Cultural Boundaries In The Awakening

In “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin the author describes the cultural boundaries in Edna Pontellier's society throughout the novel. In addition, in Stephen Greenblatt’s “Culture” essay he says that “ beliefs and practices that form a given culture function as a pervasive technology of control, a set of limits within which social behavior must be contained, a repertoire of models in which individuals must confirm.”(Greenblatt) What Greenblatt states about how and what forms a culture can be seen with Edna Pontellier and other characters in “ The Awakening”. From the way the mother and wife of the family should act to the way she takes care of her family have all been influenced by cultural boundaries. In Edna’s society people had to follow the

For example at the beginning of the novel Leonce Pontellier tells his wife Edna that Raoul has a fever and reproaches her for not looking after the children. The narrator explains Leonce reaction by saying, “ If it was not a mother's place to look after children, whose on earth was it? [Leonce] himself had his hands full with his brokerage business. He could not be in two places at once….”(Chopin 5) This shows how in the society of New Orleans women were supposed to take care of her children and if she did not or made a mistake people did not find it appropriate or right. In addition, men in the society were supposed to go to work and earn money for their family. This can be seen with Leonce Pontellier and Robert Lebrun. Leonce always goes to the city or away on business to earn money and be able to buy nice things for his wife and kids. In addition, when Robert is being described by the narrator it says , “ Robert spoke about his intentions to go to Mexico in the autumn, where fortune awaited him.” (Chopin 4) Then when he comes back from Mexico he explains to Edna that he only came back because business was the same in Mexico as in New Orleans. Both Robert and Leonce’s actions show how the culture and social norms of their society influence what they do and how they