Edna's fall from grace in The AwakeningIn the novel The Awakening, Kate Chopin recounts Edna Pontellier's struggle with destiny. Edna Pontellier awakens from sleep only to find that her life is unpleasant, but these unpleasant thoughts are not new to Edna. The actions taken by Edna Pontellier in the novel The Awakening clearly determine that she is not stable. Her neglect of her duties as a wife and mother and as a woman of society are all influenced by her mental state. His choices to have affairs and ignore his marriage vow represent his compromised judgment. The change in her attitude and interests becomes completely irresponsible, and that change, along with her eventual decision to commit suicide, tell the reader that Edna Pontellier is incapable of making sound judgments. If Edna Pontellier had been of sound mind and body, she would not have ended her young life with suicide. The fact that she can clearly and easily turn to such an alternative suggests that she is depressed and obviously in opposition to the Church. Edna Pontellier's thoughts and actions are determined solely by her manic-depressive state, her apparent repressed abuse since childhood, and her abandonment of Christianity. Throughout the novel the reader gets a clear sense of Edna Pontellier's peculiar mind and her manic-depressive state. She is continually tormented by the moment. Her changes in mood from highs to lows show the reader that a sadness is perpetually within her: we are told that there are days when "she was happy to be alive and breathing, when her whole being seemed to be one with the light of the sun...". days when Edna "found it good to be alone and undisturbed." Yet, on other days, she is harassed by despondencies so severe that "... middle of paper ... manic-depressive state that leads her to suicide. She no longer has the will to repress any unspoken secret." from the past or perhaps from the past. Because she has strayed from her Christian beliefs, she has succumbed to the evil that has worked to overwhelm her. He believes he has finally achieved his freedom when he is limited to only one choice, death. In taking her own life, she falls into an extremely low state of mind for the last time, neglects everyone but herself, and disobeys the church. Works Cited Franklin, R. F. "The Awakening and Failure of the Psyche" American Literature 56 (Summer 1984). ): 510-526. Platizky, R. "Chopin's The Awakening 53 (Winter 1995): 99-102. Seyersted, P. Kate Chopin: A Critical Biography: Louisiana State UP, 1969. Skaggs, P. Kate Chopin Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1985.