The voice of the sea is seductive; never ceasing, whispering, roaring, murmuring, it invites the soul to wander for a while into the depths of solitude. When "The Awakening" was first published in 1899, accusations of obscenity and immorality seemed to banish it into darkness and irreparably damage its author's reputation. Yet a century after her death, it is widely regarded as Kate Chopin's great work. Through careful, subtle changes in style, Chopin illustrates the transformation of Edna Pontellier, a young woman and mother who - with tragic consequences - refuses to be confined by marriage and domestic life, and claims moral and erotic freedom. The Penguin English Library offers collectible editions for general readers of the finest fiction in the English language, from the eighteenth century to the end of World War II.