Awakening But Not Awakened Edna

There have been many interpretations about the death of Edna, female heroin in The Awakening. Mainly two kinds of tendencies are presented:a positive tendency and a negative tendency. Some researchers believe that Edna is awakened. They regard her spirit of pursuing freedom, independence and individuality as heroism. Some researchers believe that Edna is not awakened and they think her death indicates her cowardice and despair because she can't fight against strong traditional morality and can't bear consequent loneliness. Based on the former researches, this thesis tries to interpret Edna's awakening from a feminist perspective and pointes out that Edna is neither a winner nor a loser but just a rebel. Her awakenings can only reach a certain level of "awakening", but far less than that of "being awakened". Her self-awareness is aroused but she has no power to master it. Thus, she feels confused and chooses to die. Moreover, the social circumstances in which she lives decide she can't achieve complete awakening. But her struggle and sacrifice for freedom and independence are significant to women's liberation nowadays.This thesis includes five parts. The introduction surveys comments on The Awakening, the background of this novel, and feminism and feminist criticism which are the theoretical basis of this thesis. The second chapter describes Edna's depressed living conditions before her awakening as a sharp contrast to her autonomous living conditions after awakening. In this stage, Edna bears depressions physically and spiritually. But, when there is oppression there is resistance. The depressions Edna suffers lay the foundation for her latter awakening and resistance. The third chapter elaborates reasons and the process of Edna's awakening. As to reasons of her awakening, this thesis tries to analyze from internal and external aspects:Edna's personality and her friends'influences. In the process of Edna's awakening, this thesis mainly discusses her self-identity's awakening and her sexual awakening. The fourth chapter explores Edna's confusions after awakening and her death in the wake of confusions and analyzes causes and the inevitability of her death. The conclusion points out that for Edna, death is a helpless choice because she can't fight against ineradicable social morals of the patriarchal society. But she also achieves a spiritual victory of obtaining freedom and identity. Moreover, she becomes a model inspiring women of modern society jointly strive for undertakings of women's liberation.