Art becomes a symbol of both freedom and failure. It is through the process of trying to become an artist that Edna reaches the highest point of her awakening. Reisz sees becoming an artist as a test of individuality. Edna fails because her wings are too weak. Birds are major symbolic images in the narrative.
Flight is another symbol associated with birds, and acts as a stand in for awakening.
The ability to spread your wings and fly is a symbolic theme that occurs often in the novel. Edna escapes her home, her husband, her life, by leaving for the pigeon house. Reisz lectures Edna on the need for strong wings in artistic endeavors. This symbolizes the shedding of the societal rules in her life and her growing awakening and stresses her physical and external self. As she disrobes, the reader is presented with an internal voyeuristic view.