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How has your understanding of Social conflict been moulded by your study of The Awakening and two other related texts?





The idea of social conflict is very much apparent in Chopin’s novel The Awakening. The notion of social conflict refers to the various types of negative social interaction that may occur within social relationships e.g. arguments, criticism and hostility. This contradiction and differences is often caused by society‘s expectations and standards for individuals to conform to social norms, values, religion etc. which often results in psychological distress and physical violence.





The development of this understanding about social conflict can also be seen in two other related pieces, the Four Corners documentary “Riot and Revenge” and a song





One important fact is Chopin’s The Awakening was written in 1899 when the feminist movement was gathering much needed attention. Chopin gives us an insight about this issue in the novel using the protagonist Edna Pontellier.





Edna is a reflection and a symbol for many women who experienced the smothering effects of late 19th-century social structures. She lives in a Creole society where social expectations and standards for women are regarded highly. This is where the social conflict begins.





“You are burnt beyond recognition” said Mr Pontellier. Looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage.”





This supports the belief that women in the Creole society are seen as inferior and lesser beings than men. The men in Creole society have a possessive hold and certain ownership over their wives who are expected to maintain a “mother woman” type role in society. The difference in standards and expectations between the sexes is what provokes the social conflict in the story.





Women do not share the same equal status that men experience. Men are regarded as powerful and the one with the control. While women are “meant” to be the carers of the children and the house who must obey their husbands wishes.





“If it was not a mother’s place to look after the children, whose on earth was it?”





This is a clear evidence of the type of prejudice that runs the Creole’s social and family structure. Those who did not conform would have been shamed and dishonoured. Edna’s life already seems “perfect”. She is the wife of a wealthy business man, with two healthy children and a big house. But she continues to feel confused about her life and her identity.





Edna begins to question her role and purpose in the society that she begins the quickly resent.





“An indescribable oppression, which seemed to generate in some unfamiliar part of her unconsciousness, filled her whole being with vague anguish.”


She wishes to be more independent and free from her husband’s protective hold of her, but she but cannot do so due to the constraints society has laid out for her. Soon, Edna’s desire in search of her own identity begins to create chaos in the Pontellier’s household.





What Mr Pontellier cares more about is their social status and image. What Edna wants is freedom to act out her own desires and wishes. (“In short Mrs Pontellier was not a mother woman”.) These different ideas clash and the social conflict becomes more obvious. Edna cannot fulfil her desires without ruining her husband reputation. Edna becomes a “bird trapped in a cage”. One that will never “have the strength to fly over tradition and prejudice” and who eventually “comes back to earth battered and bruised”.





Chopin uses many metaphors and symbols throughout the novel to give the story more depth and conceptual meaning. The water is her metaphor for her life. She overcomes her fear of water and learns to swim as she begins experiencing more freedom and independence. The symbols of birds from the start till the end also symbolise freedom and independence that she longed for.





Even though it is a work of fiction, the character of Edna undergoes such a radical change one cannot ignore the psychological depth of the work. Chopin’s portrayal of regional stereotypes while also criticizing cultural attachment to those stereotypes was greatly executed.





The very idea of cultural stereotypes as a catalyst for social conflict is especially evident in Liz Jackson’s Riot and Revenge, a Four Corners documentary that reveals the inside story about 2005’s Cronulla Riots.





This documentary offers the ugly, violent side of social conflict. The concept of individuals’ inability to conform to social norms and clashes between different values and religion to result in full-blown violence can be seen clearly in this documentary.





Liz Jackson reveals the inside story about the 2005 Cronulla riots, its triggers and its vengeful aftermath. She presents this information using interviews from both the locals and people of middle-eastern descent, live footage of the riots and bashing, visual texts and most importantly, her narration of the story.





Much like in The Awakening, the trigger for the social conflict for the Cronulla riots was the differences between the values and principles only this time, concerning a racial instead of gender issue.





The Cronulla riots were a series of ethnically motivated mob confrontation that occurred on December 11 as thousands of Anglo-Saxon men and women converged on the beach waving signs with racist slogans and the Australian flag, while conducting in an unruly behaviour: “Bashing”, attacking, yelling threats and vulgarities aimed at people of middle-eastern descent.





For every action comes a reaction and this cycle manifests the story right from the start. What triggered the race riots was the circulation of the story about the attacks, two volunteer lifesavers were bashed on Cronulla beach after an altercation with young Australians believed to be of Lebanese background.





In Riot and Revenge, local Cronulla residents are asked about the incident between the life-savers and middle-eastern men. Not surprisingly, all of them didn’t show enough knowledge about the incident that incited the race riots that they participated in.





SCOTT-“They were playing soccer, I think. And they kicked the ball at some girls and started harassing the girls. And the lifeguards asked them to stop. Standard thing - happens all the time down here. And, you know, they didn't like it and a fight broke out.”





The stereotype and prejudice in his response can clearly be heard. The statement that “They were playing soccer” illustrates the typecasting of the rumour, especially since “wogs” are known to be fond of the sport.





“The bare facts are these. Three volunteer lifesavers were leaving the beach, having finished their patrol. They were not in uniform. There was a verbal altercation with a group of what the locals call Lebs, with provocative insults from both sides. The lifesavers were bashed. But these are the rumours that were spreading around...”





This supports the fact that social conflict is triggered by the distribution rumours and false information. Another factor that incited the hatred more was the media’s representation of the attack. Liz Jackson shows some footage from “A Current Affair” and a sound clip from Sydney radio 2GB.





“For many, this was not just a brutal crime but an act of sacrilege. Young volunteer surf lifesavers bashed while giving up their weekend to help others.”





“What kind of grubs? Well, I'll tell you what kind of grubs this lot were. This lot were Middle Eastern grubs. And you're not allowed to say it. But I'm saying it”.





These quotes demonstrate how the media exaggerate the story by embellishing the attacks with labels and symbolic meanings. What was a normal incident was blown-up by the media by labelling the attack as racially-motivated and “un-Australian”, as a life-saver symbolises the “Australian way of life”. The hatred is further incited by talk-back radio with people expressing the opinions on national radio. The media was used as a medium for spreading hatred among the people.





This social conflict then results in an ugly, physical violence. As the video clips indicate, it turned ugly as the alcohol charged crowd, many of whom were draped in the Australian flag, occasionally singing the national anthem and chanting racist slogans aimed at “lebs”, “wogs” and “Muslims”, called on these people to ‘get off our beach’, that it was ‘their land’ and ‘to go back to their own country’.





For every action comes a reaction and the following nights saw incidents of retaliatory violence and vandalism by people of Middle Eastern descent in Cronulla and surrounding suburbs, large gatherings of protesters around western Sydney, and an unprecedented police lock-down of Sydney beaches and surrounding areas, from Wollongong to Newcastle.





Conforming to peer pressure, mob mentality, racism, prejudice, stereotypes were all present during the following night. Liz Jackson also interviews middle-eastern people who were involved to show a different view on the Cronulla riots.





What is ironic between The Awakening and Riot and Revenge is that in the awakening, the sea or water represented positive things for Edna. It symbolised freedom, escape and cleansing. But in Riot and Revenge, water served as the symbolic setting of reason that incited negative behaviour or social conflict in Cronulla.





Another piece that encompasses negative thoughts and behaviour as the idea of social conflict is the song “I was only 19” by Red Gum.





“I was only 19” is a country style song that tells a story about a young soldier going through war. The composer’s tone is very serious and to the point. The manner that the composer tells the story gives out a very chilling and somewhat, exciting mood, especially in the middle of the song as it gets faster and as his tone becomes more powerful.





Much like Edna Pontellier, the young soldier in the story is experiencing confusion and a personal turmoil that he cannot comprehend. One of the most important language technique used is the repetition of the statement “I was only 19”. By saying this numerous times, the composer highlights the fact that he was too young to have experienced all the bloodshed and war that he has gone through.





“I was only 19” puts emphasis about the lost f his innocence. The guitar adds a chilling effect to the song. Weird noises and guitar parts give out a mood of lost, confusion and disorder around him. The music changes as the soldier goes through changes of feelings and emotions. There is also a silence or quite part in the middle of the song, which conveys the act of reflection. To reflect on the horrible and dreadful things the soldier has experienced.





Soon, like Edna, he begins to resent the place where he is, in battle. In war. He begins to hate the fact that war is being covered up with propaganda by the media. (“Did not mention blood and tears”)





“War within yourself” sums up the feeling that the soldier was going through. He was confused and depressed.(“Can you help me doctor? I can’t get to sleep.”)


He didn’t know what to make of the bloodshed that he has experienced. (“Close you eyes and think of something else“)





Depression is the result of the social conflict. The protagonist from The Awakening, Edna, also experiences this. Social conflict is a process. For every action comes a reaction. Society’s conventions, standards and its people is what triggers social conflict. Once a problem arises, fingers are pointed, rumours are spread, while hostility and hatred build up. Only to result in another issue and at times, violent behaviour, as seen in Riot and Revenge.





The Awakening was published in 1899, Riot and Revenge was made in 2005, while “I was only 19” was made in 1983. Different times yet the problems that arise are the same. This proves social conflict will always be in our society.

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