One of the most intriguing concepts in The Awakening, by Kate Chopin, is the symbolism of the caged birds. The caged birds on the Grand Isle resort symbolize Edna Pontellier's frustration of being trapped in a society with strict social codes. In that era, it was unheard of for a woman to be independent. Many women wanted to speak out, but most were afraid of their male counterparts. This is clearly shown in The Awakening, due to the fact that Edna is outspoken and Adele Ratignolle, is not.
One way that Edna is caged in society is the way she acts and feels toward Robert Lebrun. Edna, at first, thinks of Robert as an annoying man. But as time went on, Edna begins to feel a passion for Robert. This puts Edna into an unusual predicament. Edna starts to feel trapped by society because she is caught between Leonce, her husband whom she does not love, and Robert, whom she does love. Edna wants to have Robert, but due to society's rules, she cannot escape the cage to have him.
Edna is also caught in society's beliefs of the traditional role of a woman. A woman's role, according to the Creoles was to stay at home and take care of the children. Edna is not a traditional woman, she loves her children, but she does not give them the attention they need. Creole women are expected to be "mother-women", they must willingly give up their personal lives in order to serve the wants and needs of their children and husbands. Edna cannot see herself giving up her personal life for her children, but she will give up her life for them. Another change that occurs in Edna due to her beginning liberation from society is that she usually hosts her Tuesdays of entertainment in order for her to gossip with her friends. But soon after arriving back in New Orleans, Edna stops hosting her Tuesdays with no reason. This act starts a chain reaction of events that ultimately will lead to Edna's freedom from society's cage.
Also, given the fact that she is not Creole, Edna, early in the novel, tries to conform to their way of life. Creoles are open toward their sexuality and are not concerned with jealousy and affairs. But soon, Edna realizes that she cannot be a Creole no matter what, so she starts to do things that she has not done before with such a passion, such as painting.
Another way Edna tries to liberate herself from society's hold is to move into her own apartment. Edna views Mme. Reisz as being comfortable and happy in her apartment, so Edna wanted to do the same thing for herself. Most of the things in the mansion belonged to Leonce, and Edna, with her new realization, did not want to be thought as one of Leonce's "possessions."
The last thing Edna tries to do to free herself is to commit suicide. Edna was not thinking of suicide when she got to the beach at Grand Isle, but once she gets there, she starts to have thoughts of freedom. These thoughts lead her to swim out in to the sea and commit suicide. Although the Creole society tried to keep Edna in a cage with these beliefs and ideas, Edna found the courage and the power within herself to break free of the restrictions of society.
