Tension between Outward Conformity and Inward Questionings

Name
Instructor
Course
Date
Tension between Outward Conformity and Inward Questionings
The personal perceptions over other people and activities are majorly controlled by the way in which they conduct themselves, how they react to the things around them or how we interact with them. However, the outward portrait of a person sometimes contradicts with what the person believes in or what they really think they are. In this study, the conflict between the outward conformity and inner questioning will be discussed, as it is reflected in “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin.
Kate has well put across the outwards conformity and inner perceptions ideology through various ways, especially through the use of the characters used in the plot. To start with, the title itself is subject to this issue, since the title awakening creates tension to the readers where they are curious on how is it going to awaken in their lives as they read it. On reading the book in details, one is able to find a different picture of the same. On the other hand, Edna feels that she doesn’t fit in the society since the women were demeaned often. From the outward look, people could think that Edna was satisfied to be a woman and a mother, but following the mistreatment the females received, in heart, she wished she was born a male so that she could enjoy the freedom (Chopin 23). Victorian society didn’t wholly grant the women full right of expression and conducting some roles as they did to male, which triggered some of them like Edna to try to fight back for her rights and recognition as a fully accountable member of society.

Outward conformity and the inner person are different and thus should not be the basis for improper treatment (Shmoop, n.pag). Through this book, Kate illustrates how conflicts between the inner questioning and outwards conformity negatively affect the community.

References
Chopin, Kate. The Awakening, and Selected Short Stories. Bantam Classics, 1992.
Shmoop. “The Awakening Theme of Identity.” Shmoop: Homework Help, Teacher Resources, Test Prep, 2018, www.shmoop.com/the-awakening/identity-theme.html.