The importance of the sea in The AwakeningThroughout her novel, The Awakening, Kate Chopin uses symbolism and imagery to depict the emergence of the character principal in a state of spiritual consciousness. The image that appears most throughout the novel is that of the sea. “Chopin uses the sea to symbolize freedom, the freedom of others and the freedom to be oneself” (Martin 58). The protagonist, Edna Pontellier, wants this freedom, and with images of the sea, Chopin shows Edna's waking desire to be free and her ultimate realization of this freedom. Edna's awakening begins with her beach vacation. There, she meets Robert Lebrun and develops an intense infatuation for him, an infatuation similar to those she had in her youth and which she abandoned when she married. The passionate feelings that begin to overwhelm him are both confusing and exciting. They make Edna think about what her life is like and what she is like as a person. The charm of the sea influences these feelings which invite “the soul... to lose itself in the mazes of interior contemplation” (Chopin 57). Edna begins to fall under the spell of the sea and begins to evaluate her feelings about the life she leads. During the summer of Edna's awakening, the influence of the sea increases as she learns to swim, an event that takes on far more significance than her fellow vacationers. realize. “To her friends, she accomplished a simple feat; for Edna, she performed a miracle” (Showalter 114). She found a peace and quiet in swimming that gave her a feeling of freedom. The narrator tells us that while swimming, “she seems to reach out towards the limitless in which to lose herself” (Chopin 74). She sees freedom in the middle of paper......in the ocean for the last time she finds her ultimate freedom. Ultimately, the sea symbolizes freedom for Edna. He will never treat her like a possession like her husband did for so many years. It won't require all of his time and attention like his children do. He will never abandon her like Robert does. He will envelop her “in his soft and close embrace” (Chopin 176) and allow her to experience the vast range of feelings that her life has forbidden her to experience. The sea will allow him to be free. Works cited and consulted Chopin, Kate. “Awakening”. 1899. The Complete Works of Kate Chopin. Ed. By Seyersted. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 1969. 881-1000. Martin, Wendy, ed. New essays on awakening. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1988. Showalter, Elaine. "Tradition and feminine talent: awakening as a solitary book." 1993