Edna Pontellier’s Search for Independence in Chopin's The Awakening

Consequently, when Edna starts opposing Leonce’s commands, their relationship starts to collapse. This is evident during Leonce and Dr. Mandalet’s conversation about Edna’s sanity when Leonce mentions “…and—you understand—we meet in the morning at the breakfast table” (100). Usually, both husband and wife sleep together as it is normal for married couples to do so. However, Edna is opposing this due to being under stress with her marital life with Leonce and affairs with Robert and Alcee causing her to seem abnormal to the males in her life. Edna’s wellbeing is excluded because she is not given a chance to speak about the challenges she is facing.

Birth, whether of children or desires, existplays an active motif throughout The Awakening. Edna Pontellier, as one of the leading characters, is a child discovering her very sense of self. Her attitude toward her children reveals that she is not the typical “mother-woman” the preferable type of woman in Edna’s society. The term, mother-woman is a reductive one which implies a singular purpose or value. The mother-woman is a mother; being one defines and regulates every aspect of her life. (51). The critical elements to identifying Edna’s awakening. One thing that different Edna from other women in the society such as Madame Ratignolle is that she has not accepted her role unquestionably.

In Kate Chopin's, The Awakening, Edna Pontellier came in contact with many different people during a summer at Grand Isle. Some had little influence on her life while others had everything to do with the way she lived the rest of her life. The influences and actions of Robert Lebrun on Edna led to her realization that she could never get what she wanted, which in turn caused her to take her own life.

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).

The Awakening begins in the vacation spot of Grand Isle. At first we believe that Grand Isle is a utopia, wealthy families relaxing at oceanside, but it is here where Edna first begins to realize her unhappiness. The first sign of dissatisfaction is when Edna allows herself to feel that her marriage is unsatisfying, yet she must agree with the other women that Leonce Pontellier is the perfect husband. Edna asks herself that if she has a good husband

    Kate Chopin’s novel, The Awakening, presents the struggle of an American woman at the turn of the century to find her own identity.  At the beginning of the novel, the protagonist, Edna Pontellier, seems to define her identity in terms of being a wife, a mother and a member of her community.  As the story progresses, Edna seeks to define herself as an individual.  The turning point in her struggle can be seen clearly in a scene in which Edna realizes for the first time that she can swim.  Having struggled to learn to swim for months, she realizes in this scene that it is easy and natural.  This discovery is symbolic of Edna’s break from viewing herself in terms of what society expects her to be,

Could the actions of Edna Pontellier in Kate Chopin’s novel The Awakening ever be justified? There are many different views on this question, as some would argue that Edna was extremely self-centered and unjustifiable in her actions. While some would say that her actions were admirable and glorious. Edna liberated herself from the shackles of society and achieved much of what she desired. However, by taking a second look at her actions, we find that her affairs, abandonment of her children, and suicide were completely unreasonable. Edna clearly, had all the support she needs from the people around her and was not denied of anything, ultimately making Edna actions extremely selfish and unjustified.

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.

A saying that everyone most likely heard at one point or time in their life is, “You never know what you have until it’s gone”. In Kate Chopin's novel The Awakening Edna never knew what she had had until it was too late, she was drowning and was going to die. After Edna's First awakening, when she actually went swimming for the first time, she became more aware and more independent. With her new view on life, things became harder for her. Does Edna’s accidental suicide illuminate that independence isn't always what's best for you and that gaining her independence was either a success or a failure.

Edna Pontellier is the main character in “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin. She is twenty eight years old and is married to a businessman, Leónce Pontellier, who works in New Orleans. She has two sons, but

Edna realizes that she will never entirely be her own person because of her children. She states that she would “give [her] life for [her] children but [she] wouldn’t give [herself]” (133). She would be willing to give up her physical life but not her identity. When she witnesses Madame Ratignolle giving birth, she is told to “think

In chapter 36, Edna says “we women learn so little of life on the whole” (Chopin 106) which she means that women were not to be independent of their husband and were to follow their husband’s desires and views. This statement is accurate as in the 19th century, women were treated like property/possessions, having to listen to their husbands commands. For example, Mr. Pontellier states “What folly! To bathe at such an hour in such heat… you are burnt beyond recognition” (Chopin 2). Here, when Leonce sees that Edna was sunburned, he scolds her viewing her as an object that has been damaged. Therefore, she is not allowed to pursue her own passions/wants and solely has to follow her husband’s opinions. Through the changes she makes in her life, Edna learns that she wants to be this idea of an “independent woman” to allow her to be free

Throughout “The Awakening”, Edna is immersed in a constant clash with society over the significance of the difference between her life and her self. To Edna, the question of whether or not she would die for her children is somewhat simple. Edna attempts to explain this concept to her good friend, Adele Ratignolle, but to no avail, “I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children; but I wouldn’t give myself” (Chopin 62). Not only does Edna consider her life unessential, she categorizes it as equal with material objects such as money. The idea of self, on the other hand, lies on a completely different level in Edna’s mind. The most important goal to Edna in her life is the journey to discover her true character. The idea that her inner self is more essential than life or even her children causes Edna to stray farther from the social constraints of the typical domestic woman. Kathleen M. Streater weighs in on Edna’s situation and placement in

Edna realizes that the patriarchal society is quick to condemn particularly a freedom-seeking woman who neglects her children since she is “intended by nature” to take care of them (Dyer 126). She is "uneven and impulsive" in her affections for her children. When they leave to visit their grandmother, she is relieved because she is not suited to the responsibilities of motherhood. Edna’s mind was at rest concerning the present material needs of her children:

In the beginning of the novel, Edna seems to have the perfect life— she is wealthy, beautiful, married, and the mother of two little boys. Yet, she is unhappy. Throughout the novel, it becomes increasingly obvious of Edna’s difficulty in the field of marriage. She is married to Leonce Pontellier, who is, by the standards of his day, considered the perfect husband. He makes a good living, is a popular figure in society, and gives Edna plenty of money and gifts. However, he expects Edna to be a perfect wife in return— a woman who takes care of the house, dotes on her children, and keeps up with