The Awakening
Worksheets
Chapter 1
1. What does the bird keep repeating?
2. What is unique about one of the languages the bird speaks? What might this foreshadow?
3. Who does the bird belong to?
4. The first chapter gives the setting and some characterization of Mr. Pontellier. Give a brief description
of each.
5. Why was the main building called “the house?”
6. How old were Mr. Pontellier’s children?
7. Who is with Mrs. Pontellier when we first encounter her in the novel?
8. How did Mr. Pontellier look at his wife while he scolder her about being sunburned?
9. What were Mrs. Pontellier’s hands like?
10. What did Robert do when Mrs. Pontellier laughed after having put on her wedding rings?
11. How did Mr. Pontellier react to this?
12. What did Robert do when offered the chance to play billiards?
13. What was the determining factor in whether or not Mr. Pontellier would return for dinner?
Chapter 2
1. What was Mrs. Pontellier rather than beautiful?
2. Why did Robert smoke cigarettes?
3. Who did Robert resemble? What is the author trying to do with this fact?
4. How did Robert and Mrs. Pontellier talk?
5. The line, “Robert talked a good deal about himself. He was very young, and did not know any better.
Mrs. Pontellier talked a little about herself for the same reason,” provides what possible literary devices?
6. What did keeping “the house” and the cottages allow Madame Lebrun to maintain?
7. What does Mrs. Pontellier observe after reading her sister’s letter?
8. What did Robert do while Mrs. Pontellier was dressing for dinner?
Chapter 3
1. When did Mr. Pontellier return from Klein’s hotel?
2. What disappointed Mr. Pontellier about his wife?
3. After visiting his children in bed, what information did Mr. Pontellier bring when he returned to his
wife? What does this show?
4. What literary device is the line, “He reproached his wife with her inattention, her habitual neglect of the
children?
5. What did Mrs. Pontellier do after her husband went to sleep?
6. What feeling filled Mrs. Pontellier’s entire being?
7. What did Mr. Pontellier give his wife before leaving?
8. How did ladies, men and children feel about Mr. Pontellier?
9. What did the ladies declare about Mr. Pontellier after eating the candies?
10. What was Mrs. Pontellier forced to admit?
Chapter 4
1. What is it that Mr. Pontellier “felt rather than perceived?”
2. What is that Mrs. Pontellier is not? The other women that are this thing can be identified as what?
3. The line, “It was easy to know them, fluttering about with extended, protecting wings when any harm,
real or imaginary, threatened their precious brood,” is an example of what literary device?
4. What did the “mother-women” do regarding their husbands?
5. From the beginning, we see that Adele Ratignolle is being set up as what?
6. What kind of baby garment was Adele working on in the middle of summer? What does this show?
7. Why could Mrs. Pontellier not see any point in this garment?
8. Who was there while Mrs. Pontellier was cutting out the garment?
9. How long had Madame Ratignolle been married?
10. What was she constantly talking about?
11. What happened to Mrs. Pontellier’s face when Robert started talking about another pregnant woman?
12. What did the Creole’s have an absence of?
13. What story of Madame Ratignolle’s shocked Edna?
14. Why did Kate Chopin wait to identify Edna’s first name until this point in the book? What is the
subject of discussion when Edna’s name is revealed?
15. How was Edna’s reading of the book different from others who had read it?
16. What does Chopin go back to calling Edna at the end of the paragraph about the book?
Chapter 5
1. What did Mrs. Pontellier and Robert’s glances show an advanced stage of?
2. What did the others think of the enormous amount of time Robert spent with Mrs. Pontellier?
3. What had Robert done every summer since the age of 15?
4. According to the narrator, what is the Creole husband without?
5. What literary device is the line, “Meanwhile Robert, addressing Mrs Pontellier, continued to tell of his
one time hopeless passion for Madame Ratignolle; of sleepless nights, of consuming flames till the very sea
sizzled when he took his daily plunge?”
6. What was understood about Robert and Madame Ratignolle?
7. What would have been unacceptable to Mrs. Pontellier?
8. What literary device is the line, “Never had that lady seemed a more tempting subject than at that
moment, seated there like some sensuous Madonna, with the gleam of the fading day enriching her
splendid color?”
9. What did Robert do while Mrs. Pontellier was painting?
10. What did Mrs. Pontellier do each time Robert did this?
11. What was the picture like when Mrs. Pontellier was done? What did Mrs. Pontellier do to it?
12. What does Mrs. Pontellier give the children when the come in?
13. What type of “odor” did the sea have?
14. What did Mrs. Pontellier think of Madam Ritignolle’s faintness?
15. How did the sound of the sea reach Mrs. Pontellier?
16. What does Robert insist that she do?
Chapter 6
1. What three literary devices can be identified in the line, “A certain light was beginning to dawn dimly
within her, -- the light which, showing the way, forbids it?”
2. What was Mrs. Pontellier “beginning to realize?”
3. What does the narrator say about the voice of the sea? What about the touch?
Chapter 7
1. What were the two parts of life that Mrs. Pontellier recognized?
2. What did Edna have a “sensuous susceptibility” to? What literary device is “sensuous susceptibility?”
Why use the name Edna here?
3. What had Edna convinced Madame Ratignolle to leave behind when they went to the beach? What did
Madame Ritignolle insist on taking with her?
4. How long was the walk to the beach?
5. What did Edna’s physique do for her?
6. What color did Edna and Madame Ritignolle both dress in?
7. What did Edna’s eyes “rest upon?”
8. When Edna finally tells Madame Ritignolle what she is thinking of, what is the first thing that she thinks
of?
9. What does Edna compare the field in Kentucky to?
10. Who was with Edna in the field? What was Edna doing in this field? What does this symbolize?
11. What was Edna “running away” from in the field?
12. What is Edna quick to deny?
13. What does Edna connect the present summer to? Why?
14. How have other women reacted to Edna in the past?
15. What does Edna realize might have caused this?
16. Who were the early loves of Edna?
17. What was Edna mistaken about?
18. What “world” did Edna chose over the “realm of romance and dreams?”
19. What did Edna grow to feel towards her husband?
20. How did she feel about her children?
21. How did Edna feel when her children spent the summer with their grandmother?
22. When the children meet their mother and Madame Ratignole at the beach, who do they stand and
watch?
23. What did Madame Ratignole beg Rober to do?
Chapter 8
1. What favor does Madame Ratignole ask of Robert?
2. Why does Madame Ratignole make this request?
3. What does Madame Ratignole say about how the married women consider Robert’s fliritations?
4. What does Robert say Adele Ratignole’s mistake was?
5. How did the lovers lean towards each other? What literary device is this?
6. What did Madame Lebrun believe would make everything in the universe better?
7. Where does Madame Lebrun tell Robert that Motel (the man that wants to be Robert’s stepfather) is?
Chapter 9
1. What day and time is it when the chapter opens?
2. What had the Farival twins been asked to do?
3. What were the girls always dressed in?
4. The line, “He (the parrot) was the only being present who possessed sufficient candor to admit that he
was not listening to these gracious performances for the first time that summer,” might be identified as
what literary device?
5. Why does Madame Ratignolle play the piano?
6. Who does Robert ask Edna is she would like to hear play?
7. What is Mademoiselle Reisz like?
8. What embarrassed Edna?
9. What was the name Edna gave the piece that Mademoiselle Reisz had played?
10. What made this hearing of the piece different for Edna?
11. What does Chopin compare Edna’s passions to?
12. What does Mademoiselle Reisz say about Edna and her playing? Why does she believe this?
Chapter 10
1. How did Robert walk with regard to the lovers?
2. How did Edna feel about Robert on the days he was gone?
3. What are the waves compared to?
4. What had Edna attempted to do all summer?
5. When Edna is finally able to swim, what does she want to do?
6. What did all the others believe about Edna’s newfound ability to swim?
7. When Edna swam out beyond the others, what did she have a vision of?
8. What did Madame Lebrun think of Edna?
9. What has this night been like for Edna?
10. What myth does Robert relate about the 28th of August?
11. What was Robert unable to tell Edna?
12. What did Robert and Edna feel during the moments of silence after Robert gets the shawl?
Chapter 11
1. How does Mr. Pontellier treat Edna when he finds her in the hammock?
2. What would Edna have done “another time?”
3. What does Edna wonder about?
4. What does Edna tell Leonce?
5. What does Mr. Pontellier do since Edna won’t come in?
Chapter 12
1. What was different about the way Edna treated Robert?
2. What did Robert tell Edna he had noticed?
3. What does Mariequita point out about Francisco?
4. When she is sailing across the bay, what does Edna feel she is “being borne away from?”
5. What happens to Robert’s face when he talks about the two of them sharing the treasure?
Chapter 13
1. What kind of atmosphere did the church have?
2. What was the only sound (voice)?
3. What was Madame Antoine’s home like? What color was the “four-posted bed?”
4. What did Edna remove “the greater part of?” What does this symbolize?
5. What conviction did Edna awake with?
6. What seemed to have happened after Edna slept?
7. What did Edna speculate about when she sat down to dinner?
8. Why didn’t Tonie return?
9. What kinds of stories did Madame Antoine tell Edna and Robert?
Chapter 14
1. How had Leonce felt when he heard about Edna’s incident?
2. What did Edna realize about her stay at Grand Isle?
3. What did Edna think (wonder) about while she waited for the return of her husband?
4. What words did the song that Robert sang on the boat begin and end with?
Chapter 15
1. When Edna came in late to dinner, what did several people inform her of?
2. What look came over Edna’s face?
3. What literary device is the line, “cried Robert, in an excited and irritable tone, with the air of a man
defending himself against a swarm of stinging insects?”
4. What literary device is the line, “This table is getting more and more like Bedlam everyday?”
5. What did Edna wonder about everyone at the table?
6. What literary device is the line, “Then she sat and told the children a story. Instead of soothing it excited
them?”
7. Who came down to check on Edna?
8. How long does Robert say he might be gone for?
9. Why does Edna say she doesn’t want him to go?
10. What was unlike Robert?
11. What was Edna like after Robert left?
12. What was torturing Edna?
Chapter 16
1. Where had Edna been spending “much of her time?”
2. What did this “diversion” give Edna?
3. Where did Edna “look” for Robert?
4. How many days had Robert been gone? What did he leave behind?
5. What caused Edna to become jealous?
6. What did Edna tell Madame Ratignolle regarding her children?
7. What does Mademoiselle Reisz reveal about Madame Lebrun’s feelings about Robert?
8. What does Mademoiselle Reisz think of Victor?
9. What does Edna discover about Mariequita?
10. Where does Edna go to get away from Mademoiselle Reisz?
Chapter 17
1. What was the Pontellier’s house in New Orleans like?
2. Why did many women envy the “table” of Edna Pontellier’s?
3. What was different about Edna’s dress on a Tuesday evening after the Pontellier’s returned from Grand
Isle?
4. What aggravated Mr. Pontellier about the calling cards?
5. What does Mr. Pontellier say they must observe?
6. What does Edna get angry about when Mr. Pontellier is reading the cards?
7. What literary devices is the line, “It is just such seeming trifles that we’ve got to take seriously?”
8. What criticism does Mr. Pontellier imply regarding Edna and the cook?
9. What did Edna do with her ring?
10. What gets the maid’s attention?
Chapter 18
1. What was Edna’s reply when Leonce asked her to go look at new fixtures?
2. How did Leonce feel about Edna’s response?
3. What was Edna’s physical appearance like?
4. What had the world of children, street venders, etc, become to Edna?
5. Why was there no need for Edna to speak to the cook?
6. What was Edna thinking of when she walked along the street?
7. What part of Robert dominated Edna’s thought?
8. How did Edna view the Ratignolle’s way of life?
9. What did the Ratignolles have once a week? How was an invitation regarded?
10. Before Edna asked Madame Ratignolle about the paintings, what did she already know about
Madame’s opinion?
11. What did Edna do with all but a couple of sketches?
12. What does the narrator tell us about the relationship between Madame Ratignolle and her husband?
13. How did Edna feel after leaving the Ratignolle’s?
14. What did Edna feel about the dosmestic harmony of the Ratignolle’s?
15. What did Edna realize that Madame Ratignolle was lacking?
Chapter 19
1. What did Edna begin to do?
2. What did Mr. Pontellier feel when Edna disregarded her duties?
3. What had Edna resolved to do?
4. Who does Mr. Pontellier compare Edna to?
5. What did Mr. Pontellier wonder that Edna’s actions might be attributed to?
6. What did Mr. Pontellier fail to see that Edna was casting aside?
7. What did Edna sing while she worked?
8. What two extremes began to happen with Edna’s days?
Chapter 20
1. Because her directory is old, what does Edna discover when she goes to see Mademoiselle Reisz?
2. How does the grocer feel about Mademoiselle Reisz?
3. What did these obstacles do to Edna’s desire to find the woman?
4. Where does Edna realize she can find out Mademoisell Reisz’ new address from?
5. Who opened the gate for Edna?
6. What is the story he starts to tell Edna about?
7. How many letters have they received from Robert?
8. What was not included in these letters?
9. What did Madame Lebrun give Edna?
10. What does Victor notice about Edna?
Chapter 21
1. Mademoiselle Reisz’ first reaction to seeing Edna is what?
2. What does Mademoiselle Reisz think Edna feels about her? What is Edna unsure of?
3. Who has written to Mademoiselle Reisz?
4. What was this letter about? What does Mademoiselle Reisz refuse to do?
5. What did the letter instruct Mademoiselle Reisz to play?
6. What does Edna say she is becoming? What is Mademoiselle Reisz’ reaction?
7. What does Mademoiselle Reisz say the artist must have?
8. What two things does Edna “persistence” get Mademoisell Reisz to do?
9. How does Edna react to these two things?
10. What caveat does Mademoiselle Reisz give Edna?
Chapter 22
1. What did Doctor Mandelet bear a reputation for?
2. What has Mr. Pontellier come about?
3. How had Edna looked to the doctor when he saw her the previous week?
4. What does Mr. Pontellier point about about what he believes is Edna’s “illness?”
5. What kind of “notion” does Mr. Pontellier say Edna has in her head?
6. What has Edna said about the prospect of going to her sister’s wedding?
7. What does the doctor say women are?
8. What scheme do the two devise so that the doctor can examine Edna?
9. Where is Mr. Pontellier going? What does the doctor advise regarding this?
10. What would the doctor have like to ask?
Chapter 23
1. What did Edna’s father’s arrival in the city “furnish” Edna with?
2. What did Edna have her father do for her?
3. What happened when Edna invited Mademoiselle Reisz to meet her father?
4. Where did Edna take him?
5. What was Edna “almost devoid of?”
6. Why didn’t Mr. Pontellier attend the musicales?
7. What does Edna say when Madame Ratignolle suggest that Mr. Pontellier should stay home more?
8. What does the doctor find when he comes to visit?
9. Who joined Edna and her father at the race track?
10. What is the story Edna tells at dinner about?
11. What did the doctor know from years of experience?
12. What is the doctor’s final hope as he leaves the Pontellier’s?
Chapter 24
1. What did Edna and her father argue about?
2. How did Edna feel when her father left?
3. Why did Mr. Pontellier leave for New York earlier than he had planned?
4. What does Edna’s father say is the only way to manage a wife?
5. What had the Col. “coerced” his own wife into?
6. Who did Edna act like as Mr. Ponellier got ready to leave?
7. What “settled” on Edna when she found herself alone?
8. What had Madame Pontellier come to do?
9. How did Edna dine?
10. What did Edna read after dinner?
11. What did she realize about her time?
12. What “sense” “invaded her” at bedtime?
Chapter 25
1. What did it seem to Edna as if life was doing?
2. Who called for Edna during this time?
3. Where was Alcee Arobin a “familiar figure?”
4. What was Alcee “not overburdened with?”
5. What did the “fever” of the race track do to Edna?
6. What did Edna want?
7. When Alcee comes again a few days later, what is different?
8. What does Alcee say might have made things different?
9. What does Edna tell Alcee? What do her words lack?
10. What did Alcee’s manner often do?
11. Who does Edna worry might think badly of her involvement with Alcee?
12. What had the touch of Alcee’s lips been like for Edna?
Chapter 26
1. What did Alcee send Edna?
2. How did Edna feel about the note?
3. After Alcee responded to Edna, how often did they see each other?
4. What in Edna did Alcee appeal to?
5. What did a visit to Mademoiselle Reisz do for Edna?
6. On the day of the visit to Mademoiselle Reisz’ what is the weather like?
7. What did Mademoiselle Reisz call Edna?
8. How did Edna drink the brandy?
9. What does Edna reveal to Mademoiselle Reisz?
10. What are three reasons Edna is able to rent the house she wants?
11. What does Edna think she will like about having the house?
12. What had Edna resolved?
13. What excuse does Mademoiselle Reisz give for Robert never writing to Edna?
14. What part of the letter did Mademoiselle Reisz fail to tell Edna about?
15. What does Edna admit to Mademoiselle Reisz for the first time?
16. What does Edna say she will do when Robert comes back?
17. What did Edna’s letter to her husband inform him of?
Chapter 27
1. What kind of mood did Alcee find Edna in?
2. What did Edna like the touch of?
3. What does Edna think of her “character as a woman?”
4. What metaphor did Mademoiselle Reisz use in characterizing Edna?
5. What was unique about the kiss?
Chapter 28
1. What did Edna do once Alcee left?
2. What did she feel about herself?
3. What did Edna feel had been lifted from her eyes?
4. What did Edna believe life was made up of?
Chapter 29
1. What feeling came over Edna “within the precints of her home?”
2. How did Edna look to Arobin when he looked in on her?
3. What does Edna’s lack of caution with the ladder symbolize?
4. What name was given to Edna’s new house?
5. Why did Edna keep Ellen in the room?
6. Who will pay for the expensive dinner Edna plans to give?
7. What does the word coup d e’tate mean?
Chapter 30.
1. What did Edna’s grand affair turn into?
2. What did Miss Mayblunt write under? What is this supposed to tell the reader about the guests?
3. How was Mademoiselle Reisz seated? What might this symbolize?
4. What did Edna have in her hair? Where did she get this from?
5. What day is this?
6. What is one “forced as a matter of convience” to do according to Arobin?
7. What did Mademoiselle Reisz do that Edna found rude?
8. What did Edna begin to feel overtaking her?
9. What does Victor begin to sing?
10. What does Edna do to her wine glass?
11. What does Victor kiss feel like?
12. What were Edna’s guest like as they left?
Chapter 31
1. Who remained after the other guest departed?
2. Where were the servants?
3. What emotion did it seem Edna experienced?
4. What was the room filled with? Who had sent these?
5. What could Arobin feel when his hand strayed to “her beautiful shoulders?”
6. When did he say goodnight?
Chapter 32
1. What was Mr. Pontellier’s letter filled with?
2. What was first and foremost to Mr. Pontellier?
3. What rather than scandal did Mr. Pontellier think people might assume?
4. What instructions came in the letter?
5. What had Mr. Pontellier “saved” with his letter and his notice in the paper?
6. What did Edna think of what Mr. Pontellier had done?
7. What did Edna feel she had descending in? What did she feel she had risen in?
8. Where did Edna go after a few days in the new house?
9. How did she feel about seeing the children?
10. What did she give the children in her week there?
11. What did Leonce’s mother think of the visit? Of the work on the house?
12. What was Edna when she returned to the city?
Chapter 33
1. What would Edna do if Mademoiselle Reisz wasn’t at home?
2. What did Madame Ratignolle complain of?
3. According to Madame Ratignolle, how does Edna sometimes act?
4. What rumor does Madame Ratignolle bring up?
5. Who enters Mademoiselle Reisz’ place when Edna is playing the piano?
6. What about this visit upsets Edna?
7. What had Edna pictured “a hundred times?”
8. What promise does Edna remind Robert of?
9. When Robert and Edna pass by, what does the Pontellier mansion look like? What does this symbolize?
10. What did it seem to Edna when they walked into her house?
11. What does Robert find in Edna’s house?
12. What does Robert ask about Alcee Arobin?
13. What is symbolized by the repetition of Robert’s response by Edna?
Chapter 34
1. When does Robert say he will go?
2. Where did Robert get his tobacco pouch?
3. Who drops in on the pair?
4. What does Arobin say about the Mexican girls?
5. Why does Edna say Arobin was less fortunate than Robert?
6. What does Robert do while Edna is talking with Arobin?
7. What does Arobin say is the only time he lives?
8. What does he say when Edna assures him that she knows he has said that to other women?
Chapter 35
1. What is the weather like when the chapter opens?
2. Whose words keep going through Edna’s mind?
3. What did Edna try to come up with explanations for?
4. What was she sure would break through Robert’s reserve?
5. What three people send Edna notes or letters?
6. What does the letter from her husband tell her?
7. How did she answer her husband?
8. What had she abandoned herself to?
9. Where does Edna say she plans to go?
10. Who did Edna wait on for three days?
11. What did Arobin detect in Edna?
12. What was not there when she went to sleep? What was not there when she woke?
Chapter 36
1. Why did Edna often visit a garden in the suburbs?
2. Who comes in?
3. What is his reaction to seeing Edna?
4. What had Edna intended to be with him?
5. Who seemed to have caused the meeting?
6. What makes Robert angry with her?
7. What does Edna say Robert may find her frankness?
8. What does Edna say women learn little of?
9. What assumption does Robert make about the book Edna is reading?
10. What did Edna not ask Robert when they got back to the pigeon house?
11. What was Edna’s kiss like?
12. What does Robert say Edna now knows?
13. What does Robert say he dreamed of?
14. Why is it that Edna says Mr. Pontellier can’t set her free?
15. What message does Celestine bring?
16. What did Robert do for Edna last summer?
17. What longing did Robert have?
Chapter 37
1. What was Monsieur Ratignolle doing when Edna got there?
2. How was Madame Ratignolle’s hair described?
3. How did Edna begin to feel?
4. What did Edna begin to wish?
5. What did Edna witness?
6. What did Adele tell Edna to do as Edna was leaving?
Chapter 38
1. Why does the doctor say Adele shouldn’t have asked her to be there?
2. What does Edna say she is no longer going to do?
3. What does the doctor say would make him different from most other people?
4. What does Edna say is the only thing she wants?
5. What makes this such a large thing to ask for?
6. What does Edna think she will do when she awakens Robert?
7. What does she find when she gets home?
8. What does Robert’s note say?
Chapter 39
1. When the chapter opens, what are Victor and Mariequita discussing?
2. What did Mariequita suspect was going on when Edna appears?
3. What does Edna decide to do instead of going to her room?
4. Why does this surprise Victor and Mariequita?
5. What does Edna say over and over to herself?
6. What does Edna suddenly realize about what she had once said?
7. What did Edna realize about human companionship?
8. What did the children become for her? What did they seek to drag her into?
9. What was the “voice of the sea” like?
10. What did the sea invite the soul to do?
11. What was in the air above her?
12. What did Edna do for the first time?
13. How did the waves “coil” about her feet?
14. What does Edna think that her husband and children shouldn’t have thought?
15. What words of Madame Reisz’ does Edna recall?
16. What was Robert incapable of doing?
17. Why was it too late?