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Léonce Pontellier In The Awakening

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Lèonce Pontellier In The Awakening

In Kate Chopin’s novella, The Awakening, Léonce Pontellier, Edna Pontellier, and their children spend the summer in La Grand Isle. Grand Isle is a town in Louisiana, populated with Creole families. Not able to meet the Creole social standards and be true to herself, Edna, with the help of her husband, becomes aware that she is meant to be an independant woman. Lèonce’s high focus on his image and business makes it hard for him to see his wife's process of self-discovery, he becomes apathetic and can even be ill- tempered towards Edna.

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. ‘“You are burnt beyond recognition,” he added, looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of personal property …show more content…

He gives Edna plenty of money, “Mr. Pontellier gave his wife half of the money which he had brought away from Klein's hotel the evening before.” (9), and sends her gifts, “A few days later a box arrived for Mrs. Pontellier from her husband. it was filled with friandises, with luscious and toothsome bits- the finest fruits, patés, a rare bottle or two, delicious syrups, and bonbons in abundance.” (8). Lèonce Pontellier is also a very popular figure. Since he sees Edna as a valuable object, he expects her to be the perfect wife model in return- take care of the house, be very caring for their children, and keep up with the creole social standards that he sees necessary. “It would have been a difficult matter for Mr. Pontellier to define to his own satisfaction or anyone else's wherein his wife failed in her duty toward their children.” (9). Being the perfect husband in the Creole culture it makes it very easy to focus on his wife's character and her process of self

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Sacrifice In the book The Awakening Edna Pontellier sacrifices who she is to try to be a mother-woman. In her society and life she is expected to be the caring wife who takes care of the children and her husband. However, Edna sacrifices her character, dreams and freedom because she is trying to fit in. Edna Pontellier is a mother of two in the south during a time period in which women are expected to be obedient, lady-like and caretakers.

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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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I grew up hearing the saying that a little girl could have an old soul, or that someone is well beyond their years. These sayings are popular to societies, because they try to explain why certain individuals differentiate from the acceptable norms in ways that may be more complicated than just personality traits. In The Awakening, Edna Pontellier is no exception. Her society’s expectations differ from who she is and how she is willing to act so that she would fit in. Chapter one of The Awakening begins the story with several examples of how Edna does not fit in with her society.

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Mr. Pontellier, representing the typical husband of that era, looks at his wife “as one looks at a valuable piece of personal property.” As a wife, society expects you to listen to your husband and to take care of your husbands needs. Early in the novel, it is established that Edna is unique because she defies her husband’s commands. For example, Edna is asked to go inside with her husband when she is at Grand Isle, but she simply tells him that she is “going to stay out here.” However, when Mr. Potellier gets more demanding, Edna gets more confident, stating that she will not answer him if he continues to speak to her “like that.”

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Mrs. Pontellier is woman who married her husband, not because of true love, but to become part of a society known as Creoles. She becomes tired of him and the rules she has to follow as a woman. The way she goes off to live independently and separates her life from that of her children’s symbolizes her independence. Her paintings and her love for art are also symbols for her desire to be independent. She believed women should be able to express themselves freely and not be bound to the limitations or expectations that society has set for them.

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One afternoon Edna brought her sketching materials onto the porch in La Grand Isle, and Robert sat down beside her as she began to sketch. Chopin tells the reader Robert’s actions, “During this oblivious attention he once rested his head against Mrs. Pontellier’s arm. As gently she repulsed him. Once again he repeated the offence. ”(13).

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In Kate Chopin’ s novel, The Awakening, there are three identities inside of the female leading role, Edna Pontellier, being a wife, mother and own self. Edna was born in 19th century at the Vitoria period, a patriarchy society, women have low freedom to achieve personal goal. She married with Léonce Pontellier, a wealthy man with Creole descent. After having a child, her life is still unchangeable and as bored as before. Until she encountered Robert Leburn, Mademoiselle Reisz, and Alcée Arobin, her value of self-cognition has changed.

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Edna broke free from the mold of her society. She was trying to find her purpose and her worth in a world where she did not have many rights or individual stability. Edna Pontellier worked to disregard the influence and power of men and society as a whole to discover more about herself and what she really wanted out of life (Bommarito). She gave up the “unessential” such as her home, possessions, and reputation to do things for

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Pontellier's carelessness for her husband's desires shows her desire for independence. Otter argue that this lack of care portrays her as one who wishes to defy society. After leaving the house when she is supposed to be hosting a weekly Tuesday open- house, Edna asks, "Why are you taking the thing so seriously and making such such a fuss over it" (86). In Creole society, a wife talking back to her husband, especially after ignoring his wishes, is a clear sign of defiance. Therefore, it seems clear that Mrs. Pontellier is defy society by defying her husband.

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Pontellier was beginning to realize her position in the universe as a human being and to recognize her relations as an individual to the world with and around her (Chopin, Page 14). This awakening is deeper than the first as she ponders how she does not fit into Victorian society, “A certain light was beginning to dawn dimly within her, the light which, showing the way, forbids it” (Chopin, 14). An out of character experience for a Victorian woman to self-actualize, Edna appears as a different woman to the other characters in the novel. Once she enters this stage of this journey of self-discovery, she will find self-actualization, in the sea where she

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Edna lives in a very male dominated society. Any orders given by the husband wouldn’t dare to be challenged by the wife. Edna has given Leonce that same sort of respect until “her will had blazed up, stubborn and resistant” (Chopin 31). She reaches a point where her influences are pulling her to resist Leonce and follow her own inhibition. Edna’s emotions stir in response to Leonce and she “wondered if her husband had ever spoken to her like that before, and if she had submitted to his command” (Chopin 31).

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This socially constructed identity is the first of the many that Edna grapples with in the text. It is the identity of women within the time period of the text. In the words of Dix, Edna’s identity is meant to be that of a typical American wife who will control the home, children and entertain socially yet remain obedient to her working husband (146). ‘Looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of personal property’ (Chopin 4). The

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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

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However, Creole women were expected to be chaste, and would behave in a unreserved manner. The exposure to such openness is what frees Edna from her previously repressed emotions and desires and motivates her to become more independent. Because they are women, Adele and Edna do not have much freedom, as in comparison to men. However, Edna gains more freedom that is much closer to that of men when she abandons her household and social responsibilities. Edna’s refusal to follow and obey social conventions, allows her to spend her time on painting and sketching.

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