The Role Of The Bird In Madame Ratignolle

The point of view of The Awakening is third person omniscient that looks over mostly at Edna

Her biggest struggle becomes her need to escape motherhood. She feels pressured and confined to be a mother to her two children and a wife to her husband instead of worrying about herself. Society had it seen as “women who idolized their children, worshipped their husbands and esteemed it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals…” Throughout the novel she challenges going against the current of society and nature. For example, she tells her friend Adele she “would never sacrifice herself for her children, or for anyone,” when she begins to change her way of life and realizes how important it is to be true to yourself and make yourself happy before you can make anybody else happy. Edna admires a pianist by the name of Mademoiselle Reiz. When Edna is with her she feels more alive than ever because of her ability to be pleased of her different being. Edna takes up the lifestyle of becoming a man after meeting and becoming inspired by Mademoiselle Reiz to try and escape her womanhood. When Edna witnesses the birth of Adele’s baby she realizes that even though she is a male on the outside she will always be a woman and concludes that she cannot be a mother because she sees children as dregs. She drives herself away from the forces of nature and science through the act of

In The Awakening, Edna constantly battles between her heart’s desires and society’s standard of a woman in the late 19th century. “Every step she took toward relieving herself of obligations added to her

In the novel, it is clear that the men in her life are the principal influence to Edna’s personal identity. Even though the men in her life each have an important role, they do not understand the way she thinks and feels. The men in her life try to limit the independence she strives to obtain by limiting her freedom. They do not understand the constant need that Edna has on acquiring self-discovery.

Everyone notices that, “There was something in her attitude, in her whole appearance when she leaned her head against the high-backed chair and spread her arms, which suggested the regal woman, the one who rules, who looks on, who stands alone” (109). In other words, Edna finally obtains a minor glimpse of what it is to feel free. With this, Edna is finally able to realize her own individuality. That is, in order for Edna to defy what is expected of her, she has to be strong enough to break away from society along with discovering an inner confidence if she plans to be

She saw how Madame was so motherly and domestic, which made her analyze her own personality and past and become someone new. Instead of liking to visit the Ratignolle's, she despised it because of the way Adèle acted in her household. Edna could not stand to see anyone this way, which gave her power to change her life. This led her to her next passionate relationship with a woman: Mademoiselle Reisz.

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

In the Victoria Era, women were fighting to break free of a society that suppresses a free spirit. In Kate Chopin’s novel The Awakening, Edna is the main protagonist of the story that has become awakened and now realizes the type of society that she lives in. Her husband, Leonce Pontellier, disagrees with her behavior; Robert Lebrun- Edna’s lover- has a complex relationship with her, and Victor Lebrun and his mother Madame Lebrun are Edna’s friends that are observant of her changes throughout the novel. Not to forget Alcee Arobin, a man she is having sexual relations with, and Mademoiselle Reisz who is a mother figure to her. Edna’s children- Etienne and Raoul cause her to second think a lot of choices in her life and Madame Adele Ratignolle, another close friend to Edna, provides to her opinions and advice. Edna’s unfulfilled life as a mother and wife urges Edna to release herself from the norm that is society. Now that she sees the domestication that a woman is expected of, Edna cannot return to the life she used to live. Marriage is unsatisfactory to Edna, and becomes something she hates, and something she learns she does not need.

When Edna swims far out into the ocean, she foreshadows her eventual arrival to individuality and her refusal to conform to gender roles. Notably, Edna experiences true passion for the first time and is “awakened” when she kisses Arobin. Edna continues to foster a sense of individualism and moves into the pigeon house. As she removes herself more and more from the constraints of society, she exponentially grows in strength and happiness as she becomes more in tune with her true self. However at this moment, Robert, her great love, suddenly returns and seems distant. Edna learns that with great emotion of passion also comes great emotion of pain. Edna, acting out of

This struggle between being a mother and wife. and being a free spirit, is apparent from the beginning of the book. She struggles also with her relationships, those with Leonce, and Robert. “What folly! to bathe at such an hour in such heat!” (Chopin 522) says her husband when Edna and Robert finish with a swim. He is obviously disapproving of their relationship with the water, and how they spend time it it. But he also seems somewhat oblivious to the fact that they are falling in love in front of his eyes, as well as Edna changing her entire

55). This elucidates that Edna’s developing self-love caused her realize that she wouldn’t give herself for her kids. Her different view on societal roles, allows her not to give up her individuality. Therefore, even though she would give up the essentials, keeping herself meant more than her children.She understands that her children are expected to important to her, but not important enough for her to give a essential part of her that she loves and defines her.She realized that though “Lenonce and the children” were apart of her life, “they need not have thought that they could possess her, body soul.” Her love for her personality and soul after she discovered herself, was too valuable for her to submit to her husband, children,and to society.This reveals that society has many expectations for women and prepares them for a life of submission to her husband and life in their marriage. Edna’s withdrawal from her family life had her viewed as ill even though she is just trying to find herself. This exhibits that though Edna wants to rid herself of societal expectation for a woman being a mother and wife, society wouldn’t advice

Additionally there is another bird who can symbolize Edna in some way. In the story Chopin writes, “A bird with a broken wing was beating

Instantly, upon reading further into the book, I felt that this bird was the perfect representation of Edna herself. Throughout the novel she is inadvertently limited and oppressed as a woman just like the bird is caged and held captive. Furthermore, she constantly acts according to how society wants her to act as a woman, similarly to how the bird incessantly imitates what it hears without much thought.

I can’t make it more clear; it’s only something which I am beginning to comprehend, which is revealing itself to me”, “I don’t know what you would call the essential, or what you mean by the unessential, but a woman who would give her life for her children could do no more than that-your Bible tells you so. I’m sure I couldn’t do more than that” (47). Chopin figuratively shows readers that Edna will not efface herself the way Madame Ratignolle has for her children. Edna does not feel the need to be the perfect mother and wants to distance herself from the motherly image while Madame Ratignolle clings to the “True Woman” motherly

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