Appeals/Tone
In this passage, identify which rhetorical appeal (pathos, ethos, or logos) is used and how it influences the reader’s understanding of Edna’s emotional state
“Her heart was a vast, untamed wilderness, filled with desires that had no place in the world around her.”
The emotional appeal is clear through the imagery of Edna’s heart as an "untamed wilderness," which evokes sympathy and understanding of her inner turmoil and unmet desires.
Find a passage where Kate Chopin critiques the societal expectations of women. How does this passage reflect the views of her original audience?
Possible response: passage that critiques societal expectations could be when Edna reflects on her role as a wife and mother: "She felt that she was being made to feel an unwelcome burden." This could resonate with the 19th-century audience, who would be uncomfortable with a woman questioning her roles, as this critique challenges the traditional societal norms of the time.
Find a passage that illustrates Kate Chopin’s purpose in critiquing the traditional roles of women in marriage and motherhood.
“She felt that she was being made to feel an unwelcome burden.”
Chopin uses this passage to show Edna’s dissatisfaction with the traditional expectations of marriage and motherhood, critiquing the societal pressures placed on women to conform to these roles.
Find a passage where the social expectations of women in the late 19th century are reflected. How does this societal context influence Edna’s choices?
Possible response: “She was not happy in her marriage, but she was not unhappy enough to desire a change.”
In this passage, Edna’s passive acceptance of her role in marriage reflects the social norms of the time, where women were expected to accept their domestic roles without questioning them. This societal pressure to conform influences Edna’s initial hesitation to make a change in her life, despite her internal dissatisfaction
Find a passage that highlights the exigence of Kate Chopin’s critique of women’s roles in marriage and motherhood. How does this reflect the urgent need for societal change?
Possible response: This passage underscores Edna’s growing awareness of her oppressive role in marriage and motherhood. The exigence is Chopin’s response to the limited roles available to women at the time, highlighting the need for a reevaluation of women's autonomy and freedom.
Find a passage where the tone shifts from despair to hope. How does the tone change, and what specific words or phrases reveal this shift?
Possible response:
“For the first time, she felt the sun on her face and the breeze lift her hair. It was as though she had been awakened from a deep sleep.”
Tone shift: The tone changes from despair to hope. The phrases “felt the sun on her face” and “the breeze lift her hair” suggest a sense of renewal and awakening, signaling a moment of optimism.
Find a passage that would likely have shocked Chopin’s original audience. How might this passage challenge the gender norms of the 19th century?
Possible response: A shocking passage for the original audience could be when Edna has her first romantic encounter with Robert: “She felt the first stirrings of desire; she was conscious of a new and unfamiliar sensation.”
The 19th-century audience would have been shocked by Edna's awareness and pursuit of her own desires, as it goes against the conventional views on women's sexuality during that time.
Find a passage where Chopin uses Edna’s awakening to challenge societal expectations of women’s desires and independence.
Possible response: “I’m going to Paris; I’m going to be myself now.”
This passage is a clear expression of Edna’s desire to break free from societal expectations and embrace her own identity. Chopin’s purpose here is to highlight the struggles women face in seeking autonomy in a world that limits their freedom.
Find a passage that demonstrates how the setting of Grand Isle reflects the social and cultural expectations of the time. How does this setting contribute to the themes of the novel?
Possible response: “The parrot ... had been talking to her in an off-hand way that expressed her sense of alienation from the rest of the world.”
The setting of Grand Isle, a place where Edna can temporarily escape societal pressures, contrasts with the rigid social expectations of New Orleans. It is within this more liberated environment that Edna begins to explore her personal desires, symbolizing the tension between societal conformity and individual freedom.
Find a passage where Edna begins to question her role as a mother. How does this reflect the exigence of Chopin’s time, when women’s roles were largely confined to the domestic sphere?
Possible response: Edna’s growing sense of independence and her rejection of the traditional role of mother reflect the exigence of the feminist movement in the late 19th century, where women were beginning to question and challenge the societal constraints placed on them, especially in regard to marriage and motherhood.
What rhetorical appeal does Chopin use to convey Edna’s rejection of her traditional role as a wife and mother? Find specific textual evidence to support your answer.
“She was no longer bound by the rules that once held her tightly in place. The ties that had once defined her life now seemed fragile and irrelevant.”
Logos: This logical appeal challenges the societal expectations of women.
The phrase “The ties that had once defined her life now seemed fragile and irrelevant” uses reasoning to show how Edna rationalizes breaking free from the constraints placed upon her.
Find a passage where Chopin’s portrayal of Edna’s desire for independence might have been viewed as radical or controversial by her original audience.
Possible response: “I’m going to Paris; I’m going to be myself now.”
Edna's declaration to leave behind her family and pursue her own desires would have been highly controversial for the 1899 audience, as it represented a rejection of the societal expectations for women to be self-sacrificing wives and mothers.
Find a passage where Chopin critiques the limitations placed on women in 1899 society. How does this passage reveal the author’s critique?
Possible response: “She was not the same woman as she had been before.”
This passage reflects Edna’s transformation, but also the restrictions she faces as a woman in society. By showing Edna’s internal conflict and change, Chopin critiques the rigid gender roles that stifle women’s self-expression and independence.
Find a passage that reflects the historical context of gender roles in the late 19th century. How does this historical backdrop affect Edna’s sense of self?
Possible response: “She was looking at the sea, the vast expanse of water, the vastness that seemed to hold no hope for her.”
The sea here symbolizes Edna’s internal conflict and desire for freedom, which is constrained by the historical context of women’s roles in the late 19th century. In a time when women were expected to find fulfillment solely in their roles as wives and mothers, Edna’s feelings of isolation represent the emotional toll that comes from defying these societal expectations.
Find a passage that demonstrates Edna’s desire for independence. How does this desire reflect the exigence of feminist movements and women’s rights activism during the late 19th century?
Possible response: A passage that represents Edna’s rejection of societal expectations for women to remain in subservient roles as wives and mothers. The exigence here is Chopin’s critique of a society that denies women the right to personal freedom and self-actualization, reflecting the feminist movements of the time that advocated for women’s independence and autonomy.
Identify a passage that uses ethos to establish the narrator’s credibility. How does the narrator’s point of view shape the reader’s understanding of Edna?
"The woman who had once been confined to the duties of wife and mother now found herself in a new world, one where her desires and dreams were valid and deserving of attention.”
Ethos: The narrator’s authoritative voice establishes credibility by presenting Edna’s transformation as both valid and significant.
The phrase “deserving of attention” appeals to the reader’s sense of justice and fairness, reinforcing the narrator's trustworthiness in portraying Edna’s journey.
Find a passage where Edna’s relationship with Robert Lebrun defies the conventional norms of romance or marriage. How would the audience of 1899 have interpreted this relationship?
“She felt the first stirrings of desire; she was conscious of a new and unfamiliar sensation.”
Edna’s emotional and physical awakening with Robert would have shocked the audience, as it portrays a woman pursuing romantic and sexual freedom outside the bounds of marriage, which was seen as scandalous at the time.
Find a passage that shows Chopin’s purpose of exploring the emotional and psychological consequences of living in a restrictive society.
Possible response: “She was looking at the sea, the vast expanse of water, the vastness that seemed to hold no hope for her.”
Chopin uses the sea as a metaphor for Edna’s inner turmoil and the emotional consequences of trying to break free from societal expectations, revealing her purpose in showing the painful isolation that comes with defying traditional roles.
Find a passage where Edna challenges the traditional roles of women in the 19th century. How might this challenge reflect the rhetorical situation of Chopin’s time, when women’s rights were a growing social issue?
Possible response:
Any passage that highlights Edna’s decision to reject the societal expectations of marriage and motherhood.
Kate Chopin’s portrayal of Edna’s rejection of these roles could be seen as a response to the growing feminist movement in the late 19th century, where women were increasingly questioning their limited roles in society. The rhetorical situation, therefore, reflects the cultural shift toward women’s autonomy and rights.
Find a passage where Chopin critiques the institution of marriage. How does this reflect the exigence of social changes occurring in the late 19th century regarding marriage and women's rights?
Possible response: Chopin uses Edna’s ambivalence toward her marriage to highlight the constraints that marriage placed on women in the late 19th century. The exigence is Chopin’s recognition that women often remained in unsatisfying marriages because of societal expectations, and the novel critiques those expectations as oppressive.
Find a passage where Chopin uses pathos to evoke a sense of loss in Edna. How does the language amplify this emotional appeal?
“As the door closed behind her, a silence enveloped her that felt colder than any winter wind. The world seemed to shrink away, leaving her utterly alone.”
Pathos: The emotional appeal is conveyed through phrases like “silence enveloped her” and “colder than any winter wind”.
These descriptions amplify Edna’s sense of isolation and loss, evoking empathy for her emotional state.
Find a passage that would resonate differently with a modern audience compared to the audience of 1899. What does this passage suggest about societal views on women's autonomy then versus now?
Possible response:
Find a passage that reveals how Chopin uses Edna’s rejection of societal norms to make a larger statement about women’s independence and self-determination.
Possible response: “She began to make her way out to the open sea, with a feeling of the utmost exhilaration, and with a sense of freedom which she had never experienced before.”
This passage reflects Edna’s physical and emotional awakening, where she embraces her own freedom and independence. Chopin’s purpose is to show how a woman’s quest for self-identity can be both liberating and isolating, challenging the gender norms of her time.
Find a passage that exemplifies how Chopin’s critique of marriage and motherhood would have been controversial for her original audience. How does the rhetorical situation of the novel's publication time (1899) shape its reception?
Possible response: critiques the traditional role of women as self-sacrificing wives and mothers. In the rhetorical situation of 1899, when women were expected to find fulfillment in their domestic roles, this critique would have been controversial. Chopin’s writing challenges the social norm, presenting a complex and rebellious portrayal of female autonomy that may have scandalized her audience but also reflected emerging conversations about gender roles at the tim
Find a passage that reveals how Edna’s emotional and physical awakening highlights the exigence of breaking free from societal norms. How does Chopin use Edna’s journey to address the need for a broader societal change?
Possible response: Edna’s literal and metaphorical journey into the sea symbolizes her desire to escape the confining roles society has assigned to her as a woman. The exigence here is Chopin’s desire to address the stifling gender norms and the limited opportunities available to women, pushing for the recognition of women’s right to personal freedom and choice.