Responding to a Critical Essay - the Ending of “the Awakening”

Spangler makes it clear of how he feels about the ending of the book. He dislikes it because of how the author portrays Edna as being a strong and determined person but when one of her desires goes downhill she destroys herself. “…which asks the reader to accept a different and diminished Edna from the one developed so impressively before” (209). In this quote Spangler is saying that we see Edna as being a completely different person in the end of the book. During the novel she was strong, stable, and dedicated in achieving what she wanted. But in the end we see a weak and unstable Edna that can’t control her self from killing herself. What a Surprising Twist!

Spangler mentions counterarguments stating others commentators opinions in the article. Although Spangler disagrees with them he is un-biased and puts a short statement of there beliefs. ‘“Though Edmund Wilson merely notes that the ending has “the same sensuous beauty as the rest…”’ (208). ‘“Berthoff, for example, finds Edna’s suicide “psychologically, sensually, convincing…”’ (208). Both authors thought the ending made sense and was perfect. Other commentators thought it was a either stay and experience all the troubles to come or escape.

“Throughout the novel the most striking feature of Edna’s character has been her strength of will, her ruthless determination to go her own way” (209). Spangler states that Edna is a courageous and determined woman. She wants to be herself and show her husband that he can’t control her. She is different from the women in her society but she really doesn’t care. But in the end, we see that Edna becomes vulnerable and does something that she can never take back. “Having overcome so much in the way of frustration, Edna is destroyed by so little” (209) Spangler sees her a different person and is shocked of the decision Edna made just because of one thing going wrong in her life.