In her novel The Awakening, Kate Chopin shows Edna Pontellier's confrontations with society, her imprisonment in marriage, and Edna's exploration of her own sexuality. Chopin also portrays Edna as a rebel who, after her experiences in Grand Isle, wants to live a full and free life and not follow the rules of society. Edna's life ends with her suicide, but her death comes as no surprise. Chopin foreshadows Edna's death through the use of nature and Edna's connection to it; also through the use of symbols, notably the symbolic meaning of a bird; and by the use of many different characters in the novel, such as Robert Lebrun, Mademoiselle Reisz and Madame Ratignolle.Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Edna is a very romantic character, who turns to nature for comfort. She “looks for herself” in nature (508). But her environment does not comfort her. She hears voices “from the darkness, from the sky above, and from the stars” that “are not soothing”; the voices “mocked and sounded mournful notes without promise, without even hope” (508). Edna wants to feel nature's embrace on her, but instead she does not feel "uplifted" and hears a "mournful lullaby" (471). This dark presentation of nature foreshadows future events in Edna's life. Kate Chopin uses the symbolic meaning of a bird to deepen the meaning of the story and foreshadow future events. In "L'Éveil", a bird symbolizes Edna Pontilier herself. At the beginning of the novel, Edna is the "green and yellow parrot" in a cage "in front of the door," saying, "Go away! Go away! For God's sake!"(467). Edna feels trapped in her marriage like a bird in a cage and after meeting Robert, she wants to “get away.” Edna, the bird, decides to flee her marriage and settles in the “dovecote”, where she feels “elevated in the spiritual” (541). To change her life and escape the “traditions and prejudices” of those around her, Edna “must have strong wings” (533). Miss Reisz tells Edna that people are cruel and that if Edna does not feel strong enough, she will be like a “bruised, exhausted weakling, returning to earth” (533). This conversation foreshadows Edna's lack of strength and her death. As Edna takes her final swim, she sees the bird “with the broken wing,” falling “into the water” (558). Edna feels weak; she “falls” into the waters of Grand Isle. When Edna meets Robert Lebrun in Grand Isle, she experiences an awakening from her "stupid lifelong dream" as she remembers his life (553). She is ready to give her heart to Robert, but he flees Grand Isle and Edna before ruining her reputation as a “good Creole”. Robert knows that “the Creole husband is never jealous” of harmless flirtations and as a “good Creole,” Robert cannot exceed these social limits (475). Robert follows the rules of his society; his departure foreshadows his future actions towards Edna. She returns to her “dovecote” and notices that Robert “is not expecting her” and that the house is “empty” (556). Robert is gone again. Edna remembers Miss Reisz's warning about the cruelty of society. Edna is afraid to face cruelty alone. Edna feels helpless without Robert by her side. Edna doesn't want anyone "near her except Robert" (557) but he can't be a "good Creole" and be with Edna. Even if Robert was with Edna, society will never allow them to be together and Edna's husband will never "free" her (552). Edna also cannot find her reason for being because she is "not a woman-mother" (473) and she cannot "give herself for her children", like her friend Adèle., 1998.