The main point of Nancy Walker's literaty critique of The Awakening is that Kate Chopin purposely made Edna Pontellier completly unaware of what she was doing and what was occurring in her life. One example of this is in the very beginning of the book, Edna is completly against Creole society, "A characteristic which distinguished them and which impressed Mrs. Pontellier most forcibly was their entire absence of prudery. Their freedom of expression was at first incomprehensible to her, though she had no difficulty in reconciling it with a lofty chastity which in the Creole woman seems to be inborn and unmistakable" (Chopin 12). But gradually as the novel goes on, Edna begins to transform into the sensual aspect of the society without realizing it. Her whole "awakening" appears to be in connection to her sexuality, and the Creole people are described by Walker as "openly sensual." A second example of Edna's oblivion is at the very end of the book. She tells Victor and Mariequita that she will be back to have a meal with them, and although we don't know if she really meant it, she still became unaware of her surroundings and abilities while swimming out in the ocean. Greatly supporting the idea of Nancy Walker that Edna was oblivious and completly unaware of her life when searching for her true "awakening."
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