Over the centuries, women have been relegated to the roles of mothers and housewives. All women who do not conform to society's harsh chauvinistic rules suffer from alienation and are seen as unlikable sluts or independents. These unjust principles imposed by society do not allow women to be free in the way they live. After experiencing an “awakening”, Edna Pontellier struggles to find her place in a society that does not allow women to be anything other than docile wives. She cannot consider herself as another submissive woman in her Creole society; rather, she would like to choose her own path. Kate Chopin, in The Awakening, illustrates that women are incapable of living their lives on their own terms through Edna's struggle to cope with the choices that her oppressive society presented to her. Despite the rigid traditions of her society, Edna Pontellier tries to free herself. of her role as a wife and mother in search of autonomy, but, as a result, she is rejected by society and dissatisfied. While she would like to be more independent, Creole society wants women to be mothers who devote their lives entirely to family and duty. First, Chopin shows that there is an “absolutely inescapable connection – fundamental, natural and powerful – between female identity and motherhood” to illustrate how women are linked to society's belief that women should be mothers; Chopin does this by explaining that Madame Ratignolle, a friend of Madame Pontellier whom she met during the summer, is still pregnant and therefore still connected to her children (Skaggs 90). Later, she explains that typical women that summer in New Orleans "were women who idolized their children and adored their husbands" (Chopin 10). Her goal in conveying that... middle of paper...... due to the strict rules imposed on them, women are unable to live as they would like. Works Cited Bogard, Carely Rees. ““Awakening”: a refusal to compromise. » University of Michigan Papers on Women's Studies. 1977. Gale. Online. January 28, 2010. Chopin, Kate. Awakening. New York: Bantam Classic, 1981. Elfenbein, Anna Shannon. “The Awakening of Kate Chopin: An Assault on American Racial and Sexual Mythology.” Literary criticism of the 20th century. (2003). Gale of wind. Online. January 30, 2010. Malzahn, Manfred. “The strange disappearance of Edna Pontellier.” Literary criticism of the 20th century. 2002. Gale. Online. January 28, 2010. Muirhead, Marion. “Articulation and artistic talent: a conversational analysis of arousal.” » Southern Literary Journal. 2000. Proquest. Online. January 29, 2010. Skaggs, Peggy. Kate Chopin. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1985.