Question:
Women as Property: Kate Chopin's 'The Awakening'
In the late 1800s, women were still considered "property" of their husbands; however, this period also included the beginnings of the suffrage movement and an increase in the number of upper-class women attending college and holding jobs that had traditionally been for men. Using a feminist perspective explain in what ways does The Awakening illustrate these changes? In what ways does Edna's inner struggle reflect the conflict between women as "property" and women as educated professionals?