Research Paper

Reading Chopin’s The Awakening, one thing is clear: Edna must die. Why?  Looking at the historical evolution of feminism, coupled with the author’s own reality, establish a reasoning for Edna’s demise.  At the same time, establish how certain pragmatic precepts influence the direction both the author and her characters embraced—tenets that supposedly speak to the universal sense of individualism referenced as American; moreover, how did embracing pragmatism result in negative reactions from those around them.  Infuse Emerson throughout, explaining how and why the attempt to become self-reliant goes horribly wrong for these women and how Edna’s life might have played out if she had attempted to be more like Madame Ratignolle. Additionally, establish if the reaction of their societies would be any different today.
Additionally, infuse the Black woman’s own subjugation into paper’s argument.  Rena, like Edna, awakens.  Because of this, Rena too must die.  In philosophical terms, what does this mean?  What social forces conspire against Rena and foreshadow her impending doom? And how and why was Chesnutt’s career, like Chopin’s, destroyed?  Is there a correlation between this White woman and Black man?

Requirements:

The paper must infuse all of the issues addressed above.  However, the design of the paper—the way it develops and unfolds—belongs to the writer.

7-10 full pages (no more, no less)
MLA Format: double spaced, 1 inch margins, 12 point font, in-text citations, works cited page (which will be a separate page and not considered part of the 7-10)
Textual support throughout (quotes and citations)
At least 6 secondary source (quoted and cited)
Working thesis statement

Note: If anything in this paper is plagiarized, student will automatically Fail the course and the Dean of Students will be notified for disciplinary action.