The Influence Of Robert In The Awakening

The Influence of Robert in “The Awakening” Robert has a significant purpose in “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin, specifically Robert pushes Edna towards her awakening, but he proves to be incapable of having a serious relationship despite his actions regarding his feelings towards her. As readers progress through the novel, it is revealed that Robert and Edna have a sort of love for one another. Although this did do a great deal to help Edna awaken Robert’s love for Edna seems to be an infatuation with a person fabricated by his own mindset and ideals. In the Awakening, Robert contradicts but still helps Edna achieve her awakening, but it's unlikely he can support a relationship with Edna, and he proves to have a lack of capacity for a relationship

Robert proves himself unable to establish or maintain a serious romantic relationship with any woman. It's made evident by Robert’s lack of personal development and ability to provide the necessary components for the proper manifestation of a healthy relationship. A quotation that supports this claim comes from (page. 14), when the narrator describes Robert’s past with women on the Grand Isle, “Since the age of fifteen, which was eleven years before, Robert each summer at Grand Isle had constituted himself the devoted attendant of some fair dame or damsel. Sometimes it was a young girl, again a widow; but as often as not it was some interesting married woman.” Robert had a long history of pursuing women in Grand Isle, although never with serious intent. This is repeated throughout the relationship between him and Edna even though there may be true feelings involved his intention was to rely on the traditional Creole expectations in order to be “gifted” Edna from Leonce. This is against Edna’s desire for independence and to not be considered a possession by the man she is with.

It is because he loves you, poor fool, and is trying to forget you, since you are not free to listen to him or to belong to him.” After Robert confirmed his own feelings for Edna he made the decision to leave for Mexico without any communication whatsoever. His resistance towards communication, and confrontation and lack of ability to actually address his feelings towards Edna unveils his incapability for a stable romantic relationship. This combined with his past with the many other women of the Grand Isle allows readers to come to this conclusion with ease. In the Awakening Robert didn’t agree with her personal views but pushed Edna to achieve her awakening. It's evident he is not able to handle a relationship with Edna, lastly very little chance at achieving a relationship in general. Throughout the novel we learn Robert’s history with the many women on the Grand Isle is predictable in the sense he flirts with no intent for an actual relationship. This is seen in the relationship between him and Edna granted it does seemingly have more depth which could be proven by his many interactions with her. To conclude this essay, the depth that is displayed in said interactions is a very large contributor to Edna’s awakening.