The Awakening (English, Paperback, Kate Chopin)

The Second Edition of a perennial favorite in the Norton Critical Edition series represents an extensive revision of its predecessor.

The text is that of the first edition of the novel, published by Herbert S. Stone in 1899. The annotations, provided by the editor, include translations of French phrases and explanations of references to the New Orleans locales, customs, and lore, the Bayou region, and Creole culture.

The expanded “Biographical and Historical Contexts” section, introduced by a new Editor’s Note, presents biographical, historical, and cultural documents; many are contemporary with the novel’s publication. Among the new inclusions are an essay by the acclaimed Chopin biographer Emily Toth, “An Etiquette/Advice Book Sampler” with selections from the conduct books of the late nineteenth century, and period fashion plates from Harper’s Bazar.

A comprehensive “Criticism” section, introduced by a new Editor’s Note, contains expanded sections from the hard-to-find contemporary reviews of the novel: two letters of mysterious origin written in response to the novel; and Chopin’s “Retraction” following The Awakening’s negative reception. These are followed by twenty-seven interpretive essays, twelve of them new, that provide a variety of perspectives on The Awakening, including pieces by Cynthia Griffin Wolff, Nancy Walker, Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, Paula A. Treichler, Sandra M. Gilbert, Lee R. Edwards, Patricia S. Yaeger, Elizabeth Ammons, and Elaine Showalter,