In literature, realism emphasizes the practical elements of life by using commonplace people or events to depict contemporary situations and people. Realisticism includes social divisions, and in "The Awakening," regionalism uses specific social constructs to add to realism.
By using regionalism, Chopin concurrently critiques and presents the established and assumed roles of the mother-woman in the Creole society. According to Chopin, a mother-woman is someone who worships her husband, is devoted to her kids, and is excellent at playing the motherly parts. Adele Ratignolle, Edna's friend in the book, is a typical Creole woman who conforms to societal norms of the period the novel is set in or of Creole customs. The description of Adele as a wife represents a socially acceptable woman in the then culture of Louisiana.
The author uses regionalism to make readers understand regions in the Creole’s society. There were two regions of this society with different social classes, the Grand Isle region, and the urban New Orleans. During the setting on the regions, Chopin creates life experiences of the society and the social classes prevailing in each region. Despite the closeness of the two geographical areas, there are contrasting aspects in the communities. The rural Grand Isle areas are desensitized and less formal. Additionally, there are contrasting cultures between the two regions.
In the novel, Chopin uses vernacular including some phrases in French. For instance, the phrase “quadroon” is used to depict particular social norms and class systems used in the Southern regions. Chopin uses the above example of regionalism to bring the readers to the attention of the particular region.
Edna, the female protagonist in the novel, has no origins in the Creole’s society. She is a Protestant, living in the Creole’s culture of Catholics. Being not part of the culture, Edna easily establishes the customs and life of the Creole society. She describes the Creoles as people lacking prudery. She doubts the chastity of the women due to their often racy stories, such as openly talking about pregnancy and sex. Edna criticizes the crazy “norms” in this particular region of the Creoles, which are surprising to her.
