Expectations In Kate Chopin's The Awakening

High expectations placed on an individual can make it seem daunting to differentiate one's own thoughts from the many ideas and opinions of those in society. Those individuals strong enough to navigate these intense pressures are fortunate to solidify their identity and inner strength. The goal in life is to filter through these expectations and formulate one’s own path, but unfortunately, in Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, Edna is left drowning under this intense pressure. Edna refuses to conform to the many expectations of the Creole society, which does allow her to find herself but also creates distance between her and the ones she cares about and destroys her mental stability in the process.
One way Edna finds herself is through her interactions

Starting in the first few pages, Leonce says that he looks at Edna like “one looks at a valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage” (2). Although these might be normal thoughts that people in the Creole society have, Edna believes she does not deserve to be treated this way and begins to rebel against these accepted Creole beliefs. Respect is imperative between a married couple but it is apparent throughout the novella that this mutual respect disappears and Leonce and Edna’s relationship slowly disintegrates. In an argument between them in Chapter 11, Edna orders Leonce to go to bed and warns him by saying, “Don’t speak to me like that again; I shall not answer you” (31). This kind of discourse is unheard of at the time and only marks the beginning of their growing distance, both physical and emotional. By the end of the novella, the distance between these two alleged lovers is massive. One of her last thoughts before she walks into the ocean is of Leonce and her children. She acknowledges that “They [are] a part of her life. But they need not have thought that they [can] possess her, body and soul” (116). Even though Edna considers the important people in her life, it is ironic that she briefly thinks of them, then ignores her thoughts and continues on into the ocean to die. Interestingly, her last thoughts are not of her “true” love Robert, but of her husband and children, who she states earlier that she is willing to give up and are of little importance to