Within the School of Myth, many critics have associated Chopin's Edna Pontellier with the mythical figure Psyche. The Greek word for “psyche” translates as “soul” or “butterfly.” Both words imply a change or awakening. A soul continually learns, transforms and adapts to its revelations, and, like the soul - or the butterfly, more amazing than ever - emerges from a cocoon after remaining in a dormant stage for a long period of time. An online article describes the analogy beautifully: Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay There is no illustration of the immortality of the soul so striking and beautiful as the butterfly, which bursts with brilliant wings from the grave in which it lay, after a dull, humiliating, and grazing existence, to flutter into the light of day and feed on the most fragrant and delicate productions of spring. The psyche is therefore the human soul, which is purified by suffering and misfortunes, and thus prepared for the enjoyment of true and pure happiness.1 For readers of The Awakening, we glimpse an awakening that touches multiple levels (emotional and sexual) with Edna, a woman who once conformed to the two-dimensional way of seeing the world and herself. In comparison to Psyche, Edna's butterfly-like soul breaks free from a confining cocoon through sleep and other external factors such as music and knowledge. In Greek mythology, Psyche's tale consists of trials and triumphs. She must succeed in every test that Aphrodite, her lover's mother, puts her through in order to receive acceptance and forgiveness for her madness. Although love is not Edna's overall goal (rather identity is her ambition), Edna goes through difficult times that cause disapproval from her husband. She moves out of her old house as a means of extricating herself from herself. It loses its cocoon in place of a new one. It does not matter whether Mr. Pontellier approves or not, but he carries out the act to personally give himself acceptance. Sleep is another integral element of Psyche and Edna. The moments of awakening after rest are vital for the development of the two characters. Psyche falls asleep crying against the misfortune of having been abandoned on the top of a mountain, but when she wakes up she finds herself luckier than before; she now resides in a beautiful mansion with an unidentified kind and loving husband. Expecting to be lulled into an imaginative, dreamlike state when Mademoiselle Reisz plays the piano, Edna is jolted by a sudden emotion forced upon her by the musical notes; "the first chords Mademoiselle Reisz struck on the piano sent a sharp tremor down Madame Pontellier's spine" (34). Chopin describes her reaction as "perhaps it was the first time she was ready, perhaps the first time her being was tempered to imprint itself with lasting truth" (34). She is shocked by reality and no longer abandons herself to the usual fantasy. His flat character slowly becomes more three-dimensional as he awakens with new perspectives. She experiences powerful emotions, sees things as they are, recognizes her sexual attraction to Robert, and begins to form her own identity. Many believe that Chopin's ending is similar to when the cup of ambrosia from the gods is given to Psyche, an act that rewards her with immortality. Although suicide is typically seen as a feeble escape from life, Chopin wants his readers to see Edna's death not as a wrong act, but as a triumph and her final awakening; in this way, Edna relates to Psyche as one who emerges as an immortal butterfly. His soul has reached the pinnacle of realization. Chopin's conclusion can be a welcomed resolution.1., 1995.