What are the main images and symbols in Chopin's The Awakening?

There are many symbols in "The Awakening". Once of the
most important ones is the birds that are mentioned, specifically, the parrot and the
mockingbird. The parrot represents Edna or, more specifically, that it gives voice to
Edna’s unspoken feelings. Also, it’s in a cage, which is a form of literal imprisonment
that highlights Edna’s figurative imprisonment. 

The mockingbird, also
caged, likely represents Mademoiselle Reisz with its odd markings and the whistling
notes it produces. Moreover, we learn at the start of the novel that the mockingbird is
perhaps the only one who’s capable of understanding the parrot’s Spanish. It’s a
stretch, but by the end of the novel, Mademoiselle Reisz is the only one capable of
understanding Edna. 

Caged birds in general are representative of
women during the Victorian Era, who expected by society to have no other role besides
that of wife and mother. It’s reasonable to think of the women as living out their lives
in gilded cages – present for decoration, given every comfort, and banned from any real
freedom.