Final/Most Important Passage in The Awakening

"Edna had attempted all summer to learn to swim. She had received instructions from both the men and women; in some instances from the children. Robert had pursued a system of lessons almost daily; and he was nearly at the point of discouragement in realizing the futility of his efforts. A certain ungovernable dread hung about her when in the water, unless there was a hand near by that might reach out and reassure her. But that night she was like the little tottering, stumbling, clutching child, who of a sudden realizes its powers, and walks for the first time alone, boldly and with over-confidence. She could have shouted for joy. She did shout for joy, as with a sweeping stroke or two she lifted her body to the surface of the water.A feeling of exultation overtook her, as if some power of significant import had been given her to control the working of her body and her soul. She grew daring and reckless, overestimating her strength. She wanted to swim far out, where no woman had swum before. Her unlooked-for achievement was the subject of wonder, applause, and admiration. Each one congratulated himself that his special teachings had accomplished this desired end."

"How easy it is!" she thought. "It is nothing," she said aloud; "why did I not discover before that it was nothing. Think of the time I have lost splashing about like a baby!" She would not join the groups in their sports and bouts, but intoxicated with her newly conquered power, she swam out alone.She turned her face seaward to gather in an impression of space and solitude, which the vast expanse of water, meeting and melting with the moonlit sky, conveyed to her excited fancy. As she swam she seemed to be reaching out for the unlimited in which to lose herself."

"Once she turned and looked toward the shore, toward the people she had left there. She had not gone any great distance that is, what would have been a great distance for an experienced swimmer. But to her unaccustomed vision the stretch of water behind her assumed the aspect of a barrier which her unaided strength would never be able to overcome."


This passage is the most important passage in The Awakening, due to the changes that Edna goes through after this one scene. This is the "awakening" in the story. Edna's life before this point was unfulfilled, lack-luster and lacking what she truly wants, once Edna dives into that water and realizes for the first time for herself that her she has been living in a life that isn't the life she wants to live--she changes her complete outlook. She then meets Robert and Arobin, who awaken who she wants to be more emotionally and sexually, and changes how she acts in general after that creating a completely different person that we initially were introduced to at the beginning of the story. This is the one critical point in the novel where we see her change. Her whole demeanor changes from this point on; she is more sexual, more blunt, more independent, and more accepting to the fact she doesn't want to be controlled by Leonce anymore. However; her life is already so controlled by Leonce that the only way to truly escape him is her death--which she commits at the end of the novel.