Kate Chopin's novel, The Awakening, explores the boundaries that kept women from expressing themselves and ever being their true self. The main figure, Edna Pontellier, becomes a very influential figure in feminism through her valiant attempt to live an "awakened" life that she never had the chance to previously. However, the societal norms of the day, coupled with the surrounding characters around Edna, lead to her decision to commit suicide, which does not parallel the strength that Edna strove for throughout the entire book. It is for these reasons that, although Edna became a strong woman throughout the book, her final decision to commit suicide was unwarranted and took away all that she worked towards in the blink of an eye.

Edna Pontellier's attempt in obtaining feminine autonomy was greatly thwarted by the restrictions that bourgeoisie society placed on gender roles. It was common knowledge that women were...