The Awakening Sexuality in Nineteenth Century Literature...

Pleasures a sin, and sometimes sins a pleasure. George Gordon Noel Byron (The Daily Muse) Everyday the North American media sends millions of sexually provocative images through the airwaves and onto television screens. According to a recent study, an overwhelming 56% of all television programs contain sexual content (Vieth, 2). Our society has become so immune to the representation of sex that, for the most part, it goes unnoticed. Although concerns regarding sexuality still remain, societys tolerance level has changed dramatically over time. The history of attitudes toward sex and sexuality is a cultural process that can be seen through the literature of an era. The Awakening was the first piece of American fiction to blatantly†¦show more content†¦However, she shows no trace of remorse for her sinful actions. Adele Ratignolle, the virtuous woman, is still alive at the end, thus seeming to triumph over Edna. However, Adele is last seen giving birth and the narrator describes her as being in torture. Edna, on the other hand, wades out to her end peacefully as th e narrator describes the beautiful scenery around her. Although Chopin rewards Adele with continued life and punishes Edna by ending hers, Adeles reward is not necessarily good and Ednas punishment is not necessarily bad. Chopin rewards Adele with a life of painful childrearing and punishes Edna with a blissful death. As a result, Chopin blurs the line between reward and punishment. This unconventional twist caused immense controversy at the end of the nineteenth century. Chopins reputation as a writer, in the eyes of most critics, had been destroyed with the publication of such a `racy novel. In 1899, a critic for the Chicago Times-Herald claimed that it was not necessary for a writer of so great refinement and poetic grace to enter the ... field of sex fiction. Edna and Chopins exploration of sexuality raised issues on which everyone had strong opinions. At the time, sexuality was regarded as disgraceful and a truly virtuous woman was believed to have no desires. If a woman did posses certain desires, they were dignified, fulfilled by the husband and neverShow MoreRelatedThe Awakening: An Emergence of Womens RIghts in the Late Nineteenth Century1330 Words   |  6 PagesThe Awakening: An Emergence of Women’s Rights in the Late Nineteenth Century Kate Chopin’s The Awakening addresses the role of women within society during the late nineteenth century. The novel is set in South Louisiana, a place where tradition and culture also play a vital role in societal expectations. The novel’s protagonist, Edna Pontellier, initially fulfills her position in society as a wife and as a mother while suppressing her urges to live a life of passion and freedom. 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