Kate Chopin’s
Chapters 1-10

One link between the popular
Modern Family and Chopin’s novel is the theme of marriage and motherhood.
Claire, a homemaker, compares her life as a mom to that of a previous co-worker, now a Paris executive.

Keep track of what each woman has gained as a result of her lifestyle choice, and what each has “lost.”

Chopin's feminism certainly is a major theme, but be careful not to overstate it.
Chopin seems to have believed that men and women alike have great difficulty reconciling their need to live as discrete individuals with their need to live in close relationship with a mate; these conflicting needs lie at the center of her work.

(1919)

(1919)
 What is the most dominant image?
 Why does the painter choose to make certain images dominant and others marginal?
 What might be the significance of the two birds?
 Does the painting evoke a certain mood or theme? How?
Why?
 How might the title of the painting affect the analysis?

and
 Portrays a woman who lives in luxury yet yearns for freedom from her older husband and her restrictive society
 Essentially an allegory for the captivity of women, the painting’s depiction of birds, children, and sky echoes much of the symbolism in The Awakening while presenting an alternative picture of motherhood
 The mood and themes evoked by the painting are the same elements in The Awakening
 … characterization of nature as a freeing force, emphasis on human individuality, and the advocacy of free thought

(1900)
She’s only a bird
In a gilded cage,
A beautiful sight to see,
You may think she’s happy
And free from care,
She’s not
Tho’ she seems to be,
‘Tis sad when you think
Of her wasted life,
For youth cannot mate with age,
And her beauty was sold
For an old man’s gold,
She’s a bird in a gilded cage.

(1900)
She’s only a bird
In a gilded cage,
A beautiful sight to see,
You may think she’s happy
And free from care,
She’s not
Tho’ she seems to be,
‘Tis sad when you think
Of her wasted life,
For youth cannot mate with age,
And her beauty was sold
For an old man’s gold,
She’s a bird in a gilded cage.
1) Highlight the line from the song that is most significant
2) Highlight the phrase
3) Highlight the word that best portrays the theme

Why is it significant that Chopin’s novel,
Morgan’s painting, and Von Tilzer’s song were all created in the same era? What does this imply about the role of artists?

What is the setting (time and place)?
How does it factor into the interactions of the characters?

What does the introductory paragraph/page introduce?
Why?
A green and yellow parrot, which hung in a cage outside the door, kept repeating over and over:
“Allez vous-en! Allez vous-en! Sapristi! *
That’s all right!”
He could speak a little Spanish, and also a language which nobody understood, unless it was a mockingbird that hung on the other side of the door, whistling his fluty notes out upon the breeze with maddening persistence.
*[“Go away! Go away! For heaven’s sake!”

(p. 13)
How does the Chapter 6 relate to the title?
What is the significance of the sea?
What is Chapter 6 saying about Edna’s emotional state?