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Allusions
Chapter 9
Explanation and Analysis:
The Awakening is written from a third-person omniscient point of view, meaning the novel’s narrator is separate from the protagonist Edna but has access to her thoughts. Overall, Chopin’s writing style is formal with detailed, descriptive prose. The narrator’s description of a party hosted by Madame Lebrun in Chapter 9 exemplifies this style:
Some one had gathered orange and lemon branches, and with these fashioned graceful festoons between. The dark green of the branches stood out and glistened against the white muslin curtains which draped the windows, and which puffed, floated, and flapped at the capricious will of a stiff breeze that swept up from the Gulf.
Chopin uses elevated language (phrases like "graceful festoons" and "the capricious will of a stiff breeze") to paint a vivid and romantic picture of the scene. She relies on descriptive details—with a particular attention to light and color—in order to emphasize the drama of this passage. Moreover, Chopin uses a great deal of figurative language throughout the novel, which adds to the book's romantic and flowery feel. In this passage, for instance, she describes the breeze as having "will," a quality typically associated with humans.
Dialect is also an important aspect of Chopin’s writing style. In Chapter 17, Mr. Pointellier uses French dialect when he complains to Edna about her behavior:
'Why, my dear, I should think you’d understand by this time that people don’t do such things; we’ve got to observe les convenances if we ever expect to get on and keep up with the procession.'
Later on in Chapter 17, Mr. Pontellier continues to complain, and thinks to himself:
[Edna] made no ineffectual efforts to conduct her household en bonne ménagère, going and coming as it suited her fancy, and, so far as she was able, lending herself to any passing caprice.
In both instances, Mr. Pontellier uses French dialect: “les convenances” translates into “etiquette,” and the phrase “en bonne ménagère” translates to “in good health.” Both phrases reflect the social customs of the time and the expectations Edna faces as a woman living in a restrictive society. As Mr. Pontellier’s wife, Edna is expected to fulfill certain “feminine” duties. Edna eventually rejects these conventions and demands.
Chopin uses French dialect elsewhere in the novel to reflect Edna’s emotional state and inner experience. After spending the summer at Grand Isle, Edna returns home and finds herself repeating lyrics Robert would often sing to her, “Ah! Si tu savais.” Later at Edna's party in Chapter 30, Victor sings the same lyrics to Edna:
[Victor] clasped his hands behind his head, and looking up at the ceiling began to hum a little, trying his voice like a musician tuning an instrument. Then, looking at Edna, he began to sing: 'Ah si tu savais.'
Edna then protests, and cries "Don’t sing that. I don’t want you to sing it.” The lyric translates to “If only you knew.” This melancholy phrase fills Edna with sadness, for it reminds her of the unspoken longing she feels for Robert.
Another phrase, “Sapristi!,” is repeated throughout the novel. The Awakening opens with a parrot repeating ‘Allez vous-en! Allez vous-en! Sapristi!,” meaning “go away, go away, for God’s sake!” The bird, confined in a cage, symbolizes a lack of freedom, similar to how Edna feels upon her return from Grand Isle. Alcée Arobin also uses the phrase ‘Sapristi!’ at Edna's party as he observes Victor Lebrun in Chapter 30:
As if a magician’s wand had touched him, the garland of roses transformed [Victor] into a vision of Oriental beauty. His cheeks were the color of crushed grapes, and his dusky eyes glowed with a languishing fire. 'Sapristi!' exclaimed Arobin.
The phrase has a different meaning and tone in the latter scene, mysterious and dark. Chopin does so to suggest an element of danger, which heightens the drama and romance of the party. All in all, Chopin's writing style is flowery, evocative, and dramatic, and her use of dialect helps convey the setting's French American culture and Victorian social norms.
Related Themes:
Chapter 17
Explanation and Analysis:
The Awakening is written from a third-person omniscient point of view, meaning the novel’s narrator is separate from the protagonist Edna but has access to her thoughts. Overall, Chopin’s writing style is formal with detailed, descriptive prose. The narrator’s description of a party hosted by Madame Lebrun in Chapter 9 exemplifies this style:
Some one had gathered orange and lemon branches, and with these fashioned graceful festoons between. The dark green of the branches stood out and glistened against the white muslin curtains which draped the windows, and which puffed, floated, and flapped at the capricious will of a stiff breeze that swept up from the Gulf.
Chopin uses elevated language (phrases like "graceful festoons" and "the capricious will of a stiff breeze") to paint a vivid and romantic picture of the scene. She relies on descriptive details—with a particular attention to light and color—in order to emphasize the drama of this passage. Moreover, Chopin uses a great deal of figurative language throughout the novel, which adds to the book's romantic and flowery feel. In this passage, for instance, she describes the breeze as having "will," a quality typically associated with humans.
Dialect is also an important aspect of Chopin’s writing style. In Chapter 17, Mr. Pointellier uses French dialect when he complains to Edna about her behavior:
'Why, my dear, I should think you’d understand by this time that people don’t do such things; we’ve got to observe les convenances if we ever expect to get on and keep up with the procession.'
Later on in Chapter 17, Mr. Pontellier continues to complain, and thinks to himself:
[Edna] made no ineffectual efforts to conduct her household en bonne ménagère, going and coming as it suited her fancy, and, so far as she was able, lending herself to any passing caprice.
In both instances, Mr. Pontellier uses French dialect: “les convenances” translates into “etiquette,” and the phrase “en bonne ménagère” translates to “in good health.” Both phrases reflect the social customs of the time and the expectations Edna faces as a woman living in a restrictive society. As Mr. Pontellier’s wife, Edna is expected to fulfill certain “feminine” duties. Edna eventually rejects these conventions and demands.
Chopin uses French dialect elsewhere in the novel to reflect Edna’s emotional state and inner experience. After spending the summer at Grand Isle, Edna returns home and finds herself repeating lyrics Robert would often sing to her, “Ah! Si tu savais.” Later at Edna's party in Chapter 30, Victor sings the same lyrics to Edna:
[Victor] clasped his hands behind his head, and looking up at the ceiling began to hum a little, trying his voice like a musician tuning an instrument. Then, looking at Edna, he began to sing: 'Ah si tu savais.'
Edna then protests, and cries "Don’t sing that. I don’t want you to sing it.” The lyric translates to “If only you knew.” This melancholy phrase fills Edna with sadness, for it reminds her of the unspoken longing she feels for Robert.
Another phrase, “Sapristi!,” is repeated throughout the novel. The Awakening opens with a parrot repeating ‘Allez vous-en! Allez vous-en! Sapristi!,” meaning “go away, go away, for God’s sake!” The bird, confined in a cage, symbolizes a lack of freedom, similar to how Edna feels upon her return from Grand Isle. Alcée Arobin also uses the phrase ‘Sapristi!’ at Edna's party as he observes Victor Lebrun in Chapter 30:
As if a magician’s wand had touched him, the garland of roses transformed [Victor] into a vision of Oriental beauty. His cheeks were the color of crushed grapes, and his dusky eyes glowed with a languishing fire. 'Sapristi!' exclaimed Arobin.
The phrase has a different meaning and tone in the latter scene, mysterious and dark. Chopin does so to suggest an element of danger, which heightens the drama and romance of the party. All in all, Chopin's writing style is flowery, evocative, and dramatic, and her use of dialect helps convey the setting's French American culture and Victorian social norms.
Related Themes:
Chapter 30
Explanation and Analysis:
The Awakening is written from a third-person omniscient point of view, meaning the novel’s narrator is separate from the protagonist Edna but has access to her thoughts. Overall, Chopin’s writing style is formal with detailed, descriptive prose. The narrator’s description of a party hosted by Madame Lebrun in Chapter 9 exemplifies this style:
Some one had gathered orange and lemon branches, and with these fashioned graceful festoons between. The dark green of the branches stood out and glistened against the white muslin curtains which draped the windows, and which puffed, floated, and flapped at the capricious will of a stiff breeze that swept up from the Gulf.
Chopin uses elevated language (phrases like "graceful festoons" and "the capricious will of a stiff breeze") to paint a vivid and romantic picture of the scene. She relies on descriptive details—with a particular attention to light and color—in order to emphasize the drama of this passage. Moreover, Chopin uses a great deal of figurative language throughout the novel, which adds to the book's romantic and flowery feel. In this passage, for instance, she describes the breeze as having "will," a quality typically associated with humans.
Dialect is also an important aspect of Chopin’s writing style. In Chapter 17, Mr. Pointellier uses French dialect when he complains to Edna about her behavior:
'Why, my dear, I should think you’d understand by this time that people don’t do such things; we’ve got to observe les convenances if we ever expect to get on and keep up with the procession.'
Later on in Chapter 17, Mr. Pontellier continues to complain, and thinks to himself:
[Edna] made no ineffectual efforts to conduct her household en bonne ménagère, going and coming as it suited her fancy, and, so far as she was able, lending herself to any passing caprice.
In both instances, Mr. Pontellier uses French dialect: “les convenances” translates into “etiquette,” and the phrase “en bonne ménagère” translates to “in good health.” Both phrases reflect the social customs of the time and the expectations Edna faces as a woman living in a restrictive society. As Mr. Pontellier’s wife, Edna is expected to fulfill certain “feminine” duties. Edna eventually rejects these conventions and demands.
Chopin uses French dialect elsewhere in the novel to reflect Edna’s emotional state and inner experience. After spending the summer at Grand Isle, Edna returns home and finds herself repeating lyrics Robert would often sing to her, “Ah! Si tu savais.” Later at Edna's party in Chapter 30, Victor sings the same lyrics to Edna:
[Victor] clasped his hands behind his head, and looking up at the ceiling began to hum a little, trying his voice like a musician tuning an instrument. Then, looking at Edna, he began to sing: 'Ah si tu savais.'
Edna then protests, and cries "Don’t sing that. I don’t want you to sing it.” The lyric translates to “If only you knew.” This melancholy phrase fills Edna with sadness, for it reminds her of the unspoken longing she feels for Robert.
Another phrase, “Sapristi!,” is repeated throughout the novel. The Awakening opens with a parrot repeating ‘Allez vous-en! Allez vous-en! Sapristi!,” meaning “go away, go away, for God’s sake!” The bird, confined in a cage, symbolizes a lack of freedom, similar to how Edna feels upon her return from Grand Isle. Alcée Arobin also uses the phrase ‘Sapristi!’ at Edna's party as he observes Victor Lebrun in Chapter 30:
As if a magician’s wand had touched him, the garland of roses transformed [Victor] into a vision of Oriental beauty. His cheeks were the color of crushed grapes, and his dusky eyes glowed with a languishing fire. 'Sapristi!' exclaimed Arobin.
The phrase has a different meaning and tone in the latter scene, mysterious and dark. Chopin does so to suggest an element of danger, which heightens the drama and romance of the party. All in all, Chopin's writing style is flowery, evocative, and dramatic, and her use of dialect helps convey the setting's French American culture and Victorian social norms.
Related Themes:
