In the aftermath of the Civil War, many artists and writers were inspired to reject the lofty ideals of Romanticism and focus their attention on a new movement, representing aspects of daily life. . American realist authors such as Mark Twain and Charles Chestnutt are well known for their depictions of life in the South during the Civil War era. These authors relied heavily on setting and historical context to shape their characters, unlike the Romantics, who isolated their protagonists from the social context. In this way, realist authors sought to describe their lives as objectively as possible. Regionalism, a popular branch of realism, emphasized the realistic depiction of life in a particular region. Like Twain and Chestnutt, writer Kate Chopin believed that regional elements such as speech, social structure, and customs were crucial to understanding the characters' condition. Chopin's “Awakening” uses four literary conventions of regional realism: 1) a protagonist rooted in a complex social environment, often involving conditions of oppression; 2) emphasis on regional details such as dialect; 3) a psychologically complex protagonist; 4) an objective and amoral stance towards the condition of the protagonists (this convention is inspired by the closely related school of naturalism). By drawing attention to the impact of setting on a character's life and creating a psychologically complex character, Chopin breaks with the literary conventions of Romanticism, which would have isolated the well-defined hero or villain protagonist from his or her social environment. . "The Awakening", however, contains elements of Romantic-influenced transcendentalism, as demonstrated by the desire of the protagonist, Edna, to explore her spirituality and defy societal expectations. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In order to fully understand Edna's condition, Chopin recognizes the need to familiarize the reader with her world. “L'Eveil” thus offers a vivid illustration of Creole life in the late 1800s. Chopin, even if she was not an activist herself, was well aware of the various women's rights movements emerging from from the 1890s (Campbell 62). The ultra-conservative South was a prime location to explore the effects of sexism on a female protagonist. Napoleonic codes in Louisiana created distinct gender spheres: men existed in the public sphere, while women existed in the private sphere, or “cult of domesticity” (Schedler, lecture 09/28/04). Women were expected to be pure, loving wives and mothers, and were looked down upon by society for failing to fulfill this role. Sexuality was linked to marriage and sex was only valued for procreation. Women were objects belonging to their husbands. Such rampant sexism is revealed in "The Awakening" when Edna's husband, Léonce, looks at her as if she were "a precious commodity" (Seyersted 882). Edna is a product of society: her personal worth is determined by her performance in the role imposed on her. It is only when Edna "wakes up" and realizes that she does not have a true sense of self that she rebels by ignoring society's expectations. By placing Edna in such an oppressive yet realistic condition, Chopin employs the first convention of regional realism. The second convention of regional realism used by Chopin in "The Awakening" is a generous helping of region-specific detailssuch as dialect. Regional realists strove to familiarize readers with places and people they were unlikely to encounter in their daily lives. Chopin gives an exotic flavor to the text with elaborate descriptions of New Orleans architecture (such as the description of the Pontellier house) and frequent use of French phrases. In fact, the first lines of the novel are spoken by a multilingual green and yellow parrot: “Go away! Go away! Sapristi! All is well" (Seyersted 881). The parrot illustrates the French influence in Louisiana but, more importantly, serves as a symbol for Edna herself. Birds are key symbols in "The Awakening." The parrot at the beginning of the novel depicts Edna: living in a cage and forced to spend her life repeating the words that society expects of her, while being able to speak "a language that no one understood, unless it was the mockingbird that hung on the other side of the door" (Seyersted 881). Here, the mockingbird serves as a symbol for Miss Reisz, Edna's deeply spiritual friend who serves as a model for an alternative way of life. Mockingbirds are generally seen as "annoying" birds in the same way, Madame Reisz is a nuisance to society She is rude and rebels against the sexist environment with her outspokenness However, Madame Reisz is the only one capable of understanding. Edna's state while listening to Madame Reisz's piano playing, “the passions themselves awoke in her soul” (Seyersted). 906). It is Madame Reisz's music that awakens Edna's desire to explore her sexuality and develop her spirituality. Edna abdicates her role as wife and mother and ends up leaving the family home. She rebels against her father and misses her sister's wedding. She begins to exist according to her own selfish whims and spends a lot of time lost in introspection or painting. The novel continues as Edna escapes her cage only to unfortunately discover that her mind is not strong enough to exist independently of her. maternal obligations. Miss Reisz wisely points out that “the bird that would like to rise above the level of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings. It is a sad spectacle to see the weak, bruised and exhausted, return to earth” (Seyersted 966). Having spent her entire life caged by society, Edna's wings have become too weak to allow her to rise above the societal obligations of motherhood, but remain too strong to allow her to submit to the role that is intended for him. Her death is foreshadowed when she sees a bird with a broken wing "beating the air above, staggering, fluttering, circling, crippled, down to the water" (Seyersted 999). Here, Edna is depicted as both weak and strong, which highlights the third convention of regional realism. Edna's psychological complexity stands in stark contrast to the romantic literary convention of having a well-defined hero or villain as the protagonist. The character of Edna, with her abundance of flaws and vices, embodies realism. She is not an idealized heroine, but rather a raw presentation of realism in its purest form. Edna does not seem to understand the impact of her actions on others. His attitude that “conditions would fit one way or another” (Seyersted), coupled with his intense desire for independence, surely has a negative impact on his children. It is only at the end of the novel that Edna remembers her maternal obligations, and even then, it is only in response to the call of her friend, Madame Ratignolle, who urges her to “Think of the children, Edna. Oh, think of them. children! Remember them! (Seyersted 995). When Edna realizes that she, 1969. 881-1000.