(Click the themes infographic to download.)
The Awakening features that age-old conflict between the individual and society. Is it more important to conform or to be yourself? Our protagonist Edna views herself as a super-fabulous individual, but society has a different take on the matter.
Questions About Society and Class
- To what extent is society to blame for Edna’s suicide? Not at all? Totally?
- What role did Creole society play in Edna’s awakening? Did it play a role?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Edna committed suicide because she realized the impossibility of simultaneously fulfilling herself as an individual and as a member of society.