The Awakening made me realize so much about my own life and my eventual role as a woman in today's society. Experiencing an overwhelming sense of "ennui" with her life as a "mother-woman", Edna strives to break free from the oppressive role that she has accidentally gotten herself into. Not finding happiness in living through her children or even her husband, Edna searches for meaning in life, attempting to possess the soul that "dares and defies." This book must be read by all women. It is a remarkable cry that is voiced from a female who we can all relate to.