Essay - Comparison and Contrast of 'The Awakening' and 'A Doll's House'...

Comparison and Contrast of "The Awakening" ***** "A Doll's House"

The plight of women in the nineteenth century becomes ***** focus of Kate Chopin's short story, "The Awakening" and Henrik Ibsen's play, "A Doll's *****." Moments ***** self-realization are the predominant ********** in these stories, which result in enlightenment coupled with tragedy. This paper will examine Nora and Edna ***** how their situations push them toward the path of self-discovery.

Nora and Edna have much in common; they are married with children. Both ***** also undergo a transformation that leads them to make drastic changes in their lives in order to discover who they really are. Edna's ***** occurs over a considerable amount of time. She learns that she enjoys painting and through her relationships, she is also able to discover ot***** parts ***** herself ***** create a separate identity from her husband and her *****. In fact, she becomes quite liberated for a wom*****n of her time. For example, Mademoiselle Reisz, an independent waoman, influenced her. In addition, she allows herself ***** fall in love with Robert. Edna also became very aware of who existence ***** of anyone else. For instance, we re told, "She began to look with her own eyes; ***** see and apprehend the deeper undercurrents ***** life. No longer was ***** content to 'feed upon opinion' when her ***** soul had invited her" (Chopin 124). ***** was searching for meaning in ***** ***** beyond her family.

***** contrast, Nora's realization takes place ********** a few minutes. While witnessing ***** husband's self-serving temper tantrum, she sees a stranger. She ***** realizes that as long as she remains Torvald's "doll wife," he would happily take care of her. Nora becomes aware that her husband does n***** take her seriously and becomes saddened by this thought. She tells him, "I ***** existed merely to perform tricks for you... *****t is *****r fault that I have made nothing ***** my life" (Ibsen 195). She also realizes and admits to him that ***** has never been happy, only "merry" (*****). These truths direct her ***** "St***** quite alone if I am to understand myself and e*****thing about me" (196). ***** realizes ********** ***** more to live that a "*****rry" existence in ***** doll's house.

Both women re*****lize their discoveries do not come without a price, *****nd as a result, demonstr*****te a certain level of irresponsibility when it *****s to their children. Edna finds ***** thinking of her children occasionally. We are told, "She meant to think of them; that determination had driven into her soul like a death wound--but not to-night" (Chopin 148). The children appeared before he ***** antagonists who had overcome *****; who had overpowered and sought to drag ********** in***** the soul's slavery for the rest of her days" (151). Even as she is swimming out into ***** water for the last time, ***** ********** ***** her husb***** and children--but that ***** is still tinged with a kind of selfishness ***** is h*****rd to accept. She thinks