'Illegal mixing between the sexes leads to arrest of offenders and criminal prosecution' is just example of how Saudi Arabia's laws "protect" the country's women ("Eleven Things Women in Saudi Arabia Can't Do" 1). Throughout history, women have been considered inferior to their male counterparts, and this direct belief is represented in Saudi law, as women of the female gender are currently fighting for their individual rights, rebelling against the fact that they are limited because of their place. in the gender-based society in which they live. Women repeatedly rebelled against the restrictive laws of their environment, and were finally able to vote in metropolitan elections last year; however, Saudi laws remain continually restrictive towards women (1). In a country where a rape victim will be punished by the court because of "women's vulnerability to sin", where women who stubbornly fight against the limitations around them are asked to "accept the simple things" and where women must enter. a separate entrance from the man, the repressive approach towards the female gender is one that individuals struggle with today (2). As the world develops, women will also develop and fight for their inalienable rights. This idea of ​​the limitation of women in society is one that Kate Chopin explores in her own writings. In The Awakening, Chopin uses characterization and symbolism to depict the theme that women have only two possible and unavoidable roles in society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayRoles for WomenChopin uses the characterization of Adèle Ratignolle as the foil of Edna Pontellier to represent the leading role of women in the society, the ideal that Edna is supposed to embody and duplicate. When first introduced in the novel, Adèle is presented as the image of a “mother-woman” because she embodies the mentality of “idolizing” her children and “adoring” her husband (Chopin 16). Not only is she the representation of what a motherly figure in a household is supposed to be, but even upon her initial entrance, she is characterized as the epitome of beauty, a lady who has "nothing subtle or hidden in its charm” (17). The reader is told that nothing hides his appearance, and that on the contrary, [his appearance] is “flamboyant” and “apparent” (17). This glamorization of Adèle serves its purpose because the conjunction of her abilities as a mother-woman and her beauty emphasizes the idealistic form that she embodies and that Edna must imitate. However, Edna is seen as a wife who has “failed in her duty to [her] children,” as she is usually seen as neglecting them (16). Unlike Adele, who lives for her children like a mother, in a life that demands selflessness, Edna views motherhood as a sacrifice. She clarifies her position during an argument with Adèle, stating that she “would not give herself” for her children or for anyone else (Stange 6, Chopin 80). Schweitzer elaborates on Edna's position towards her children, stating that "her being a mother implies the sacrifice of herself, of her desire and of her freedom to imposed responsibility, to social convention, to respectability "stifling and domesticity" is exactly why Edna is unable to thrive in the role described by Adele (6). This limitation that she would feel would extend furthermore during Edna's dinner with Adèle and her husband, during which, after having had a "little glimpse of domestic harmony", she "gave him no regrets, no nostalgia" because their relationship "is not not a condition.” of life that suited her, and she saw in it only a terrible and desperate boredom” (93). This comparison shows Edna's rejection of Adele's role as a woman who sacrifices herself for her husband and children. Edna is unwilling (and perhaps unable) to abandon herself to a marriage she considers "a pure accident." Additionally, she is unwilling to sacrifice herself for her children with whom she feels disconnected ( 32). Chopin reveals to the reader an important theme of the novel with this rejection of the only “acceptable” role that society has assigned to women. Chopin then uses the characterization of Mademoiselle Reisz as Edna Pontellier's foil to highlight the second role of women in society: "the outcast." » It's a role that Edna initially believes she could play. Unlike Adele, Reisz embodies the anomaly of a woman in society, neither a “mother-woman” nor beautiful, Reisz represents the only other option for Edna. Reisz's first impression is that her role is that of rejection, represented by terms such as "clumsy", "rusty" and "artificial". She is presented as an outcast who enjoys being isolated and described as an “imperious” person who assumes power and authority without justification (43). However, as an outcast, she is also independent with her autonomy intact, living for herself from her piano, without a husband or children. Reisz represents everything Edna strives for: the lack of responsibility and/or obligation to care for others, the ability to escape the social confinements of her gender, and the ability to have fun through art reserved for pleasure individual. Reisz's influence on Edna begins to contradict who she was just a few years ago, as before "she would, out of habit, have given in to his desires", but instead, Edna openly disobeys Léonce with a way she has never done before (52). Léonce believes that she is becoming someone who is not herself. He even visits a doctor to discuss the problem he believes is plaguing Edna. Although Edna increasingly resembles Reisz, she is unable to truly mirror Reisz, as there is not only an "unpleasant impression", representing how "Edna is both attracted to Reisz and repelled by her", but also the question of what makes Edna more like Reisz. two so different (Chopin 98, Schweitzer 6). Although Edna tries her hand at her artistic talent, she is unable to truly become an artist like Reisz, as Reisz states that an artist must be a "bird who would rise above the level of tradition and prejudice » and “to succeed, [that] the artist must have a courageous soul” (Chopin 106, Chopin 138). Edna realizes that while Reisz is self-sufficient, she is also alone, and Edna has no desire to be completely isolated with no one around her, because that's why she spends her time with Robert and Alcee Arobin – unable to gain independence in the end. at the expense of privacy. Despite her need to free herself from social pressure, Edna is not willing to isolate herself from society. Although Chopin presents Reisz as a non-conformist, she still fits within the framework of society, which can only represent two types of women: the servant and the hermit. Finding Freedom Chopin uses the sea as a symbol of freedom in the sense that the only freedom Edna can achieve is through her own death. From the beginning of the novel, Chopin describes Léonce's ownership of Edna, as he “[looks] at his wife as one looks at something of value” (7). As property, Edna is incapable.