The Bird that Came out of the Cage: A Foucauldian Feminist Approach to Kate Chopin's The Awakening
Title:
The Bird that Came out of the Cage: A Foucauldian Feminist Approach to Kate Chopin's The Awakening
Author:
Clark, Zoila
Appeared in:
Journal for cultural research
Paging:
Volume 12 (2008) nr. 4 pages 335-347
Year:
2008-10
Contents:
Using Foucauldian principles, this study describes a complex process; the birth of a feminist woman. Through an exploration of the uses of bird imagery, it traces the development of Edna Pontellier, the protagonist of Kate Chopin's 1899 novel The Awakening. It shows how she begins by gaining awareness of being caged by patriarchal restraints, goes through the various stages of self-reinvention, and finally escapes from a society that sought to confine her. Using a range of theoretical reference points, including Foucault's analysis of the modernization of power, Marilyn Frye's theory of oppression and the work of Sandra Lee Bartky on its internalization, this article analyzes the final drastic feminist resolution taken by Edna, the strong wife who ultimately belongs only to herself. This innovative analysis also reinforces the connection that exists between a woman's awareness and control of her body in order to achieve liberation from patriarchal oppression.
Journal description