Mademoiselle Reisz And Madame Ratignolle Character Analysis

At first glance, Madame Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz are opposites to one another, but as Edna has yet to conclude, both are responsible for the decision of Edna longing to become a single woman again. A foil is defined as “a gauge by which to judge the behavior of both characters better by putting their actions into perspective,” according to the English Companion. In The Awakening, by Kate Chopin, written in 1899, the author presents the readers with a pair of foils. The contrast of Mademoiselle Reisz and Madame Ratignolle supports the theme of The Awakening by proving that women cannot obtain societal norms without the elimination of their independance. Madame Ratignolle is the textbook perfect mother. She has dedicated her life to her children and her husband. This is contrary to Mademoiselle Reisz. Mademoiselle Reisz is a single woman who enjoys the pleasures of not having to be accompanied by a male escort, along with participating and enjoying pleasure from the fine arts. Both

Madame Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz both complement and contradict one another with the beliefs of the societal norms that are presented throughout the novel. The function assigned by the addition of foils in The Awakening in support of the theme are represented by the effects upon others characters, such as Madame Pontellier, and the choice activities that are available to them. The idea of how women cannot obtain societal norms without the elimination of their independence is strongly represented in the novella, The Awakening, by Kate Chopin, by foil characters. In today’s society, women still fight for the right to be their own person and exercise their own independence within their own