Chopin,“The Awakening,” and Lazarus, “The New Colossus,”

Sample Solution

Here's a short analysis comparing Kate Chopin's The Awakening and Emma Lazarus' The New Colossus:

Focus

• The Awakening is a novel likely exploring themes of societal constraints, female identity, and awakening desires through the story of Edna Pontellier.
• The New Colossus is a sonnet, a more concise form focusing on a specific message. In this case, it welcomes immigrants to the United States, symbolized as a "mighty woman with a torch."

Full Answer Section

• Breaking Barriers:Both works might connect through the idea of breaking barriers. Edna in The Awakening challenges societal expectations of women in her time. The poem The New Colossus might resonate with Edna's yearning for freedom if interpreted as a fight against societal constraints on immigrants.
• Symbolism:The New Colossus uses the "mighty woman" as a symbol of America welcoming the "tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to breathe free." This could be compared to symbolism used in The Awakening to represent Edna's struggles, perhaps the caged bird metaphor that often appears in feminist literature.

• This is a brief analysis based on the titles and genres. A deeper comparison would require reading the specific passages from The Awakeningand understanding the full content of The New Colossus.

• Historical Context:The Awakening was written in the late 19th century, a time of societal constraints on women. The New Colossus was written in the late 19th century in response to concerns about immigration. Understanding these contexts could enrich the comparison.
• Literary Devices:Both works likely employ literary devices to convey their messages. Analyzing metaphors, similes, or imagery used in The Awakening could be compared to those in The New Colossus.