The Awakening (1899)

The Awakening ignited a firestorm of controversy when it was published in 1899. Reviewers criticized the book for its tacit endorsement of adultery, its frank depiction of a woman’s sexual frustration, and its overt rejection of conventional expectations for women’s roles and behavior. The novel tells the story of Edna Pontellier, a young Creole wife and mother whose adulterous relationship with another man leads to the “awakening” of her spirit. In the world in which she lives, her desire to be independent is considered a sign of mental illness or worse, and Edna struggles to reconcile her desires with her prescribed role.