Machiavelli, a firm believer that man is inherently evil, once wrote, "Everyone may begin a war at his pleasure, but cannot so finish it." Had The Awakening been written in the time of Machiavelli, the political genius would have found his prime subject in the form of Mrs. Edna Pontellier. As the book progresses, Edna becomes deeply entangled in a forbidden relationship, which contributes to her awkward character change, and she is affected constantly by …showed first 75 words of 1125 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1125 total…Pontellier surely took the road less traveled by, and that road made the difference between a life of happiness and success and a life of- well no life at all. Machiavelli, The Discourses Chopin, Kate The Awakening, Page 89 Ibid, Chapter XXXVII Ibid, Chapter VIII Ibid, Chapter XXXVI Ibid, Page 103 Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (fiction, but nevertheless relevant) Chopin, Kate The Awakening Chapter III Frost, Robert "The Road Not Taken"