Men In The Great Awakening

Kate Chopin's The Great Awakening explains how Edna Pontellier, an everyday woman of the nineteenth century, opens up and explores herself. A majority of the important characters in her story are the men in Edna's life. Men like Leonce, Robert, and Alcee all are key pieces to her awakening. They all influence Edna in their own ways.

Leonce Pontellier is a controlling husband and an all around materialistic man. His life revolves around his work. To him, Edna is more of a possession than a human being. He expects Edna to take care of the children and everything around the house while he is off doing business. Although Leonce does not agree with Edna's parenting skills, he does not take it upon himself to do better for the children either. He

Leonce is the one who partially jump-starts Edna's awakening.

Robert Lebrun is the man that every woman goes to for commiseration, including Edna. Each year, he takes a vacation to the Grand Isle. Every summer he pursues a new, and often married woman to simply mess around with. He lacks the ability of commitment and real relationships. However, when Edna comes into the picture, Robert seems to become attached to her. He had never caught feelings for any woman, until Edna. When he realizes how enthralled he has become, he panics. Robert fears the connection he feels with her, and leaves for Mexico to get away from Edna. This sends her into a crazy

She started painting again like she used to. She could not wait until the next time she could hang out with Robert. When Mademoiselle Reisz asked why Edna loved him, she had replied, "'Why? Because his hair is brown and grows away from his temples; because he opens and shuts his eyes, and his nose is a little out of drawing; because he has two lips and a square chin, and a little finger which he can't straighten from having played baseball too energetically in his youth...'" (Chopin 112). This married woman with two children had inadvertently fallen in love with another man. Although he leaves, Robert is the most important part of Edna's awakening. He is the one who gives her the love that her own husband will not. She starts to truly blossom when she falls for Robert. After he leaves, she often goes to Madame Lebrun's home to look at Robert's baby pictures. She gets extra jealous when he writes to Madame Lebrun, but not to her. Later, Edna returns back home to New Orleans as a whole new woman. She declares herself independent, and tries to forget Robert by seeking out Alcee