Two teal canvas wings with bamboo supports stand in a small patch of sand against peach.

Original artwork, not a still

The Awakening

Kate Chopin

The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

To rise above the flat expanse of custom and narrow judgment, you need real strength, this says. It compares a person wanting to break from convention to a bird: the flight above the ordinary plain demands sturdy wings, not just wishing.

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