ENCW 205: Art & Identity in New Orleans

This chapter begins with Edna being unable to sleep. It mentions that everyone else is either still asleep or only awake because they are attending church. A passage from the chapter that stood out to me states, “the air was invigorating and steadied somewhat her faculties. However, she was not seeking refreshment or help from any source, either external or from within. 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.” I liked this passage because it is implying that Edna is starting to let herself enjoy life and set herself free from her “societal norm responsibilities.” Continuing on in the chapter, Edna requests that a servant girl go to wake up Robert, something she had never done before. As soon as Robert is awake, a boat is waiting for both him and Edna to take them to the Cheniere for mass. Throughout the chapter, new characters are introduced, as well as returning characters brought back. One of which being the lady in black, continuing to count her beads. Along with the lady in black, a girl by the name of Mariequita is introduced. It seems as if Robert and Mariequira were once romantically involved with each other. Robert and Mariequira talk little on the boat and Robert invites Edna to go to Grand Terre. She accepts, and states that “she would like to be alone there [Grande Terre] with Robert, in the sun, listening to the ocean’s roar and watching the slimy lizards writhe in and out among the ruins of the old fort.” The chapter ends with Robert and Edna walking up to the church, the sailor Beaudelet remaining at the boat, and Mariequita walking away and shooting a look at Robert out of the corner of her eye. 

Throughout the novel, Edna has been challenging traditional gender roles and exploring her own desires and passions. However, in this chapter, she is confronted with the harsh reality that her choices have not only alienated her from society but also from those closest to her. Her husband, Leonce Pontellier, expresses his disappointment and disapproval of Edna’s behavior, leaving her feeling isolated and misunderstood.

Furthermore, Edna’s close friend Adele Ratignolle also distances herself from Edna due to their differing views on womanhood. Adele represents the ideal Victorian woman who embraces motherhood and domesticity, while Edna rejects these roles in favor of personal freedom. This contrast highlights the tension between societal expectations and individual desires.

As Edna grapples with these consequences, she begins to question whether her pursuit of independence is worth sacrificing relationships and social acceptance. She experiences a sense of disillusionment as she realizes that true freedom comes at a cost.

Chopin uses symbolism throughout this chapter to convey Edna’s internal struggle. The sea serves as a metaphor for both liberation and entrapment. While it initially represents freedom for Edna, it also becomes a symbol of isolation as she realizes that true independence may mean being alone.

In conclusion, Chapter 21 of “The Awakening” showcases Edna Pontellier’s realization that personal freedom often comes at a price. Through conflicts with society’s expectations and strained relationships with loved ones, Chopin explores themes of identity, gender roles, and societal constraints. This chapter serves as a pivotal moment in Edna’s journey towards self-discovery, leaving readers questioning the true cost of liberation.

Chapter 20 of “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin is a pivotal moment in the novel, as it showcases the protagonist Edna Pontellier’s transformation and rebellion against societal norms. In this chapter, Edna attends a party at her friend Madame Ratignolle’s house, where she experiences a newfound sense of freedom and self-expression.

One passage that particularly stood out to me is when Edna dances passionately with Robert Lebrun. The narrator describes their dance as “a revelation,” highlighting the intense connection between them (Chopin 143). This passage signifies Edna’s awakening to her own desires and emotions. Through this dance, she breaks free from the constraints of her marriage and society’s expectations for women.

This scene also symbolizes Edna’s defiance against societal norms. As she dances with Robert, they become oblivious to their surroundings, suggesting that they are transcending societal boundaries together. The narrator further emphasizes this by stating that “the touch of his lips upon her hand was like a pleasing sting” (Chopin 143). This quote conveys the electrifying sensation that Edna feels when she defies societal conventions.

Although their dance represents liberation and passion in the moment, it ultimately leads to heartbreak for both characters. This highlights the consequences of challenging societal norms and pursuing personal desires.

Chapter 14 explores the complexities of Edna’s emotions and her struggle to define her own desires and identity. She begins to question societal norms and expectations, particularly those related to marriage and motherhood, even more so than in other chapters. Edna’s interactions with Robert become more passionate, but they are also marked by a sense of longing and unfulfilled desire that pains Edna. 

Throughout Chapter 14, Edna’s internal conflict deepens as she grapples with her growing feelings for Robert and her desire for personal autonomy. This chapter is a pivotal moment in Edna’s journey as she begins to challenge the roles and constraints placed upon her as a woman in the late 19th century.

In chapter XIX of The Awakening by Kate Chopin, Edna Pontellier begins to abandon her duties as a housewife in favor of allowing her emotions and caprices to guide her. She feels she acted foolishly by attempting to crush her wedding ring and smashing the vase. Deciding to follow her feelings as they come prevents them from building up and resulting in another overflow of emotion.

Mr. Pontellier is angered by Edna’s refusal to play housewife, and voices his disapproval. However, “[w]hen Mr. Pontellier became rude, Enda grew insolent,” (131). This reminded me of one of the first times Edna refused to submit to her husband back in chapter XI, when she stayed outside all night instead of coming into the house. Edna told him then to not speak rudely to her because she would not answer him, and it seems she is sticking to her word. Her insolence later in the book provides an opportunity for the reader to see how much she has changed, because abandoning her entire role as a housewife is much more serious than deciding to stay outside one night. As the narrator puts it, Mr. Pontellier “could not see that she was becoming herself and daily casting aside that fictitious self which we assume like a garment with which to appear before the world” (133).

Edna expresses herself through her art, and starts using members of the household as her subjects. Artistic expression in this novel is associated with individuality and freedom of emotion, and Edna’s devotion to her work implies a freeing of her soul. While she paints, she sometimes sings part of a song Robert sang to her. Music is another form of expression, but this song holds a certain significance. Robert complicated Edna’s life and helped to jumpstart her change of heart, and she is clearly still caught up on him. Singing the song reminds her of her time with him on the bay. Additionally, the words Edna sings are important. “Si tu savais” translates to “if you knew” or “if you only knew”. When Robert sang to Edna, it is likely he was thinking of his affection for her. Now, Edna is consumed, at least subconsciously, by thoughts of Robert and her own affections for him. However, neither are necessarily aware of the other’s feelings at the time each of them are singing. If they’d only known, perhaps something might have come from it.

The chapter ends with an explanation that Edna has happy days filled with dreams, discovery, and an appreciation for life itself; and that she has unhappy days comprised of an indifference to living, when life feels “like a grotesque pandemonium and humanity like worms struggling blindly toward inevitable annihilation” (135). The sharp contrast between Edna’s days are indicative of an underlying discontent. Although Edna may find an escape through her art, it is not enough to prevent overwhelming negative thoughts from ruining entire days.

The depressing end to the chapter suggests a slight depression within Edna herself. Sure, she may have some particularly happy times, but at the end of the day the particularly bad times persist.

Throughout this chapter, we explore Edna’s growth of independence as well as take a closer look at her relationship with Robert. At the start of this chapter, we see Edna go through a wave of emotions while in church. She has the heavy feeling of being oppressed and becoming more and more drowsy by the second, so much so that she needs to leave the service. As she is leaving, it is important to note that the lady in black also happens to be at the same service which shows how death is somehow always within reach of Edna. Following right behind her is Robert, almost as if he was a loyal dog to Edna. This is a callback to chapter five where Robert confesses that he has acted this way before for other women.

After leaving the service, Robert took her to Madame Antoine’s cottage where the only sound was “…the voice of the sea whispering through the reeds that grew in the saltwater pools” (Pg 97).  Throughout the novel, the ocean seems to be calling to Edna, which symbolizes the change or perhaps the rebirth of her life. It’s also important to mention that whenever the sea is mentioned, she is with Robert a majority of the time.

Once arriving at Madame Antoine’s cottage, Edna was able to have some time for herself, which seemed to be a new experience for her ever since her marriage and having children. While relaxing in bed, she started to observe herself “…as if it were something she saw for the first time” (Pg 99). This represents how Edna is starting to take a new form but doesn’t recognize herself. After examining herself, Edna fell asleep and when she awoke, she couldn’t hear anyone and thought everybody had left. She soon realized that Robert had not left her. Before meeting Robert down in the shed, Edna was able to have time for herself. Edna had taken the time to clean herself up rather than rush to be at Robert’s side immediately, which shows how she is starting to become independent from societal norms and putting a man’s needs first.

After her time in the bathroom, she met Robert at the shed where they exchanged some flirty banter. Robert explained to Edna that even though the others had left for an outing that he would not leave her side. Robert had also prepared food for Edna by scavenging for food around the island, which is an intimate moment between the two of them. This moment was so intimate because Edna had not received this treatment at home. After eating, both Edna and Robert sat on the ground watching the sun set. During this time, Robert occasionally picked at the hem of her dress (Pg 102). This shows how the relationship between them is changing because in chapter five, Edna would have been repulsed by the idea of Robert playing with her dress, but because something has started to change inside of her, it is beginning to affect her relationship with Robert.

After the sun set, Robert and Edna started their trek back to their own cottages under the moonlight. Whenever someone leaves in this novel, it seems to be under the moonlight, which can symbolize Edna’s growth in her independence. This can be seen later in the novel when Robert is leaving for Mexico because he is leaving at 10pm under the moonlight.  In order to return back to their own cottages, Edna and Robert must cross the sea, which represents her change as a person by crossing the line and becoming more independent.

This was a very interesting chapter because this is where we see so many subtle changes in Edna’s behavior. It’s noticeable that Edna has grown to be more and more comfortable around Robert as well as being comfortable with being by herself. This deepens her relationship not only with Robert, but with herself as she starts to understand that she is going through a change.

As I read Kate Chopin’s The Awakening,  I found that it is not merely a portrayal of New Orleans as a backdrop but also an exploration of feminism and resistance against patriarchal norms, deeply intertwined with its setting. Through various literary elements, Chopin crafts a narrative that exposes the constraints placed upon women in the late 19th century, through Edna Pontellier’s journey. 

One striking example is Edna Pontellier’s awakening to her own desires and identity. Her dissatisfaction with the traditional roles expected of women in her society is evident when she reflects, “She felt that her marriage, her very life, as she looked about at it, was utterly commonplace.” This dissatisfaction serves as a catalyst for her journey towards self-discovery and independence, challenging the patriarchal structure that sought to confine her and women in America. The city of New Orleans, with its rich tapestry of cultures and traditions, provides a fitting backdrop for Edna’s rebellion. The mingling of Creole and American societies in New Orleans mirrors the clashing expectations and norms Edna grapples with.

Chopin also employs symbolism to underscore the feminist themes in the novel. The sea, in particular, which can be associated with ambiguity and discomfort at times, becomes a powerful symbol of liberation, comfort, and warmth. As Edna immerses herself in the waters, she feels “the foamy salt water upon her lips,” symbolizing her desire for freedom from societal constraints, including her role as a mother and wife. After reading more about this literary work, I learned that the distaste for the role of the mother that is heavily experienced by characters like Edna contributed to the controversy around the book during its time of release, which further proves the strong feminist ideologies presented throughout the story and their direction against the current of patriarchal societal standards. 

The female characters in The Awakening also challenge patriarchal culture in their own ways. With her unapologetic pursuit of artistic expression, Mademoiselle Reisz defies societal expectations for women. She asserts, “I would give my life for my children, but I wouldn’t give myself.” Her commitment to her art exemplifies the sacrifices women were often required to make and the autonomy they yearned for. Additionally, Edna’s friendships with women like Adele Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz demonstrate the complex relationships women had with one another in a patriarchal society. They serve as both sources of support and, in some cases, enablers of societal norms.

While reading The Awakening, I noticed that family dynamics seemed to play a huge role in the development of the characters and how they interacted with one another. One quote that really stood out to me was,  “If it was not a mother’s place to look after children, whose on earth was it? He himself had his hands full with her brokerage business. He could not be in two places at once.” This shows that at the time (and even still today) women were tasked with handling the children. Mr. Pontellier seems to embrace fatherhood more than his wife appears to embrace motherhood, which seems to almost frustrate him. I think as the story goes on we begin to see Mrs. Pontellier as a young woman rather than a mother. I believe she loves her children but may feel overwhelmed by the prospect of them, as seen when she is crying on the porch as her family sleeps. This disconnect also seems to place some strain on her marriage as her husband wishes for her to be more motherly. We also see how her relationship with her sons differs from the relationship between the other mothers around her. As mentioned, her sons do not come crying to her when they take a tumble, instead they dust themselves off and carry on. This is different from other women such as Madame Ratignolle, who was described as a mother-woman who took pride in her children and even her “duty” to have children. Edna acknowledges the fact that she is not a mother-woman, but being the wife of a creole, she feels like an outsider within her community because of it.

While reading The Awakening by Kate Chopin, one recurring theme that stood out to me is how Mr. Pontellier regularly sees and treats Edna and their children as one of his prized possessions. Léonce is a businessman who is always deeply preoccupied with his work, often away from home. Even at the beginning of the novel, when the family is at Grand Isle, Léonce would often leave for business or to the club. When he returned from the club one night to find one of his sons with a fever, he wakes Edna to ask her about it, concerned in a way I read more as a child with a damaged toy than a concerned father. Back in New Orleans, when Edna first begins to neglect her duties as a housewife, he begins to worry about the societal expectations and repercussions of her actions, not why she left. Overall, while Mr. Pontellier is not an unkind man to his wife and children, he views them as possessions or trophies to display.

In reading the novel, The Awakening by Kate Chopin, I took an interest in Robert Leburn. His character is questionable because he has spent many summers in the isle flirting and spending his time with a different woman each summer even though they were married. He tries flirting in a way that is so blatantly obvious that he is implicitly referring to himself on many occasions — for example, when he talks to Edna about the ghost that returns to the isle every year waiting for a woman to win his heart. He also does not follow through on anything he says he will, as is the case in his money-making trip to Mexico. When he does genuinely realize that he is in love with Edna and he returns to New Orleans, he still can not be true to himself because he is afraid of what the social and personal consequences will be if they are truly together. Overall, I question him as a person but I think that was the goal that Kate Chopin had in writing him.