Woo....wee....
A naked woman in the sea!
Don't worry people. I am not forcing you to stare at anyone's nakedness.
But, that is what we are presented with at the end of the story: no clothes.....no life....
In contrast, all throughout the narrative, the females are draped with layers and layers of cloth. Identify these female and their layers. Why do you think Chopin presented us with different arrays of female fashion?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOOPPPPSSSSS~
ReplyDeleteI dislike it when my cursor dances around to my song playlists. Accidents like this deleted entry can happen.. :(!!
Anyway.. Hola~
AS what I have mentioned in the post on The Awakening being banned, women since our forefathers are always the gender which is being imposed of all the rules and regulations ironically set by men in order to be viewed as demure and what not in the society. Thus, these layers and layers of clothes portrayed by Chopin symbolized the constrictions of society for the female sex those days. To wear these layers is to cover up yourself from who you are lest you will expose yourself to other people which will bring shame to you and your family. After all, when one wears many layers, it supposedly showed she is pure of her maidenhood and knows her worth in the society back then. In my opinion, this heaviness of these dresses again symbolizes the weight of the pressure faced by women who are ALWAYS being judged for everything; especially their physical attributes and beauty. They have to follow the rules of being a true women, the women desired and envied by both men and women and the pride of the family and the trophy wife of the husband. Does this in a way is also a satirical manner by Chopin to show how pathetic was the life of women those days?
When Edna went for her swim, she had taken off those clothes, clothes which reminds her of her ONLY job as a women then. AS she looked back, she has bent or broken the tradition since she is now of her own skin and flesh with the bundle of clothes on the shore like rubbish she can leave behind if she wants to.
The layers of clothing which Chopin illustrates in The Awakening also symbolized the communities where Edna lived. Edna had not one but two (if I am not mistaken) nursemaid for her TWO kids. It’s just like those rich businessmen walking around Sunway Pyramid with 2 maids in tow holding on to their 2 ‘workload who will scream for food and run for games’ in Malaysia! With the salary of a maid reaching Rm600 (I think), that’s RM1200 a month! That’s like one package tour to Cambodia TWICE when AIRASIA has promotions or half of a Hong Kong tour under Reliance or an E-Book or ¾ of an Iphone.. Oh God! I want an Iphone… OK ok.. back to Edna’s world.. Same thing, history just likes to repeat itself; those who are rich and well-off could afford extra help at home. So, by portraying edna and her fellow friends with layers and layers of clothes, it shows that they are of higher class women, which should be more refined than those in the lower class who screams and shouts and speaks ghetto, which naturally has more restrictions and more rules to be accepted and uphold their social tier. And then again, the argument will be back to where women are more pressured to uphold their family honour and name because they are being judged constantly.
Even with such a simple but realistic aspect of fashion, Chopin has portrayed the rebellious attitude of Edna when being compared to Madame Ratignolle. The latter had never once showed a centimeter of skin where she is not suppose to compared to Edna who chose to break from conformity which did not get approval from her peers. Thank goodness such a practice is no longer evident in today’s society. If not, people like Lady Gaga will be in DEEP trouble. Oooh.. not good..
Good evening Pn Juridah,
ReplyDeleteClothes are a symbol related to the rules and conventions of society. Throughout The Awakening,. In the first chapters of the novel she is fully dressed; slowly in the course of the novel she removes her clothes. This process of nakedness symbolizes the liberation from the social rules imposed to her and also emphasizes her physical and sexual awakening. In the last scene of the novel Edna is totally naked for first time in her life:
"But when she was there beside the sea, absolutely alone, she cast the unpleasant, pricking garments from her, and for the first time in her life she stood naked in the open air, at the mercy of the sun, the breeze that beat upon her, and the waves that invited her."This final episode with Edna naked for the first time stresses the idea of rebirth in Edna; she is now "some new-born creature" at the end of her life.Clothes appear to have significant meaning in The Awakening, enough so that they are mentioned at almost every description of the characters. Edna Pontellier starts the novel fully dressed and appropriately dressed for a woman of her responsibilities, however, at her final moment, she is naked on the beach. Other women in the story also represent their ‘position’ and the way they feel in the way they dress. Even in today’s society different people dress differently to cover their sexuality but it is not as restricting as the Victorian Era.For example, Madmoiselle Reisz never changes her clothes. This could possibly symbolize her physical detachment from anything around her, including nature and any suppressed feelings. In contrast, Edna’s clothes represent her physical attachment to society. She sheds her clothes the way a snake sheds its skin when it is time for a new one and it does not fit into the old one any longer. Edna doesn’t feel like she can fit into society any longer. Madmoiselle Reisz, on the other hand, does not seem to have any desire to be more than what she has been given in the society in which she lives. Therefore, she does not change her clothes, because she does not feel the need for change in her life. Other characters, such as Madame Leburn always have new clothes to cover their bodies. This could, perhaps, represent the constant need to cover their sexuality as women in suppressed roles as wives and mothers. Ednas’ nakedness at the end of the novel symbolizes her freedom from any claims her children may have on her and shows how her lack of clothes is equal to her lack of ‘responsibility’, of her family and the 1890s’ society.
Yap Hwei Ping
GS 25575
Good Morning Madam Juridah and Friends,
ReplyDeleteWell this is a topic that women should comment on. But as far as the novel concerns it is one of the many symbols of the story which reflects the image of the society at that time in the story. In each society the picture of a woman is different. This picture can be very well seen in a way women are dressed. In the novel the picture of a woman which is accepted by the society, is what we see at the beginning of it: fully dressed and unreachable, but this is not what she wants. Her idea is quite different from her own society so that is why we see she gradually comes out of what she has been put into, but consequently she cannot come back to the society and she dies. She is not able to change the society but she can desert it. When she moves against the society, she blocks all the way back there or in other words she deports herself from the society. This is the cost of freedom that some people might think is worth paying. But I think women themselves have a great role in the society to picture themselves in a way that they want. Generally speaking the more precious something is the less touchable it is.
Mohammad Reza
(GS 25775)
Hi Everyone,
ReplyDeleteHmmm… its been a long time since I wrote on this blog and my mind seems to be blur.
Well, here is my opinion, firstly I do agree with Yap. In my opinion, I personally think that clothes are one of the major symbols that are present in Chopin’s The Awakening. Its shows how women are portrayed in the Victorian Era. In this Era, clothes are seen as a type of cage to these women. They are confine to the clothes that pretty much depicts their life. Edna, the main character in the story is shown to be fully clothes in the first chapter of the story. As the chapter moves, we could see her reducing her cloth and in the end shows that she entirely removes all her clothes and was standing naked in the sea. Edna standing naked in the sea shows that she has rebel against society norms and wanted to be free. By removing her clothes shows that she has freed herself from societal norm. ‘She felt like a new –born creature, opening its eyes in a familiar world that it had never known.’ Pg 115. This shows that she felt free at last and being a new person. She realized that she had suppressed herself to the societal rule that she had never known of freedom. This is clearly shown where she said that she is finally opening her eyes to a familiar world that she had never known. Unfortunately, she could not be able to blend herself into the current society as it contrasted with the idea at that time where women are confined to the role as a wife and mother to her children. Feeling sense of selfishness within herself. She felt that the only way to escape is by committing suicide. The act of her dying without clothes shows that she had finally be able to be liberate herself from the confinement of the society but it is sad to see that death is the only way out from the confinement of the society. How sad!.
Edna is not the only character that is associated with clothe. Madame Ratignolle on the hand is very careful of societal norm which shows that she submits herself to the societal role. It could be seen in chapter seven where she covers herself with veil while Edna seems to use less clothing. Here we could see the difference between the two characters. Edna is ever ready to rebel over the norms fixed by the society instead; Madame Ratignolle is submissive to the rules fixed by the society. Even through her clothing, I could say that Madame Ratignolle is a symbol of an ideal women that the other woman should follow. She plays the role of a mother and child bearer which is clearly shown in the story as she is pregnant with her child. Thus it could be said that Madame Ratignolle seems to be the ideal fashionable woman of that Era. As an ideal woman of that Era, Chopin cleverly sets her to be friends with Edna who seems to be the rebel of the society. Throughout the story Madame Ratignolle would be the one person who offers advice to Edna.
continue.....
ReplyDeleteAnother character that is clearly associated with clothing is Mademoiselle Reisz. Throughout the story, she never changes her clothes as she already accepted the society norms that she lives within. She readily accepts the societal rules that were set for woman like her. She accepted the fact that she would live alone and has no desires to change her ways of life thus it shows in her clothing where she doesn’t change her clothing throughout the entire story. While Madame Lebrun often changes her clothing to show the need to cover their sexuality and the need to hide their suppress feeling of being bound to the societal rules and regulation.
In sum, I could say that the different layers that Chopin presented in her novel shows the different roles that woman in that era played. The layers also show how woman are being treated as a mere woman and child bearer to the society. Through the portrayal of the character Edna, Chopin is silently voicing out her disagreement toward the treatment of woman during that Era. The ending which shows Edna being naked and committing suicide as the only way out to liberate herself of the confinement proves that society has more power than a person. A person like Edna is unable to change the rule that is set by the society unless the society itself changes itself.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGood Day everyone,
ReplyDeleteClothes generally portray status and roles in a particular society or class. Here in Awakening, Edna took of her clothes as a sign of relief and sense of freedom that she wanted to feel within herself. She took her clothes layer-by-layer, as indication that she is freeing from responsibilities, duties and burdens that she has been facing throughout the years. The clothes that Edna took off could be a symbol of physical detachment around her surroundings which could be nature, suppressed feelings and sense of not wanting to be controlled by anyone. We know that, clothes or what we wear represent our social attachment towards our society and status, what more for Edna who lived in Victorian era and society, dressing properly was an important requirement. These clothing symbolizes the social constraint and behaviour of women in that time and period. So, that had restricted Edna’s freedom to move around freely or to do what she wanted. Taking off her clothes shows she was going against the rules set in the society, and eventually she may be like a snake that sheds it skin but when its time for a new one, it does not fit into the old one anymore....sad right? Horrible society.
In contrast, Mademoiselle Reisz does not seem to have any desire or aspect anything more than what she has been given in the society. Therefore, she does not change her clothes, and she does not want to feel or need for change in her life. It could be because she feels that she is still physical detachment from everything around her, like nature and feelings. On the other hand, Madame Leburn always have new clothes, this perhaps signify the constant need to cover herself as a woman, her restrained roles as wife and mother.
The author starts the novel with a suppressed woman, who is fully covered with clothes, (covered by society and its’ strict roles). Later, she ends naked as she is escaping from the restricted boundaries in her society and culture in the Victorian era.
Good morning to mdm Juridah,
ReplyDeleteFirstly, I do agree with Yap and Alicia. I have something to add on. Start on Leonce's house increases Edna feelings of being a possession of someone else and she wants to rid herself of those feelings. She exerts the most freedom yet in her decision to find a place of her own. She gradually becomes more distant from Adele. She frees herself from social conventionalism and at last opens herself up to do something totally for her own reasons and rules. The clothing represents the society that confines her and the independence that stripping the clothing gives her enlightens her soul. Edna is not prepared for conventionality, and the final straw in dealing with her constricting husband finally snaps after his complaints. Her final act of independence required her to end her life. Kate Chopin uses clothing as a way of conveying the social injustice imposed upon women in the Victorian age in which they were trapped. She chooses not to cover herself as harshly as Adele. In her eyes, her relationship with Leonce only stood to hold her back from the freedom she searched for, and shedding the ring liberated her from his conformist rules. She defies conventional feminine behavior. Perhaps the most important clothing she discards is her house. Lebrun in her home because she must put on the restricting clothing once again. As the clothing disappears, her rebellion against society increases.
Yew
GS 25354
Hello to Puan Juridah and all my fellow friends,
ReplyDeleteFinally, I managed to get my own id under my name.
Well, The Awakening is a novel full of symbolism; within each narrative segment there is often a central and powerful symbol that serves to add meaning to the text and to underline some subtle point Chopin is making. In this novel, Edna is fully dressed when her character was firstly introduced; but slowly over the course of the novel she removes her clothes. This symbolizes the shedding of the societal rules in her life and her growing awakening and stresses her physical and external self. As she disrobes, the reader is presented with an internal voyeuristic view. As MacCurdy points out, "Edna's dress opposes external nature, but more importantly, it begins to oppose her inner nature. A division exists between her and her environment as well as between her social character and her awakening instincts" (59). When she commits suicide she is finally naked, she has shed everything she has in her quest for selfhood. But it is not only Edna who is symbolized in clothes. Adele is more "careful" of her face in the seventh chapter and wears a veil. Both she and Madame Leburn constantly make clothes to cover the body, and the woman in black and Mlle. Reisz never change their clothes, symbolizing their distance from any physical attachment.
Thank you….
Margaret Anthoney
GS26688
Ass’alam alycom and very good evening to madam Juridah and classmates:
ReplyDeleteWell, thanks to Mohammed for his clear comment, (because actually at first I couldn’t get what I am supposed to talk about ha ha ha ). So when woman cloths are concerned in literature, in general, and in this novel in specific, clothes symbolize to many things, particularly when nakedness is concerned, it means person is looking for the freedom like Edna, experience the smell and the touch of the air on her body, nothing affect that, the reality of life, she felt that when she took off her clothes she is like going from her present life (that actually she doesn’t want it) to her desirable life with the new love who explore that she is living for others and she didn’t enjoy her sexuality life.
When the narrative used many arrays of clothes it means at least for me that woman at that time experience different kind of character that he society was not familiar with, it was a taboo like when said took off her clothes and went for swimming.
As Reza said, woman clothes and community fashion differentiate from one society to another, so when women change their style of dressing it means that they changed their mind, thoughts, and feeling, and It could be to better changes or to worse changes.
Thanks so much
All the best
kalthoum
Good Day everyone,
ReplyDeleteYES I AGREE THAT CLOTHES REPRESENT THE TRADITION AND CULTURE OF ANY SOCIETY AND WHEN YOU WANT TO CHANG IT, IT WILL BE CLEARLY THAT YOU ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH THAT,EVEN IF CHANGING WILL NOT CHANGE ANY THING IN YOUR LIFE. EDNA WAS NOT HAPPY IN HER LIFE ,MARRIAGE AND LOVE, SHE IS LOOKING FOR HER FREEDOM,SHE FEELS THAT SHE IS TIED AND SHE PUT THE LAME IN THE CLOTHES THAT I THINK IT DOESN'T REPRESENT HER PERSONALITY OR LIFE. SHE THOUGHT THAT IF SHE CHANG HER STYLE OF CLOTHING HER LIFE WILL CHANG,SO SHE STARTED TO PUT OFF HER CLOTHES UNTIL SHE BECAME NAKED BUT WHAT DID SHE OBTAIN...??? NOTHING.SHE LOST HER LIFE AND HER FAMILY NAKED IN THE SEA.IN THE OTHER HAND Madame Leburn ALWAYS CHANGED HER CLOTHES BUT IN A RESPECTIVE WAY AND DID NOT LOSE ANY THING,
CHOPIN REPRESENT THESE DIFFERENT ARRAYS TO SHOW US DIFFERENT ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOUR OF WOMEN IN THAT TIME.SOME WOMAN ACCEPT THEIR SOCIETIES RULES AND THOUGHT AND SOME ARE WILLING TO CHANG AND SACRIFICE THEIR LIFE TO FULFIL THEIR DREAMS.
AHLAM
GS23730
Good evening Pn Ju and everyone,
ReplyDeleteWell, I do agree with the others who have commented about clothes symbolizing a woman's chastity and purity.In fact society judges a woman by the clothes she wears. For instance Adele is always well covered and she even wears a veil at times which indicates that she is one who abides by conventions and is reluctant to change for fear of rejection. Madame Lebrun and Mademoiselle Reiz are always in black which shows a sort of neutrality.
Initially Edna is also fully dressed but slowly as the novel progresses, she removes her clothes. This indicates a growing opposition in the part of Edna towards socially accepted norms at that time and her growing need to free herself from tradition and restrictions imposed upon by her husband and society in general. The shedding of clothes could also imply letting go of her inhibitions and seeing herself in a new light.
The climax is at the end when she is fully naked. she feels tht she has finally awakened or that she has finally discarded all the restrictions imposed by society and found her tue self.
Santha GS26611
Dear Mdm. Juridah and my classmates,
ReplyDeleteKate Chopin presented us different arrays of female fashion in this novel as a way of displaying the social rules of Victorian age which women were limited in it. The expectations of tradition coupled with the limitations of law gave women of the late 1800s very few opportunities for individual expression, not to mention independence. Expected to perform their domestic duties and care for the health and happiness of their families, Victorian women- as we saw for Edna- were prevented from seeking the satisfaction of their own wants and needs.
In this novel, Kate Chopin takes Edna Pontellier-the main character of this novel- on a journey of self-discovery. In doing this, she uses many symbols to show the relationship between Edna and the world. Clothing, or rather, the lack thereof, displays this relationship well. As Edna progresses throughout the novel, she discards more and more layers of the confining “clothing” that surrounds her body and soul. By taking off her clothing, one piece at a time, she disobeys the rules that society has set for her, and in doing this, she exerts her independence. In this summer voyage, Edna becomes a free woman. In the Victorian society that Edna lives in, the proper attire for women requires them to wear very confining clothing. This clothing symbolizes the constraints on the social behavior of women in this age. It restricts Edna’s body and impedes her freedom to move. At the beginning of the novel, fully dressed Edna wears all the proper clothing. However, when Edna and Adele walk together to the beach, Edna wears considerably less clothing than that of her companion. Adele wears a veil, gloves, and ruffles to protect her body, but Edna wears a thinner, simple dress and removes her collar and unbuttons her dress at the throat. At the end of the story, she completely removes her clothes. By doing this, she wants to show her complete independence and freedom from the society that she lives in.
Best regards,
Saeideh
GS25784
Hello Mdm juridah and friends,
ReplyDeleteClothes are representative of rules and customs of a society and indicate our attachment towards the social status. There are many etiquettes and festivals for clothes and clothing around the world. Most of the clothes are used by women to cover their sexuality and beauties of other people. But in the previous centuries, females were seen as a submissive gender and covered with layers and layers to isolate from the society and changes and to retain them setting the kitchen and home, caring for husband, bearing children, and the ways in which these jobs are used to keep women in a powerless position. In the Victorian society that Edna lives in, the proper attire for women requires them to wear very confining clothing. This clothing symbolizes the constraints on the social behavior of women in this age. It restricts Edna’s body and impedes her freedom to move. Kate Chopin applied clothing as a way of conveying the social injustice imposed upon women in the Victorian age in which they were trapped. Edna’s attendance at the beginning of the novel pointed out a fully dressed woman, dressed for a woman of her responsibilities. In the course of the novel, she discards more and more layers of the confining “clothing” that surrounds her body and soul. By taking off her clothing, one piece at a time, she disobeys the regulations that society has set for her, and in doing this, she exerts her independence. The first sign that Edna is becoming comfortable with herself, and beginning to ‘loosen' the constrictions is when she asks Robert to retrieve her shawl. When he returned with the shawl she took it and kept it in her hand. She did not put it around her. Then after her outing with Robert, when she is feeling freer, she arrives late at dinner and had dressed in some haste, and her face was flush. Her head set off by her dainty white gown, suggested a rich, rare blossom. The same evening, she is called by Madame Lebrun to see Robert off. She continues to show her easing inhibitions as compared to what is expected when she started to dress again, and got as far advanced as to remove her peignoir. But changing her mind once more she resumed the peignoir, and went outside and sat down before her door. In the last her nudity shows how her lack of clothes is equal to her lack of ‘responsibility’, of her family she has freed herself from societal limitations.
Other women in the story also represent their ‘position’ and the way they feel in the way they dress. Madmoiselle Reisz does not change her clothes, because she does not feel the need for change in her life. In contrast, the other character, Madame Leburn always has new clothes to cover her body. This could, perhaps, represent the constant need to cover their sexuality as women in suppressed roles as wives and mothers. Edna is ever ready to rebel over the criteria of the society instead; Madame Ratignolle is submissive to the rules fixed by the society. Madame Ratignolle is very cautious of societal patterns. While Edna and Adele walk together to the beach, Edna wears very less clothing compare with her companion. Edna wears a thinner, simple dress and removes her collar and unbuttons her dress at the throat, but Adele wears a veil, gloves, and ruffles to protect her body. She gradually becomes more distant from Adele. In sum, I disagree with some societies with fully covered and restricted woman and those with approximately naked and fully free women. Everything is good when done moderately.
Regards, Vahideh GS26717
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletehi all,
ReplyDeletei do believe with most of the friends about clothes represent the society that confines her and the independence that stripping the clothing gives her enlightens her soul. This is because as we read the novel, Edna start the novel with proper layer of clothes but towards the end of the novel she wears less clothing and being truly naked at the end. This is to show how Edna live in the society that she thinks do not suit her. She also wanted to show that she wants to be independence and being freedom by take off her clothing. Meaning that when she wears a proper clothing indicates that she live and life a proper society that suit her but when she is naked indicates that she did not want the society anymore to control her.She also wanted to be totally freedom and thinks that nobody can understand herself and her desire anymore. Here we can say that she is being selfish. I do agree with Ahlam when she said that clothes represent the tradition and culture of any society and when we want to change it it will be clearly that you are not satisfied with it. But for Edna, do Edna obtained what she wants by commit suicide? she got nothing as she wants what she called freedom. For me,attitudes comes first weather what society we lived in. We should know how to live in one society. As what Ahlam said, no matter how we dress and how many times we change clothes as it was our decission, we need more to consider because we need to have better understanding and judgment on what we are doing even though we always change our cloth as we try to decide things and have plenty of opinion, it can give many interpretations and it depends on ones attitudes
norashikin
GS25973
Hi Mdm Ju and friends..
ReplyDeleteClothes are the symbol of rules and customs in the society. I believe that Choppin used this symbol in the novel to show the transformation of Edna from the woman with no say, who has no job and do nothing. Edna was fully dressed in the beginning of the novel and slowly removed her cloth as the novel progress. It shows how Edna has slowly changed and become more stubborn day by day. She felt frustrated with her life and awakened as a new person. She realized that the women around her has no or little power and she don't want to be controlled anymore. She than start to learn on how to swim. She start to lead her own life without any control from the husband. She has affairs with some other guys...which is totally not being approve by thye society. She was fully naked at the end of the story..which symbolize the freedom..free from anything and anyone.
Samsiah Abdullah
GS25353
Hellow...
ReplyDeleteAhemm...clothes...firstly, I'd like to quote 'Ahlam'; your clothes are on and changed in a respective manner = you have a life; your clothes ar off and you're in the sea = you loose your life. Life as in everything contained in a lifetime. I think, what Ahlam has said makes sense in describing the mentality of the society of past. Therefore, Chopin here might be trying to strike a chord, saying that, well, if you decide to leave then you're left naked (helpless)...in that society, i repeat, in that particular society at that time.
By 'leave', I mean detaching from @ droping responsibilities decked upon a female being. Namely, being a 'lady',a mother, a someone's wife...even here we can see that it is never the woman herself who is acknowledged. It is her association with the people around her that puts her where she is. That is what Edna does, she 'leaves'. Edna is portrayed as naked, yes naked in the sense that she has left her responsibilities behind, letf all that was decked upon her behind and had decided to release herself.
So, yes, it's not just the clothes being abandoned...it is more than that.
TQVM
Good day Mrs Juridah & my fellow educators,
ReplyDeleteAs for my understanding, ‘Female are draped with layers and layers of cloth’ means, keeping them in the aura of positive energy; stay strong always. It is also presented with different arrays of fashion that captures the movement of life of a female has to go through until her last breathing.
We female grow with potential consequences in daily life. For our own
self-development and realization we concerns of what others around would think and how it is perceived. This argument is never completely determined. We battle in the situations rather than working to solve it.
We carry the most responsibilities to discover the highest importance of our own desire. However, we learn to balance with compromising our own life…
Regards,
Kalpana Subramaniam
GS26643
Come on Redza and Kudri... say something. people here are keep on talking about feminism. Me... 'kantoi' just unable to say something that i really feel to say when talk about this 'clothes' and 'clothing'. Anyhow this is my comprehended comments on this 'CLOTHES'. Clothing generally represent our worldly appearance or status. At times, it may represent our attitudes toward ourselves and others. Mostly, it represent the way that we appear to the world. Clothes are not symbolic of our private self, but rather of our public self. A poor man wears different clothes than a rich man. A doctor's attire is different from that of a carpenter. The type of clothing that we wear varies from situation to situation.We are born naked but are buried or cremated with clothes on. Therefore, it is important to examine the impact of clothes and appearance in everyday interaction within the pre-mentioned frameworks. The application consisted of looking at clothing and appearance related symbols used in everyday life at both micro and macro levels. Micro-level focussed on the use of symbols at the individual level, and Macro-level represented both societal and cultural level symbols. The intent was not to take assumptions and propositions for granted to understand the conceptualization because common sense is not very common. Findings revealed that people use appearance and clothing related symbols in their lives to develop and sustain their selves as members of the society that they are part of. Use of appearance and clothing in this novel may related symbols in everyday interactions can be both effective and ineffective depending on the sharedness of the meanings of the artifacts and mentifacts.
ReplyDeleteSalam to Puan Ju and fellow classmates.
ReplyDeleteI have somewhat similar opinion on how women and fashion(clothing)should be represented. During the Victorian era when Chopin wrote this story, the ladies are obligied to wear full covered clothings and some even wear veil and head gear. Even at home, where they are supposed to be in a more relaxed and homely manner, these ladies are expected to cover themselves with layers upon layers of fabric.
Perhaps the weather also supports the layers of clothings (esp.during winter) but having to wear something that might weight more that the body weight is actual torture! I feel that Chopin's portrayal of how Edna was first fully clothed and then fully un-clothed showed sense of freedom and rebelition. Edna as portrayed in this story rebels not only in terms of clothings but actions as well. To her, taking off the full suffocating fashion is connoted to taking off her obligation to be poise & demure all the time.
Thus, I feel liberated as a modern women who can choose what to wear to any occasion. I pity those women during those times but I guess if they are not exposed to something that they have not seen then, it's not so bad... Coz if given the choice, I wouldn't want to dress like those Victorian ladies!
Chopin uses many symbols to illustrate the relationship between Edna and the world, such as clothes, sleep, music, and art. However, perhaps the most important symbol in the novel is clothes. My examination of the novel's clothing imagery maps out this symbol is possibly the most significant because of their direct relationship to Edna Pontellier. Her clothes have the power to not only emphasize, but help show exactly how and what Edna is feeling. Clothes appear to have significant meaning in The Awakening, enough so that they are mentioned at almost every description of the characters. Edna Pontellier starts the novel fully dressed and appropriately dressed for a woman of her responsibilities, however, the nakedness at the end of the novel symbolizes her freedom from any claims her children may have on her and shows how her lack of clothes is equal to her lack of responsibility of her family and the 1890s society.
ReplyDeleteHi Madam Juridah and my dear colleagues….Sorry for second delayed.
ReplyDeleteNaked!..Close your eyes!..Females are transparency for males. I think it’s around Chopin’s messages in this novel. It’s totally awakening..
I do agree with Shammine, as time changes, the novel starts with woman fully covered with clothes, (covered by society and its’ strict roles). Later, she ends naked as she is escaping from the restricted boundaries in her society and culture in the Victorian era… I hope that Chopin will devote that flexible, iridescent style of hers to a better cause.
Thank you.
Hazreen Binti Haji Abdul Hamid
GS24475
hi everyone..
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, clothes in The Awakening represents the responsibility in the society. Edna plays a role as a wife and a mother in this novel.. These two responsibilities are very big in the society and it is very synonym with women. This clothes represent the society and Edna is fully dressed in the beginning of the novel. However, Edna changes her mind in the middle of the novel when she decided to leave all the responsibility as a wife and as a mother. This situation is the symbolism with Edna's action where she takes off all her clothes and remains naked. That is the interpretation of freedom towards Edna.She finally chooses to walk away from her responsibilities and the demand of that conservative society.
Thank u.
Siti Aliah binti Amirruddin
GS 24371