Edna

Kate Chopin’s novel, “The awakening” tells the story of a married woman named Edna Pontellier, how she comes to know herself more fully through her search for independence. In the novel, Robert Lebrun becomes a requisite because he catalyzes Edna’s awakening and he has a romantic and realistic image that is not supported by his actions or behavior, switching between perspectives and is frivolous, helping the reader understand the late nineteenth century. Our first impression of Robert is a…

the stairs and landings are dark; don’t stumble.” Page 64, speaker is Mademoiselle Reisz. Edna went to visit Mademoiselle Reisz because she wanted to hear her play the piano, it soothes her. Edna learns that she was receiving letters from Robert and wants to visit her more frequently. Not only does Edna want to see Mademoiselle Reisz to help calm her nerves and help her figure out her feelings, now Edna has an ulterior motive in her visits; to read letters from Robert. “‘Has she,’ asked the…

into their heads which caused a lot of women to mindlessly live unfulfilling lives while others decide to wake up from this fake reality and confront the things that society has been holding back from them. In the book “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin, Edna a woman from 1890, decides to break out of the social norm to see what being a woman truly means and in the process goes through various awakenings within her, discovering who she is as a person. Love is gem hidden underneath a world full of…

The novel opens with Léonce Pontellier sitting on the porch of his seaside summer home in Grand Isle, near New Orleans. He and his wife Edna are renting a cottage from Madame Lebrun. Edna and Madame Lebrun's son Robert join Mr. Pontellier, having spent the afternoon swimming together. Edna and Robert try to relate an amusing experience to Mr. Pontellier, but he is not part of the joke and fails to share in their mirth. Mr. Pontellier cannot explain exactly what made him angry at his wife that…

among people who spend a lot of time together. (Pg 25) II. Discussion Questions 1. Do you think that Mr. Pontellier had a sickness similar to what he believed Raoul had as a child? Did this help him come to the consensus that Raoul was sick? 2. Edna Pontellier said that she was not a mother-woman. Do you think this is due to the fact that she had grown up without a mother and was raised by her sisters? 3. In the novel thus far, Robert Lebrun appears to be very attached to Mrs. Pontellier. Do…

Edna Pontellier, the main character in The Awakening, lives during the 1890s, a time when women were expected to stay at home, care for the children, and maintain appearances for the comfort of their husband. Any women, such as Mrs. Pontellier, that sought after their own desires and needs were considered selfish. Throughout the novel, Edna Pontellier is represented as a bird. In the beginning of the book, there is a green and yellow parrot hanging in a cage outside the door saying over and over…

that provoked some confusion. The main character Edna Pontellier lives by society’s rules and constraints; she wants to be free and live the life she believes she has always wanted. Consequently, living during a time when women are under the husbands’ authority and only tend to their children; she broadens her wings to their maximum length. When Edna realized she opened them too far and could not turn back, she turned to suicide. Nevertheless, Edna Pontellier took her life as an act of…

Awakening. In her novel, she uses the protagonist, Edna Pontellier’s character development to entice the audience. However, Mrs. Pontellier’s character development is not only shown through her actions, but by the actions of the supporting characters. The supporting characters are used to mold both the characteristics of the unawakened Edna Pontellier, as well as the awakened Edna Pontellier. The initial supporting character that creates the unawakened Edna is her husband, Léonce Pontellier.…

protagonist Edna Pontellier’s status as a woman means that society places certain expectations on her behavior, and when she refuses to conform, she eventually becomes a sort of outcast who is immensely unhappy. Throughout history, women have been systematically oppressed and expected to act one particular way, especially in the late 1800’s, when The Awakening takes place. In New Orleans, the women…

Thesis Statement: Although it can be argued that Edna Pontellier’s character took the role of a heterosexual woman going through marriage problems, it can be determined due to her relationship with Mademoiselle Reisz and her overall dissatisfaction in the life she was living, without truly “coming out”, that Edna would land somewhere along the queer spectrum. Topic Sentence: Edna and Mademoiselle Reisz had a very close relationship— closer than that of most friendships. Textual Evidence:…