Suicide In The Late 1800

′S As It Relates To The Protagonist In Kate Chopin’s The Awakening Essay, Research Paper

Suicide by Artists in the Late 19th century

In the 19th century behavioral and social problems such as problems in the home, intense worries, misery and inebriation were among some of the reasons for artists to commit suicide. Other strong contributions to suicide included social disorganization and alienation. Furthermore, people believed that the denial of the will to live could be found in the fact that some the ways people expressed themselves were not accepted at that time. It was also believed that some of the people who committed suicide had the will to live, but were dissatisfied with the conditions under which they were forced to live. Edna Pontellier, the protagonist in Kate Chopin s novel The Awakening, was an aspiring artist whose life was filled with passion and turmoil in a time of social change. Although, in the end she too met her demise.

Edna s family background can foreshadow her demise by illustrating the kind of social structure she was brought up to live in. Edna comes from a very strict and religious family which might ultimately have caused her demise. Falret attributed suicide to four major causes; (4) civilization and religious fanaticism, (Evans, 20-1). This proves that suicide by artists in the late 1800 s was thought to be caused by civilization or religious fanaticism. Since She was the middle child of an ambiguously religious family, (Griffin-Wolff, 156), she too, an artist of her time fit that same scenario. Moreover, The family has two faces, then it sins (during the week) with its racing and land grabbing;

and it atones (on Sundays) with pious condemnations. (156). This shows that Edna s family contributes to her death by being very religious in that they went to church on Sundays.

Edna s father, a distinguished tall and thin man who wore his coats padded and had a silky mustache and hair to match, further portrays her family life and social expectations. The old gentleman, her father, I have heard, used to atone for his weekday sins with his Sunday devotions, (156). First of all, this shows that her father, much like the rest of her family, too was a very religious person. Secondly it says that her father was an old gentleman which can also show what type of man he might be. This suggests that he is an old fashioned man, which means that he expects the woman to attend to her husband s every command. You are too lenient, too lenient by far, L once, he tells him Authority, coercion are what is needed. Put your foot down good and hard; the only way to manage a wife. (Justus, 73). Moreover, her father shows here how society was in those times, not to mention how strict he was with women. Edna was probably exposed to this type of thinking as she was growing up, leading her to think that expressing herself was wrong and shouldn t be done. She believes that to defy her husband would be looked upon as a sin in the community. This, in the end, might have given her a final reason for her suicide.

There were many reasons for Edna and other artists like herself to commit suicide in the late 19th century. fatalistic suicides, where expressive and repressive constraints would produce an extreme feeling of lack of freedom and choice, says

Evans, (23) . This fits Edna so well; she, as an artist, is not accepted by society because being an artist means expressing your feelings and emotions, where in that 19th century New Orleans society it was forbidden to do so. In Edna s time it was believed that women should give their hearts and souls to their home, husband, and children. However, Edna could never accept that. For Schopenhaur the denial lay in shunning the joys not the sorrows of life. He felt the suicidal person had the will to live but was dissatisfied with the conditions under which he /she was forced to live. (22). Edna, I believe, was a free spirit and could never have given herself to her husband and children. Apparently, Griffin-Wolff agrees, saying that, Edna sees herself as L once s possession, even as she sees herself the prisoner to her children, (156). Since expression was practically forbidden to women in this society, Edna must have been very dissatisfied with the conditions under which she was forced to live.

Social causes, such as demographic values, also contribute to Edna s self- destruction, as quoted from Evans, Suicide in former could be found in demographic variables, such as civil status, age, sex, religion, and marital status and others, (21). Edna was not really accepted in New Orleans society because she was an outsider. She was married and came from a strong Presbyterian background. Being and outsider makes anyone feel unwanted and lousy. Having a strong religious background, as previously stated, must have had a strong contribution to Edna s suicide. Also, the fact that Edna was married gave her more worries because she wasn t happily married and she had many meetings with other gentlemen.

In addition, Social disorganization and alienation also were identified as strong contributors to suicide, (21). Edna definitely feels alienated. Throughout the novel she is not accepted by society because she is different from other members of Creole society. Disorganization was mainly caused by problems or worries she had in her life. As stated by Evans, Among the behavioral an