sea Is Seductive

I've always considered myself to be a sort of Anglophile. I love everything about British culture, especially its literature. So when I had to leave behind the British lit class of my sophomore year of high school and move on to American lit, I was less than thrilled. Unfortunately, the selections we studied did little to stir my passion for American authors. Kate Chopin's The Awakening was one such work. I can't exactly put my finger on why I didn't like The Awakening. I enjoyed the plot and thought the ending was fitting. I appreciated the use of the theme of music and art to demonstrate the important nature of self-expression. I am all in favor of Edna's self-empowerment, non-conformist nature, and decision to be independent. But I think the ambiguity of the story is what must have bothered me when I read it three years ago. Chopin never makes a judgement, through her text, about whether or not Edna's quest for independence and her eventual suicide was heroic or cowardly. Don't get me wrong, I think it is important for the reader to be given an opportunity to have their own opinions about the way the characters of a story act, but I don't see the point of an author writing a piece of literature without putting forward a position on the very events they themselves created. An author should by no means expect every reader to agree with their point of view, but it is difficult for a reader to make a judgement on the message of a work without knowing what that message is. Final verdict: like the message of the novel, I'm indifferent. I give it a C.

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"And moreover, to succeed, the artist must possess the courageous soul...the brave soul. The soul that dares and defies." (Kate Chopin)