In the post-civil war era regionalism work, "The Awakening," author Kate Chopin delves into the concept of feminism in a white, male dominated society. Edna Pontellier, the female protagonist, is faced with situations that push her to make decisions in order to pursue her own sense of identity, which ultimately ends in her taking her own life. The reasoning behind her death is a subject of debate amongst literary scholars. Would she rather die than live within the confines of a socially strict society with regards to female freedoms, or seize the day and live the way she chooses with no sense of consequence? In the period of history in which Edna Pontellier and her husband raised their family, there were strict societal rules that today would seem extremely sexist and degrading to women. Other than the servants, it seemed as if women were just above them on the societal ladder. Women were to fit into a mold. "They were women who idolized their children, worshipped their husbands and esteemed it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels" (Chopin 567). These were not the ideals that Edna had set as priority for herself. Throughout her self-exploration in the story, she chooses to forego what is expected of her and does what makes her happy. The happiness seems to always be closely followed by a looming cloud of sadness. Her road to freedom, in the end, places her in a position where she has decisions that need to be made. Does she comply with what is expected and fly back into her proverbial cage? Should she divorce her husband and marry Robert? She could also decide that she needs no man and live alone pursuing her own livelihood. "No longer was she content to "feed upon opinion when her own soul had invited her" (Chopin 635). She was now in far too deep. She had to choose a path based off the consequences of her actions. Compromise her progression and go back to the chains of society