The Awakening follows the story of Edna Pontellier and her ever-changing journey. At first glance, this book comes across as a love story – which it most definitely is – but it also comes across as a journey of self-identity. Throughout the entire story, Edna is struggling and trying to figure out where she fits in the world, her society, and the lives of the people — including the men — around her.
Edna turned to new ways of expressing her identity, mainly in the form of painting in the later part of the novel, though she also changed in the way she communicated. There were several times where she seemed repulsed by the idea of reaching out to the people she previously met through her Tuesday open houses. When it came to celebrating her moving into her own house, the guest list was limited to twelve (though only ten came), indicating that she severely reduced the size of her social circle. By the end, she didn’t seem to want to talk to many people at all, and especially not about how she was feeling internally.
The reason for her journey for self-identity can be traced back to the three, notable men who appear in the book. The first, of course, is her husband, Mr. Pontellier. His feelings around his wife brought up some interesting points on the lifestyle at that time, as well. He was very concerned how he — and, by extension, his family — were perceived by the public. He was taken aback when Edna stopped her Tuesday meetings. He was angry when he received the letter of her moving out and seemingly abandoning their household, the chores, and their children. However, in regard to Edna moving out, he became less concerned with what was changing in her life and more worried about updating and modifying the architecture in their home, navigating orders and schedules while he was away on a business trip.
Then there was Robert – who moved to Mexico and back because of his love for Edna – and Arobin – who appeared during the period of time Robert was in Mexico – both mostly fleeting feelings of love and adoration in their short times. These three combinations only served to bring more conflicting feelings and thoughts for Edna. At the end of the story, Edna returns to her home, expecting Robert to still be there, only to find a note of goodbye. In her feelings of grief and betrayal, she swims out into the ocean and allows herself to sink.