Controversial, scandalous and almost universally censored and criticized upon its first release in 1899, Kate Chopin's "The Awakening" is a pioneering novel of female independence and sexual exploration and was one of the earliest American works of fiction to examine the societal oppression that beset married women in the last 19th century. Set in the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, the plot centers around young Edna Pontellier, a married woman who is chafing under the strictures of her relationship with her husband Léonce. While on vacation with her family - she and Léonce have two sons - Edna forms an attachment with Robert Lebrun, a charming young man who loves her, but realizes their relationship is doomed. Robert flees Edna to avoid scandal and Edna is left to contemplate what to make of her life. Torn between conformity and independence, Edna's journey reflects the frustration and societal pressures placed on women - particularly married women - during this era. Dismissed and almost forgotten upon its initial publication, "The Awakening" was rediscovered by feminist scholars in the 1970's as the feminist movement took hold and it has since become a literary classic, an early and rare exploration of women's struggles in the late 1900's. It is presented here in its original and unabridged format.
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