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Edna Pontellier's Attitudes Toward Motherhood In The Awakening

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This novel, The Awakening, is about a woman named Edna Pontellier learns to think of herself as an independent human being. Also, Edna Pontellier refuses to obey against the social norms by leaving her husband Leónce Pontellier and having an affair with Robert Lebrun. Kate Chopin describes societal expectations and the battle of fitting the mold of motherhood in the Awakening by how Edna Pontellier and Adele Ratignolle contribute to their family in different ways. Edna Pontellier’s attitude toward motherhood is that she is not a perfect mother-women. Adele Ratignolle’s attitude toward motherhood is that she is a perfect mother-women. Edna Pontellier’s attitude toward motherhood is that she is not a perfect mother-women for many ways. Edna Pontellier is not a perfect mother because “Mrs. Pontellier was not a mother-women”(Chopin, 10). This quote means that Edna Pontellier is not a good mother/wife because she is not that of a women who would worship their children ,and their husband. Edna Pontellier is not a good mother because “I would give up the …show more content…

“She is not one of us; she is not like us. She might make the unfortunate blunder of taking you seriously”(Chopin, 26). This quote means Adele Ratignolle is warning Robert Lebrun to stay away from Edna Pontellier. “"Oh, enough, Robert!" she broke into his heated outburst. "You are not thinking of what you are saying. You speak with about as little reflection as we might expect from one of those children down there playing in the sand. If your attentions to any married women here were ever offered with any intention of being convincing, you would not be the gentleman we all know you to be, and you would be unfit to associate with the wives and daughters of the people who trust you"”(Chopin, 27). This quote shows Adele argues that in order to avoid a bad reputation in society, Robert should drop his dream of

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Edna arrives to meet Madame Ratignolle sorting laundry clothes that Chopin calls “her occupation” (Chopin 55). After leaving the Ratignolle home, she is disenchanted with “The little glimpse of domestic harmony which had been offered her” (Chopin 56). Edna pities Madame Ratignolle because she feels that she will never to do all that she wants to do because

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The author uses a comparison and contrast between Madame Ratignolle and Edna Pontellier to show how these two ladies are different from one another. Chopin emphasizes how feminine Madame Ratignolle is to demonstrate how Edna seems to be an outcast from the Creole society. Chopin chooses to incorporate the appearance of the two ladies to support the fact that Edna feels like she does not fit in, especially when Leonce refers to Madame Ratignolle in some parts of the novel. How Conventionality is Being Challenged “She was blindly following whatever impulse moved her, as if she had placed herself in alien hands for direction, and freed her soul of responsibility.”

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Lisa Cifuentes 5th Pd. AP English IV Mrs. Zimmerman 4 December 2015 Edna Pontellier’s Awakening In “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin, the title holds great significance, symbolically describing the transformation that Edna Pontellier undergoes as she realizes that the conventions of her society have been constraining her from becoming her true, independent self. Edna’s awareness of her duality of self, her private emotional life, and the loneliness that accompanies her newfound freedom are all clear evidence that she truly becomes enlightened and revived by the end of the novel. The inability of the other characters in this novel to hinder Edna’s transformation is a reflection of society’s complete powerlessness against the inner flame of emotion

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However, the conformity of society leads to her suicide because it holds her back from finding her true identity. As Edna listens to Madammoiselle Reisz play the piano, “the very passions themselves were aroused within her soul, swaying it, lashing it, as the waves daily beat upon her splendid body” (Chopin 23). Because the society she lives in is so rarely met with the opportunity for woman to express themselves, this unique experience of listening to her friend’s music leaves Edna in awe. This is the first instance where Edna experiences a need to develop her own identity.

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Kate Chopin’s The Awakening takes places in the social world of New Orleans, in the 19th century, were the notion of motherhood and femininity was controlled and enforced fiercely. Women could not own property, vote or work. The only use society had for them was to stay at home and take care of their husbands and children. Motherhood is displayed through three characters in the novel: Adele Ratignolle who is the symbol of The Angel in the House or the mother woman, Mademoiselle Reisz who although physically old represents the new woman, and Edna Pontellier who is stuck in between motherhood and her thirst for independence. There is an interesting dichotomy between Edna Pontellier, the woman who feels deprived and repressed and Adele Ratignolle

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Albert D. Saba Mr. Amoroso AP Literature Period: 3AP Topic: 1 LAP The Awakening A novel by Kate Chopin Will the chains and the unspoken pain unshackle through one’s heroic individualism? In the novel, The Awakening by Kate Chopin, Edna Pontellier becomes a heroic figure to herself as well as for women through the search of her self-identity.

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No matter how much she dislikes her situation with them, she still cares about her family. Secondly, the way that the creoles interact socially makes Edna uncomfortable. As the critic Spangler says in his article “Kate Chopin's ‘The Awakening’: A Partial Dissent”, “Edna can never feel completely at home with the Creoles among whom her marriage has placed her” (253). Edna is a Presbyterian from Kentucky, she is a rather reserved person.

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Edna fully understands that society would brand her as a terrible woman, but she does not view herself as a bad person. There is an external and internal difference that Edna hopes to one day reconcile. Chopin, instead of creating tension within Edna, created tension within the society and Edna with her newfound independence does not mind how society classifies her. Decisively, it can be concluded that the tension between outward conformity and inward questioning builds the meaning of the novel by examining Edna’s role as a wife, mother, and as nontraditional woman in the traditional Victorian period.

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Lèonce Pontellier shows a lack of interest and enthusiasm for Edna and her hobbies. When Lèonce say’s ‘“What folly! To bathe at such an hour in such heat. ”’(Chopin 2) you are able to see Lèonce has a degree of frustration built up for his wife, Edna.

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Edna was flabbergasted that Robert did not share with her that he is leaving for Mexico. Edna is very much infatuated with Robert in an immature sense while Robert is mature enough to realize that they cannot have a serious relationship because she is already married. She clings to his hand when he is about to leave and she wants him to write but in return receives a simplistic answer. He knows he cannot further develop his feelings for her, but Edna fails to understand why. Although he tells Edna he is leaving for business matters, he is going to Mexico because he knows he cannot be with Edna and he does not want any more temptations.

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Mother and wife are also not her will; she feels restrained and loses her liberty of being that. After she heard the playing from Adele, she feels the solitude and loneliness, it seems same as her position in this era, no one understands her and feels depress toward the people, the family she encountered. On the contrary, she is touched after hearing the pianist Mademoiselle Reisz plays. It is full of power and passion, and Mademoiselle is a woman that she wants to be, independent with alternative performance in this society, she is separated and not the one of them. Edna wants to know more about her and try to be like her, but the most essential element that a independent artist should has is bravery, this is what the pianist told Edna.

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Ratignolle and starts associating with Mademoiselle Reisz. As Edna and Mademoiselle Reisz’s relationship grows, so does Edna’s need for change and her admiration of Robert increases. Mademoiselle Reisz does not condone Edna’s love for Robert, yet, she does not attempt to talk Edna out of it. The only response Mademoiselle Reisz expresses to Edna’s feelings for Robert is, “Why do you love him when you ought not to? (Chopin 78)”

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In the seventh chapter, she is described as “not a woman given to confidences, a characteristic hitherto contrary to her nature” (Chopin 13). Though, it was the trip to the Grand Isle which had awakened many of her desires and caused her to question her role as a woman and go become her own person. Her transition into a new self begins when she first demonstrates resistance towards her husband. Her newfound intransigence towards Mr. Pontellier exhibits her realization that she is not inferior to and has no need to rely on him. In chapter thirty two, she moves out of her and her husband’s home and into the “pigeon house,” which shows that she has gained self-confidence and believes that she would “never again [...] belong to another than herself” (Chopin 80).

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Edna said that she would give up unessentials for her children, which means that she does not care about them. Kate Chopin uses Adele to describe how a typical dedicated wife should treat her husband and children. Edna is not Creole and she does not treat her husband and her children right.

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Within the novel, The Awakening by Kate Chopin, Madame Ratignolle’s character possesses traits that emphasize, by contrast the characteristics and behavior of Edna Pontellier. Despite being close friends within the novel, Adele and Edna have contrasting views and behaviors that illuminate the theme of female freedom and the tradition of female submission and male domination. Madame Ratignolle and Edna Pontellier are close friends, but their views toward raising children differ fundamentally. Madame Ratignolle would sacrifice her identity to devote herself entirely to her children, household, and husband, whereas Edna would not. Besides their views towards raising children, how they raise their children also differs.

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