The New Woman and Her Obscure Fate: A Comparative Study of Edna Pontellier in The Awakening and the Protagonists of The House of Mirth, Daisy Miller, and Sister Carrie

This thesis explores the rebellious figure of the New Woman and examines her representation in American fiction from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, mainly focusing on the tragic outcomes she faces while trying to challenge social conventions. With her introspective and multifaceted journey, Edna Pontellier, the heroine of Kate Chopin’s The Awakening (1899), stands as the starting point for the research. The study then draws parallels between Edna and the female protagonists of The House of Mirth (1905), Daisy Miller (1878), and Sister Carrie (1900), identifying key intersections and the reasons behind their downfall. Overall, by portraying the unstable condition of these women through literature, the thesis reveals that a happy ending was unattainable for them both in fiction and in real life.