by Kate Chopin
First published 1899
Edna Pontellier lives the expected life of a well-bred wife and mother in late nineteenth century New Orleans society. She tends to her household, raises her children, and follows the social conventions that govern women of her class. But something stirs within her that refuses to stay quiet. Edna begins to question the boundaries that confine her daily existence. She starts to claim spaces and experiences that married women are not supposed to want. Her awakening to her own desires and autonomy puts her at odds with everyone around her. Her husband expects compliance. Society demands conformity. Even her children represent ties that bind her to a role she no longer accepts. As Edna pursues moral and erotic independence, she discovers that breaking free from the cage of domestic life carries a price that may be too steep to pay. Her transformation leads her toward choices that will change everything.
Genres: literary-fiction, domestic-fiction, american-fiction, 20th-century, american, 19th-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: awakening, moral-independence, societal-expectations
Setting: New Orleans
Period: Late 19th Century
286 pages · Paperback · Penguin Books
Content warnings: sexism