Sacrifice of Androcentric Society

Abstract：By analyzing the heroine’s awakening and rebellion, it exposes the reality that it is impossible for a woman attempt to challenge conventional role in Victorian times.

Rebellious women tend to be restrained by androcentric society. Edna is hesitated to break with social rule. Her death is the culminating of her awakening. Her destination foretells the

women’s aspiration for freedom.

Key words：androcentric society awakening self; death

中图分类号： I106 文献标识码： A 文章编号：1672-1578（2012)05-0003-01

1 Kate Chopin and her works

The Awakening which created a heroine who rejects domesticity in favor of her own fulfillment. Kate Chopin’s much-debated work, The Awakening, was cited as an example to prove women are not male’s captives anymore. It is worthy to find their own self identity at high price even delicate to their life. The Awakening was long unrecognized until the 1960’s, and Chopin, long forgotten in American literary canon, was not rediscovered for more than half a century. Feminists appreciate heroine, Edna’s courageous behavior and her demonstrated rebellion in the pursuit of love and independence. Edna, awakening for love and be loved, fore and most is for self-value in the man-dominated society. In andocentric society, male accustom themselves to put female in the position of stay-at-home angel. Submissiveness requires women to accept their position in life willingly and obediently. Edna is unable to respond to the conventional role of motherhood and wifehood and subvert traditional woman.

2 Edna’s longing for selfhood

The conversation between Edna and her spirit prompt her to think about the meaning of her life, something married women are rarely encouraged to do. In the 19th century, it is a common phenomenon that people regard marriage as a decent life and career. Subsequently, wealth and social status become the sole criterion for marriage. In community, they declared that “Mr. Pontellier was the best husband in the world”.（Chopin,7）In the eyes of Mr. Pontellier, Edna has everything including an impeccable husband. Mr. Pontellier is fully preoccupied with the business, social, and sexual activities of the male sphere, Women depend on their father to live before marriage, so they haven’t reasonable reason against father at all; after married, they depend on their husband to live, husband is the core of their life. For Mr. Pontellier part, he values his wife no more than “a valuable piece of personal property”, who prefers her wife to be quiet, docile and obeying him as a servant. In Edna’s whole life, she traps in a patriarchal world. At that time, Every woman should grateful to her husband for giving her physical and material comfort. Everything she do is to comply her father, to please her husband and to rear children. Women’s behaviors are confined to convention of the society set by men. They should faith, selfless and work around the family. Each and every man, no matter who he is, no exception, transforms their talent lover into a competent housewife. They cheated them by sweet saying family is the peak of their career. If any woman appeals for liberty and independence, she will be regarded as a evil woman. However, Edna Pontellier breaks completely with the modes and codes of nineteenth-century American women’s behavior. She defies tradition.