Kate Chopin`s The Awakening was once badly criticized that it portrayed the bold and broad sexual behavior of a woman in such an extreme fashion that it was unacceptable in her age. It was also a leading attempt in that the repressed sexual desire and passion of a woman regarded as taboos in her time were openly dealt with. Besides, this novel can be considered an unprecedented one inasmuch as such themes as the will for independence, and a woman`s pursuit of the self, or the very subjects that had been perceived as exclusive properties of men of the age, were brought into relief. However, this study aims at warning against the following practice: the leading accomplishment of The Awakening is recognized, but at the same time, Edna`s awakening is merely defined by abstract words such as ‘feminist success’ or ‘the mental maturity of a woman.’ This study does not aim to disparage the meaning of the text itself, but to have a full understanding of the meaning of Edna`s awakening in light of the situations in which women of the time were placed. Edna, the heroine of The Awakening, is different from the typical patterns of the main characters in the 19th century American feminist novels: she is a married woman. The reasons why this study focuses on such differences are as follows: first, problems with the domesticity of a married woman in her contemporary society can be examined in depth in The Awakening, since Edna is a married woman unlike in other feminist novels; second, the female protagonists of many feminist novels mature by becoming aware of the problems with social structures disadvantageous to women, such as the marriage system of the time while finding their marriage partners. Edna not only recognizes problems with the irrational marriage system or social structure but also suddenly experiences an awakening akin to epiphany, while entering into and sustaining marriage without any serious reflection, leading to nothing but miserable consequences. In this context, this study will take a close look at the problems of domesticity and the ideal images of femininity related to 19th century married women, which is manifest in The Awakening, based on John Ruskin`s and John Stuart Mill`s arguments on this matter. Besides, it will examine how Edna ascertains her position in her family and how her deviation attributable to her belated awakening are expressed. Lastly, this research will discuss the meaning and the limitations of Edna`s establishment of her own independent home.