Edna Pontellier In Kate Chopin's The Awakening

She is seen to be weak due to her isolation causing Leonce to be worried of her because she is not the same submissive woman she was before. As a woman, Edna does not have the rights to express her emotions due to the societal restrictions against her. Additionally, Edna’s abnormal choices against Leonce cause her father, The Colonel, to give advice to Leonce about taking charge in the relationship. This is evident during a conversation between The Colonel and Leonce when he says “You are too lenient, too lenient by far…Authority and coercion are is what is needed. Put your foot down good and hard; the only way to manage a wife” (109).

The author is insinuating that Edna no longer wants to be with her husband. Kate Chopin does this by slowly making Edna Pontellier leave the presence of her old life. This also shows that Mrs. Pontellier is becoming very independent because she is no longer living off of her husband and she is doing what she wants to do when she wants to do it. This was very uncommon for a mother of two children during the 1800's. Edna Pontellier's thoughts and feelings change throughout the book and this also helps better reveal her character.

“There was not one but ready to follow when he lead the way.” Even though Robert is not around most of the time, he influences Edna more than he realizes. “Mrs. Pontellier was beginning to realize her place her position in the world as a human being.” He essentially makes Edna second guess her marriage and the possibility of leaving her children behind. Robert brings Edna out of her shell and makes her more comfortable around others particularly standing up to her husband. “I don’t wish to go in, and I don’t intend to. Don’t speak to me like that again; I shall not answer you.” Robert shows Edna that he is connected to her and she falls for him almost instantly because that is what she has been missing while being married to Leonce. “We shall love each other… Nothing else in the world is of any consequence.” Despite the fact they have never been involved in any physical way, Robert knows that he feels more for Edna than any other women he has encountered. So he decides to run away from the truth and goes to Mexico to keep from having to show Edna his true love for her. Ultimately, Robert influenced Edna severely because she was second guessing her marriage, falling in love with him and even became friends with Mademoiselle Reisz through him. And she sadly even committed suicide in the end because she couldn’t deal with the hurt of being without

There are certain ideals that need to be met while being in a relationship; they play concrete roles in the stability of the partnership. The idea of Edna being confined in a marriage with Mr. Pontellier who doesn’t

Edna’s suicide was victory of self-expression. Edna undergoes a gradual awakening process in which portrays not to only her newly established independence from the constraints of her husband, but also her ability to go against the social norms of society in order to individually express herself. Her suicide encompases the question and critique of living life through the perspective of society such as being responsible for taking care of the kids, cleaning the house, and entertaining any guests that the husband may have over anytime. In the first couple of capters, the novel is quick to emphasize the gerneralized roles kthat are placed onto females, making it apparent that fe,ales are expected to successfully fulfil these roles. For example, Leonce enters home after being out and stated one of the kids had a fever. Edna was certain the child had no fever but Leonce belittles her capability as a mother for indifference with him. “If it was not a mother’s place to look after the children, whose on earth was it?” (27capac).

Leonce Pontellier, the husband of Edna, is the story 's antagonist. He is materialistic, due to him being a wealthy businessman, and also forty years old. His high status came at a cost; he is very concerned with appearance and how others view him."The way to become rich is to make money, my dear Edna, not to save it," he said. He regretted that she did not feel inclined to go with him and select new fixtures. He kissed her goodbye, and told her she was not looking well and must take care of herself. She was unusually pale and very quiet” (18). He also treats Edna as mere property "You are burnt beyond recognition," he added, looking at his wife as one

But they need not have thought that they could possess her, body and soul" (504).  Although Edna did perform her duties as a wife for some time, she is not the typical housewife.  She does not worship her husband or idolize her children, which makes both Edna and Leonce begin to sense that Edna is different from the other mother-women (Lin 1).  Edna never realized the reasons she neglected her duties as a wife until she fell in love with Robert and acknowledged that her desires and needs exist outside of her marriage.  Thus, after her experiences with Robert, Edna is ready to neglect her husband even more, because she now realizes that her husband is holding her back from her needs.  When Leonce tries to make Edna act like the other women that obey their husbands, his attempts to control Edna further instigate Edna's desire for independence from him.  For example, the scene when Edna is lying in the hammock, Leonce says: "I can't permit you to stay out there all night.  You must come in the house instantly," Edna replies: "I mean to stay out here.  I don't wish to go in, and I don't intend to.  Don't speak to me like that again; I shall not answer you" (492).  Edna is carefree and spirited, and she refuses to conform to her husband because she does not want to lose herself.  Becoming the perfect, obedient wife would mean losing her individuality, and Edna realizes she can gain no fulfillment

She has successfully found herself and no longer depends on others' thoughts or opinions. Public vs. Private Life "It might get noised about that the Pontelliers had met with reverses, and were forced to conduct their menage on a humbler scale than heretofore. It might do incalculable mischief to his business prospects." (XXXII) the Pontelliers' personal marriage life is crumbling, and Edna has decided to move out.

She married Leonce not because she loved him but because she could not refuse his admiration and persistence. This marriage thrusts Edna into a foreign culture. She questions her role as a mother because she is different from the typical Creole "mother-woman." Edna defies the central perception that women are mothers first

In The Awakening, Edna Pontellier a wife and mother of two was at first very uptight and obedient as was the way of American culture. She was clearly unhappy, but diligently fulfilled worked toward fulfilling her role of a ‘mother-woman’. As a result of her husband’s absence due to his preoccupation with work, Edna spent most of her time adapting to Creole customs that she picked up from Adele Ratignolle, a woman who was admired for being the epitome of a ‘mother-woman’. Edna even engaged in an innocent romance with a character named Robert whom she later fell in love with. During the family’s summer vacation Edna experienced an ‘awakening’, she ignored the existence of her children and frolicked with the chivalric men of the town whom she shared physical attractions with. The shared companionship between Edna and Robert stirs up emotions she had never felt with her husband. She even started to take up her past time of painting as she had enjoyed during her youth, and often relived memories of her joyful youth experiences. Edna’s husband noticed a shift in her attitude and distance, and sought advice from Dr. Mandelet. The doctor instructed Mr. Pontellier to let his wife’s defiance play its course and she would come back around. He does as instructed, but her antics only became more severe.

She was pressured to marry Leonce by her father and older sister. Along with marriage came the pressure to have children. She is forced into these roles but never actually succumbs to them. Edna not only has Madame Ratignolle's friendship and her marriage to wake her up to her dreams and emotions, her affairs wake up to her desires. The way the different male characters treat her reminds her that she will never happily fit into the role of a wife and mother, therefore awakening her.

In doing so, Edna accepts her position in society. As a result, any desires against the patriarchal society maintain within the restraint of a cage, leaving Edna feeling misunderstood. While Leoncé is reading his newspaper, the narrator describes a parrot who spoke “a language which nobody understood…Mr. Pontellier had the privilege of quitting their society when they ceased to be entertaining” (Chopin 3). This symbolism highlights Edna’s caged existence and her inability to truly express her feelings and emotions. Due to the control of the patriarchy, Edna’s husband often overpowers her thoughts, further developing traditional gender roles. Mr. Pontellier has no desire to understand Edna, as long as she stays within the confines of her metaphorical cage and continues to entertain him. This characterization of Leoncé causes the reader to sympathize with Edna due to her inability to express her thoughts. Edna’s caged existence pleases her, until she perceives she can escape the patriarchal society.

Edna was married to Leonce Pontellier, a man of his time. The

The characterization of Edna is key to understanding the novel. As portrayed to the readers, Edna Pontellier is sympathetic character. Edna is found at the beginning of the novel in a sort of semi-conscious state. She is comfortable in her marriage to Léonce and unaware of her own feelings and ambitions. Edna was always a hopeless romantic, enamored with men of all types.

We further notice Mr. Pontelllier’s traditional thinking in Chapter three, when he notifies Edna that one of their sons is suffering with a high fever. When she doesn’t instantly jump up and run to check on her son (whom she is quite sure did not have a fever), he accuses her of being neglectful and notifies her that it was her place to look after the children. This scene is where we first take notice of Mrs. Pontellier’s dissatisfaction with her marriage and perhaps her life.