The Suicide of Edna Pontellier in the Awakening by Kate Chopin is a book topic that has been debated for a century. Some readers believe that Edna's suicide was an act of suicide, or an act of force. This book tells the story of a woman who has mixed feelings about the role of women in her society. Edna, the protagonist, has several young men she loves in addition to her husband. Edna feels trapped by her role as a woman in society. Eventually Edna can't handle the pressure and commits suicide. Edna Pontellier's suicide is caused by Edna's depression, and some critics believe that her suicide is an act of surrender, while others believe it is an act of strength. People with depression or other mood disorders make up half to two-thirds of all committed people. suicides (Isometsa 120). People who have completed suicide usually belong to the group B personality. The group B personality is characterized by a disregard for the law and people's rights, instability in relationships, inappropriately seductive behavior, and a need for admiration. Edna violates people's rights by having so many different men in her life that she wants to be romantically involved with. Edna shows her seductive behavior whenever she is with Alcee Arobin or Robert Lebrun. Edna observes: “It was the first kiss of his life that his nature truly responded to. It was a burning torch that ignited desire” (Chopin 110). This illusion came to Edna after she kissed Alcee, who is not her husband. People who commit suicide also have other risk factors. These factors include hopelessness, adverse events, impulsive-aggressive traits, and high severity of depressive syndrome (Isometsa 124). Shortly before Edna committed suicide she thought… middle of paper… a defeat that does not involve any surrender” (Treu 22). Edna's suicide can also be seen as abandoning herself to the voice of the sea, rather than the magical powers of Doctor Mandelet and her father (Treu 27). Kate Chopin left the ending to let the imagination run wild with all the different possibilities of Edna's Suicide and why she would commit suicide. In The Awakening Edna had key factors in her suicide risk. She was hopeless, impulsive and aggressive, had severe losses, and fell into the Cluster B personality group. Some readers believe that Edna's suicide was an act of surrender to those who oppressed her, as if she had given up. Other critics believe that Edna made an effort and performed a feat of strength; breaking down conventions that had been in place for so long. Edna's suicide is, and will always be, one of the most debated topics in nineteenth-century literature.