Hope answers “What do you think the two lovers and the...”

Melanie asked this question about The Awakening:

What do you think the two lovers and the lady in black represent in the story?

Hope For myself, I saw the lady in black and the two lovers as symbols for the tarot cards Death and the Lovers, respectively. Tarot was and is a part of t…moreFor myself, I saw the lady in black and the two lovers as symbols for the tarot cards Death and the Lovers, respectively. Tarot was and is a part of the culture of New Orleans and something both Edna (the protagonist) and Chopin (the author) would have been exposed to in some form. I saw it as the lady in black signifying an end to a relationship (Edna's and Leonce's) and the lovers presenting an important choice about a relationship (Edna's and Robert's). This is, of course, merely my perception, but several points lead me to this fact. Firstly, they are never named, and almost never directly addressed. They have little, if any, personality, thoughts, or desires outside their roles in a story full of captivating characters. Secondly, they all appear before, during, or after key events frequently. Lastly, the story is set in and around New Orleans, a place renowned for its population of the occult.(less)

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Matthew Osborn You are correct. The entire novel is built with wiccan symbology (nowadays they use the word "semiotics"). The colors, gems, the Dionysian gathering ( ...more
Oct 09, 2021 05:56AM · flag

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