Friday, January 7, 2011

Book Blogger Hop #6


It's nice to begin getting  back into a routine...at home, at work and blogging :)
I love this hop! I've met so many great book blogging buddies through Jennifer's weekly hop at Crazy for Books and am back this week for even more! 


In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read!

This week's question:

"What book influenced or changed your life?
How did it influence/change your life?
My answer:
Hands down...Kate Chopin's The Awakening

I was in graduate school by the time I read The Awakening...and I'm glad.  My middle child, who is in the 11th grade read it last year in English...???? I do not have any idea how a 15-16 year old would possibly have enough life experience to completely "get" The Awakening.
I read The Awakening not as a tragedy but the story of a choice that one woman makes to free herself.
Almost as if she realizes that the world she lives in is not ready for her yet.
And instead of subjecting herself to live the role the world demands her to play, she chooses ultimate refusal and leaves one world for the next.

Does that make sense??

It's not a story of giving up to me; it is a story of a strong, independent woman making a strong, independent choice, no matter how difficult, no matter how painful.
And, she's not afraid.
The water is cleansing and liberating, not suffocating and drowning as is the world Edna lives in.
To me, the meaning of this story is a figurative one...not literal as many many many people interpret it.

I'm sure I'm overexplaining this and not making any sense at all so I'll stop here.
Did anyone else feel this way after reading The Awakening?





3 comments:

  1. I read the Awakening in college, in one of my women's studies classes, and remembered enjoying it (but that was a while ago.... I should pick it up for a re-read). The book I chose for this week's question is by the poet nikki giovanni. It's been interesting to read what everyone's been listing as their influential book. :)

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  2. Hopping through. New follower! I've always meant to read The Awakening. I really should.
    Happy weekend!
    My Hop

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  3. That's EXACTLY how I felt about The Awakening! I read it for the first time maybe 4 years ago? And reread it in 2008 for my book club. Loved it both times!

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