In The Awakening, Edna Pontellier has a physical and mental "awakening."  Edna's development as a human being occurs over the course of the novel, from the time she first begins to swim at Grande Isle.  Write an essay in which you track this growth and examine the reasons for Edna's tragedy.
        You might begin this way: draw a line down the middle of a sheet of paper, and list on one side of the sheet all the references to one of the motifs discussed in class.  Then write down on the other side the ways that this motif reflects how Edna changes.  These images include the parrot, sleeping and waking, music, swimming, the sea, or her romantic fantasies.  Through a discussion of at least three separate references to a single image, explore why Edna lacks the strength or reason to rise above her circumstances.  In addition, consider the narrator's tone toward Edna's plight: why is she detached and clinical?  Where does the narrator's voice express itself?  Do you believe Chopin approves or disapproves of Edna's behavior?  Why or why not?