In Kate Chopin's short story, The Awakening, Edna Pontellier's behaviors appear to be symptoms of depression rather than the actions of a strong woman seeking release. This conclusion, however, is not fully apparent until the end of the novel. Throughout the story, Edna does things to make the reader believe that she is strong and can overcome the burden of living in a patriarchal society. However, a strong woman who is truly overcoming adversity does not commit suicide. Reading carefully, one realizes that Chopin's true model of feminism lies in Mademoiselle Reisz, who is happy to live alone and unmarried despite what society imposes on a woman's role. . Mademoiselle Reisz is an expert pianist to whom Edna turns for advice as she struggles to find her sense of self. Unlike Mademoiselle Reisz, however, Edna lacks the motivation and willpower to follow her desires from thought to realization. Throughout The Awakening, the reader follows Edna Pontellier as she becomes increasingly restless and discontent with her life. In Chopin's Depression and The Awakening, Steven T. Ryan explains the parallels between Edna's actions and inactions with depression. She writes: Edna's final desperation stems from a paradoxical fear of being trapped... and from the fear of being left alone, without authentic intimacy. This reaction to engulfment-estrangement is often interpreted as Edna's heroic struggle against social roles and expectations, but the terror of engulfment-estrangement is a common effect of depression, often understood as resulting from early frustration on the part of the depressed about dependency and intimacy needs (Ryan ).Ryan continues his statement that Edna suffers from depression with the...... middle of paper ......despair consumes her. To some extent, the reader may try to believe that Edna has finally found her release in death. However, a truly liberated woman will face the challenges that lie ahead with strength and courage, and will find freedom in her successes. Works Cited Chopin, Kate. The awakening. 2nd. New York, NY: WW Norton & Company, 1994. Print.Grohol Psy. D., John M. "Types and Symptoms of Depression." PsychCentral. Np, 2006. Web. July 25, 2011. Lickerman MD, Alex. “The Six Reasons Why People Attempt Suicide.” Blogs. Psychology today. Sussex Publishers, April 29, 2010. Web. July 25, 2011. Ramos, Peter. “Unbearable Realism: Freedom, Ethics, and Identity in Awakening.” University Literature 37.4 (2010): 145-165. Print.Ryan, Steven T. “Chopin's Depression and Awakening.” Mississippi Quarterly (1998): Web. July 25 2011.