In this quote, the narrator points out the realization in Edna on her role in life. Before she would blindly obey her husband without any other thought, but she is growing to realize that she has the right and desire to resist her husband's demands. This highlights the social problem of patriarchal dominance as it pertains to male dominance over female choice in the real world, especially during that time period.

The art piece above demonstrates this problem. A whip from a man's hand is shown to be wrapped around the point of view of a character (presumably a woman) as well as other women at the same table. This portrays the control men have over women, especially in underdeveloped countries and earlier time periods.

In this quote, Madame Ratignolle is speaking to Robert about Edna, telling him to leave her alone. This is because she believes that Edna is not in the same societal group as them since they are extensively more wealthy than Edna's socioeconomic class. This contributes to Marxist criticism since one of the biggest ideals of Marxism is the belief that everyone should not be separated by social and economic class. This separation eventually led to Edna's downward spiral into suicide.

In this quote, Leonce is noticing the changes in Edna, but instead of realizing she is becoming her own person, he believes that she is growing mentally unstable. This is mainly due to the ongoing belief that women are only seen as objects, of which do not deserve autonomy or a sense of self. In The Awakening, Edna realizes her role in society as a woman, that be she has essentially no rights or freedom, which is one of the central themes of the story. Even though the world has evolved since then, this view of women is still held by underdeveloped countries. In countries with such beliefs, women often have no autonomy and are seen as property of their husbands and fathers, similar to the society Edna was placed in.

In this quote, Edna is refusing to obey her husband, despite the countless amount of times she had done so before. This shows the ongoing theme in The Awakening of self-determination and freedom. In today's world, trying to find oneself is highly common, especially in young adults. Contrasting to the 1800's, finding your own individuality has become somewhat toxic in modern society, which resulted in terms such as "pick-me girl" and praising quirkiness in oneself. Even though this greatly contrasts what Edna dealt with in the novel, the emphasis on individuality in both the modern and old world are both toxic portrayals; one portrayal discouraging individuality while the other obsessively praising it.

In this quote, Edna realized the impact that the kids had on her and how she impacts them. This directly relates to her role as the traditional housewife, of which was forced upon her by the societal norms at the time. These roles are still forced upon both men and women, just not to the same extreme degree. Nuclear families are often depicted in sitcoms and children's shows, often not depicted with nontraditional families (i.e. a stay-at-home husband).

In this quote, Edna is uncomfortable with her life back in New Orleans. She is realizing that her life before was merely a shell of herself, and that her new self doesn't align with the activities of her old life. Oftentimes in the modern world, realizing true individuality late in life comes with many consequences, especially if one has built an extensive life on the person they thought they were. Despite the fact that this sub-issue is not often talked about, it is still an ongoing topic of how this contributes to the wellbeing of those affected. Integrating into a society one thought they had already fit into will always be a difficult transition, especially with the growing complexity of the human brain and growing autonomy.

This quote in The Awakening was taken in the context of when Edna and Robert went on a boat with fellow guests at the resort. A Mexican woman by the name of Mariequita was there, somewhat symbolizing innocent sensuality to Edna. However, the description of her was kept very contrary. While her face is described very intricately, commenting on her eyes and facial structure, she is still said to be dirty and disgusting. This relates to the rooted issue of racial fetishization and dehumanization in the world. Due to colonization, women of color were often viewed as not human, yet still sexualized with the combination of feminine oppression during this time as well. This relates back to the novel as these ideals clearly stuck with Edna, as she is both envious and disgusted by Mariequita's appearance

In this quote, the narrator was pointing out how Robert was talking with Edna, instead of Mariequita, a Mexican woman on the boat they were on. Despite that there are not many quotes displaying this, it is self-evident that women of color are only really meant to boost the white protagonist's development and story. In The Awakening, the presence of characters such as Mariequita were only truly used as a plot device to not only help drive Edna's "awakening", but to also show how the suitors in her life prioritized her attention above all other women. In popular culture today, this is mainly portrayed through the "colored best friend" trope in coming-of-age stories, often reducing colored characters as an extension of the white protagonist. This continuous misrepresentation of people of color has validated the belief that they would never be able to experience the stories that they read about, as someone who looks like them was reduced so much.

In this quote, Edna is realizing how she is truly trapped under the patriarchy in her society, and believes that the only way out is through suicide to set herself free. She comes to the conclusion that no matter what, she will always be attached to a man at any moment, even though she longs for independence. This correlates to modern-day struggles as many people find themselves trapped in their own mind or lives, and believe that the only way out is through taking their own life. Suicide rates among certain groups such as men have increased exponentially, as there is still a lack of funding and seriousness towards mental health. The struggle of self-preservation is deadly, even if society largely refuses to acknowledge it.