Please read the following passage from Chapter 10. Note Chopin's use of such elements as diction, syntax, imagery, and figurative language. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the language generates a vivid impression of Edna Ponteiller as a character.
Edna had attempted all summer to learn to swim. She had received instructions from both the men and women; in some instances from the children. Robert had pursued a system of lessons almost daily; and he was nearly at the point of discouragement in realizing the futility of his efforts. A certain ungovernable dread hung about her when in the water, unless there was a hand near by that might reach out and reassure her.
But that night she was like the little tottering, stumbling, clutching child, who of a sudden realizes its powers, and walks for the first time alone, boldly and with over-confidence. She could have shouted for joy. She did shout for joy, as with a sweeping stroke or two she lifted her body to the surface of the water.
A feeling of exultation overtook her, as if some power of significant import had been given her to control the working of her body and her soul. She grew daring and reckless, overestimating her strength. She wanted to swim far out, where no woman had swum before.
Her unlooked-for achievement was the subject of wonder, applause, and admiration. Each one congratulated himself that his special teachings had accomplished this desired end.
“How easy it is!” she thought. “It is nothing,” she said aloud; “why did I not discover before that it was nothing. Think of the time I have lost splashing about like a baby!” She would not join the groups in their sports and bouts, but intoxicated with her newly conquered power, she swam out alone.
She turned her face seaward to gather in an impression of space and solitude, which the vast expanse of water, meeting and melting with the moonlit sky, conveyed to her excited fancy. As she swam she seemed to be reaching out for the unlimited in which to lose herself.
Once she turned and looked toward the shore, toward the people she had left there. She had not gone any great distance that is, what would have been a great distance for an experienced swimmer. But to her unaccustomed vision the stretch of water behind her assumed the aspect of a barrier which her unaided strength would never be able to overcome.
A quick vision of death smote her soul, and for a second of time appalled and enfeebled her senses. But by an effort she rallied her staggering faculties and managed to regain the land.
She made no mention of her encounter with death and her flash of terror, except to say to her husband, “I thought I should have perished out there alone.”
“You were not so very far, my dear; I was watching you,” he told her.
Edna went at once to the bath-house, and she had put on her dry clothes and was ready to return home before the others had left the water. She started to walk away alone. They all called to her and shouted to her. She waved a dissenting hand, and went on, paying no further heed to their renewed cries which sought to detain her.
Sample Paragraphs: Edna’s quest to develop an identity shapes her independence, her trajectory in life, throughout this excerpt from Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, a telling commentary on the seminal suffragette protests and feminist philosophies that emerge in the early 20th century. Chopin's aquatic imagery (“swim,” "sweeping stroke or two," "surface of the water," etc.) conjures up the invigorating mood of Edna's liberation from cultural limitations, emblematic of the budding feminist movements that characterize the fin de siecle. The metaphor of Edna's swimming experience articulates her desire to free herself from the Creoles’ societal restrictions, again representative of the uprising in women’s voices circulating throughout the United States during the final days of the 19th century.
Final Paragraph
Thus, Edna’s spirit of independence thrusts her into a new identity better suited to her womanhood in general and individuality in particular. In this third decade of the 21st century, many movements have adopted an Age of Aquarius esprit de corps, from the Black Lives Matter protests to the “Pink Hat” cries that have dominated the last election cycle. One’s identity shapes the course of his or her life, adding complexity to our cultures here and abroad, and advancing the great accomplishments and progress throughout history, which history demands. We can only hope that continued recognition of individual identity never takes a back seat to communal dictates that threaten to quash those identities that make each individual so precious and special.
In the given passage from Chapter 10 of Kate Chopin's novel "The Awakening," the author utilizes various literary devices to depict the character of Edna Pontellier. By analyzing the elements of diction, syntax, imagery, and figurative language, we can gain a vivid impression of Edna as a character.
The passage begins by describing Edna's attempts to learn how to swim throughout the summer. Chopin's choice of diction, such as "attempted," "realizing the futility," and "ungovernable dread," conveys the sense of struggle and fear that Edna experiences in her journey to learn this new skill. The use of syntax, particularly the fragments "unless there was a hand near by" and "She did shout for joy," adds emphasis to these moments of uncertainty and triumph.
Chopin employs vivid imagery when Edna finally overcomes her fear and successfully swims. The imagery of a "little tottering, stumbling, clutching child" and the comparison to "walk[ing] for the first time alone" creates a picture of Edna's growth and newfound confidence. The figurative language of a "sweeping stroke or two" and lifting her body to the surface of the water emphasizes her elation and sense of achievement.
Further diction and figurative language are utilized when Edna becomes daring and reckless, wanting to swim where no woman has swum before. Words like "achievement," "wonder," "applause," and "admiration" highlight the attention and awe Edna receives from others. The figurative language of her achievement being the "subject of wonder" indicates the significance and impact of her accomplishment.
The description of Edna turning her face seaward and the use of the moonlit sky imagery creates a sense of vastness, solitude, and freedom. The metaphor of reaching out for the unlimited reflects Edna's desire to break free from societal constraints and discover her true self. Additionally, the imagery of the stretch of water behind her as a barrier symbolizes the obstacles she must overcome in order to find her own independence.
The passage ends with a moment of danger and a fleeting sense of mortality as Edna encounters a vision of death. The use of diction like "quick vision of death" and "appalled and enfeebled her senses" portrays her fear and vulnerability.
In summary, through the careful selection of diction, syntax, imagery, and figurative language, Chopin portrays Edna Pontellier as a character on a journey of self-discovery and independence. We witness her struggle, triumph, and moments of vulnerability, which contribute to the overall vibrant impression of Edna as a complex and multidimensional character.