Free Sample Essays > North American
The Awakening
Gilman and May symbolize society and what it does to the mind if one becomes dupe to accepting themselves as good enough because society does. This mindset affects everyone; as Chopin suggests, they must face the decision of illusions versus reality, and it is better to choose a life free of illusions even if it is more difficult.
“There are two roads, two paths to take. One is easy. And it’s only reward is that it is easy” (Robert Frost). Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Rollo May’s purpose was to point out that illusions are caused by a variety of things; but there is a choice to be made. “Perhaps it is better to wake up after all, even to suffer; than to remain a dupe to illusions all one’s life” (Chopin). Although, Gilman and May chose different settings, they both suggested the same conclusion: reality is better for man, for once he has lost it, he shall not return. When man is forced to retrace his steps to being unenlightened, and given equal freedoms of that of an animal, he will self destruct in brain and body. Gilman chose a room, May a cage, but both portray the demise of their character by the institution that is forced upon them. Symbolism is also important in these two selections, because each detail suggests a different illusion created by society. There are so many that it is impossible to find every meaning of each detail in the stories, but the institutions used create the same effect. Everyone surrounding them has a title or name, but the characters themselves, remain nameless. This is important because it symbolizes the omnipresence of illusions. Illusions are in the minds of everyone, and to each it is their own. The authors hone in on this fact because it makes it easier to assimilate oneself into the role of the characters. Rather than needing to awaken to reality as Chopin suggests, these authors idea is that when one’s reality has been taken from him what is left is only illusions, and they alone cannot suffice. However, when you’ve lived accustomed to life, to fill one life with the illusions of fulfillment such as nourishment, company, and solidarity, will never fill one’s life as if they had lived through trial and freedom. Although it may be full of suffering and struggle, life in reality is much more rewarding than a life chosen under duped illusions. “You can’t discover new oceans, unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore” (unknown).
Bibliography
Chopin, Kate.
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The Yellow Wallpaper. Sixth Edition Literature an
Introduction to Reading and Writing. Comp. Edgar Roberts and Henry Jacobs. New -Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2001. 617-627.
May, Rollo. The Man Who Was Put in a Cage. 87-90.
Plato Handout. The Great Dialogues of Plato. The Republic, Book VII. 312-319.