Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
We were taught that Mademoiselle Reisz was the ultimate symbol of female liberation in Kate Chopin’s The Awakening. But when you look closely at her behavior toward Edna Pontellier, Reisz isn't a friend or a mentor—she’s acting like Victor Frankenstein engineering a rebellion for her own entertainment.
In this video essay, I re-evaluate Chopin’s novel using Mikki Kendall’s Hood Feminism. I explore why Adèle Ratignolle’s carework and material realism make her the true feminist hero, while Reisz’s sterile, hyper-individualistic "white feminism" pushes Edna over the edge.
CHAPTERS:
0:00 - Is Reisz Really a Feminist Icon?
1:40 - Why Edna Pontellier Acts Like a Toddler
3:16 - The Emotional Instability of Edna’s "Awakening"
5:45 - Adèle’s Caution: Understanding Creole Social Norms
8:14 - Grounded Feminism: Carework vs. Selfish Autonomy
10:07 - Reisz as the "Mixy" Societal Anthropologist
12:18 - The Individualist Trap & Elite Gatekeeping
13:58 - Why Modern Feminism Needs a Shift
📖 Watch the rest of my Awakening series for live annotated readings and full chapter reactions!
#BookTalk #TheAwakening #KateChopin #MikkiKendall #BookEssay #Literature #BookTube
#TheAwakeningAnalysis #KateChopin #BookEssay #FeministTheory #LiteraryCritique
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCCfFyp9chz-1L6avr_l2omw/join
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• Get two free audiobooks to start
• After 30 days, get one audiobook a month for $14.95/month
• Receive 30% off the price of additional audiobook purchases
• Cancel at any time. A member’s books are theirs to keep, even if they cancel
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We were taught that Mademoiselle Reisz was the ultimate symbol of female liberation in Kate Chopin’s The Awakening. But when you look closely at her behavior toward Edna Pontellier, Reisz isn't a friend or a mentor—she’s acting like Victor Frankenstein engineering a rebellion for her own entertainment.
In this video essay, I re-evaluate Chopin’s novel using Mikki Kendall’s Hood Feminism. I explore why Adèle Ratignolle’s carework and material realism make her the true feminist hero, while Reisz’s sterile, hyper-individualistic "white feminism" pushes Edna over the edge.
CHAPTERS:
0:00 - Is Reisz Really a Feminist Icon?
1:40 - Why Edna Pontellier Acts Like a Toddler
3:16 - The Emotional Instability of Edna’s "Awakening"
5:45 - Adèle’s Caution: Understanding Creole Social Norms
8:14 - Grounded Feminism: Carework vs. Selfish Autonomy
10:07 - Reisz as the "Mixy" Societal Anthropologist
12:18 - The Individualist Trap & Elite Gatekeeping
13:58 - Why Modern Feminism Needs a Shift
📖 Watch the rest of my Awakening series for live annotated readings and full chapter reactions!
#BookTalk #TheAwakening #KateChopin #MikkiKendall #BookEssay #Literature #BookTube
#TheAwakeningAnalysis #KateChopin #BookEssay #FeministTheory #LiteraryCritique
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCCfFyp9chz-1L6avr_l2omw/join
Below are a few things I LOVE in my daily life- whether its fitness or books or whatever--- i've shared them at discounted rates so you can check them out.
‧₊˚📚✩ ₊˚🎧⊹♡Read More with Audible- Free Trial:
• Get two free audiobooks to start
• After 30 days, get one audiobook a month for $14.95/month
• Receive 30% off the price of additional audiobook purchases
• Cancel at any time. A member’s books are theirs to keep, even if they cancel
amzn.to/3Dgwliv
🧘🏻♀️🏃🏻♀️🎧🏋🏻♀️Enjoy fitness classes (with 20 bonus credits!) only available to friends of mine. classpass.com/refer/J8R08L2C8
