The Awakening is a story based on a woman, Edna Pontieller, during the nineteenth century who decides not to be like all the other women in her life because she questions her life ambitions and dreams and realizes that she does not fit into the usual role of wife and mother. The Awakening begins on Grand Isle, an island off the coast of Louisiana and then in the state of Louisiana, so the story ends on Grand Isle. This story focuses on metaphors, symbolism, difference, and personal struggles a woman might face during the nineteenth century, where men are the dominant force and women stay at home to raise children. Edna lives in this world where women have precise guidelines on how to live and present themselves to humanity and throughout the story she begins to struggle with those guidelines and begins to have her "awakening" about love, life and her contentment. There are many ways to read this story, for example with a feminist point of view that would compare and distinguish gender roles and fairness with men and women or through a perspective of the past that would show how the Victorian era shaped life of people and how concerned people were about their outward appearance. Edna begins her internal struggles on Grand Isle and ends them on Grand Isle. The sea and all that it begins to mean to Edna can be seen as the beginning of her journey of self-discovery and final rebirth to an unfulfilled life on this earth. Originally published in 1899, The Awakening was written by Karen Chopin who some describe as a feminist before her time. The Victorian era was a time when women were seen and not heard, which made this book difficult to publish as it was about a woman who… middle of paper… In the end, Edna feels like if she was the real winner and that the company had lost. It is possible that Chopin felt similar in writing such a controversial piece of literature and this was her way of living her dream through Edna. Chopin was an author who believed in herself and her writing demonstrates this to her readers. This is a story that can relate to any era because it encompasses the human spirit and its inner desires. Suicide may not be the answer, but it made readers aware of how unhappy Edna was with her life and the restrictions placed on her. His suicide could be seen as a cowardly act or a triumph for Edna. Ultimately it is still misunderstood. Works Cited Chopin, K (2011) the Awakening in DL Pikes and AM's Acosta's (eds.), DP (2011) Literature: A World of writing stories, poems, and essays [Vital Source digital version]. Boston, mom.