Parenting In Kate Chopin's The Awakening
When a woman becomes a mother she is obligated to convey her definite love and support towards her children. In Kate Chopin’s novel, The Awakening, Edna Pontellier, a wife and mother of two, lives in New Orleans during the late 1800s. Edna is very different compared to the other married mothers in New Orleans due to her inability to satisfy society's standards of motherhood. Edna commits a disloyal act of performing adultery against her husband which goes against all of the traditional societal moralities. Edna strongly believes in freedom and affection, regardless, Edna’s mothering style is bad due to how she views her children negatively and her inability to prioritize her children’s needs by neglect and abandonment. Edna’s mothering style …show more content…
Another mother in the neighborhood, Madame Ratignolle, speaks with Edna about what the standards are for mothers and married women during this time. Madame Ratignolle believes Edna is “not a mother-woman [because] … they [are] women who idolize their children” (Chopin 10). Edna’s poor mothering is very noticeable to those around, especially Madame Ratignolle. Edna begins disagreeing with Adele, another mother in the neighborhood, and explains she would give up her unwanteds but not sacrifice herself for her children. When Edna says this about her children proves she would instantly prioritize herself over her children if it came down to it. Any mother is meant to help and support their children before themselves or other concerns. Soon, everything becomes too much for Edna to handle and she decides to take her life. Edna “want[s] to swim far out, where no woman ha[s] swum before” hoping she would not arrive back on the shore (Chopin 37). When Edna leaves the world, she also leaves her children with no mother to look up to. Edna has a few mental concerns, but decides to take her life instead of trying to become stronger for her children. Although Edna is located in a place where you cannot express independence freely, she is still defined as a bad mother due to her incapability to prioritize her children
Societal Norms In The Awakening, By Kate Chopin
668 Words | 3 PagesTo break the traditions of a womanly role Edna had to first challenge her husband’s authority over her. Edna is sleeping outside waiting for Léonce to come home, and finally he comes home in the wee hours of the morning. Then, Edna wouldn’t come in the house after Léonce called her into the house. Léonce says, “’Edna, dear, are you not coming in soon?’
Examples Of Societal Standards In The Awakening
1624 Words | 7 PagesWhile at the Grand Isle, Edna meets several contrasting characters who help develop her defiant thoughts eventually leading to her awakening. One of her closest friends, Madame Ratignolle, is described as the ideal mother and wife; she is attentive to her husband and cares for her children above all else. Ironically, Edna feels the opposite way; she would “give up the unessential; [she] would give [her] money, [she] would give [her] life for [her] children; but [she] wouldn’t give [her]self” (40). When she revealed this opinion to Madame Ratignolle “a rather heated argument [followed]; the two women did not appear to understand each other or to be talking the same language” (52). Edna’s attitude toward her children compared to Madame Ratignolle’s is the first of many rebellious
Edna Pontellier In Kate Chopin's The Awakening
1059 Words | 5 Pages“They were women who idolized their children, worshipped their husbands, and esteemed it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals to grow wings as ministering angels” (Chopin 8). Mr. Pontellier did not want her to recognize herself as a person, he wanted her to live only for him and his children as a devoted mother-woman should. Returning back home to New Orleans was met with constant fighting because of Edna’s new determination to become her own person. “Mr. Pontellier had been a rather courteous husband so long as he met a certain tact submissiveness in his life. But her
When The Awakening Quotes
1269 Words | 6 PagesAt first it might seem Edna does not care about her children, but in reality, Edna cares about her children, even if she has to sacrifice her life. But she won’t give up herself as a person. Mr. Pontellier was angry at his wife for not doing what she is suppose to do as a wife. Edna said the her husband, “I feel like painting….Perhaps I shan’t always feel like it”(108).
The Role Of Motherhood In The Awakening By Kate Chopin
853 Words | 4 PagesMotherhood comes with an inherent commitment and certain basic expectations that they need to meet. In Kate Chopins, The Awakening, Edna Pontellier is the mother of two boys and is judged for the way she treats her role as a mother. In today's society, her style of motherhood would be frowned upon but is more than acceptable for this time period seeing as the expectations of motherhood are completely different. She makes sure that her kids are fed, clothed, and have a roof over their heads which is a better life than most. Edna loves her children, she makes sure their needs are met and acts in their best interests which is the epitome of a good mother.
Edna Pontellier's Attitudes Toward Motherhood In The Awakening
1044 Words | 5 PagesEdna 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
Outward Conformity In Kate Chopin's The Awakening
825 Words | 4 PagesWomen during Edna’s time were supposed to be dedicated to their husbands and children, however, Edna yearned for her own independence, and as a result of wanting her own independence Edna knew that she was seen as a terrible person. For instance Edna wanted to “…try to determine what character of a woman I am; for, candidly, I don't know. By all the codes which I am acquainted with, I am a devilishly wicked specimen of the sex. But some way I can't convince myself that I am. I must think about it" (27.4).
Edna Pontellier's Suicide In The Awakening
693 Words | 3 PagesWhile not only, knocking the idea of traditional female ideals, she also gets the chance to show her absolute disdain for commitment in marriage, most likely due to her affair with the man she truly loved, Robert. When Edna’s husband decides to leave her alone and goes on an extended trip, she finally puts her words of dissatisfaction into action and, as an act against societal norms and traditional obedient women ideals, moves out of the house that she shares with her husband, and instead, lives on her own in order to become more independant. A woman having any type of independence during this time period was a completely radical idea, and she struggles to find a normal
Edna's Characterization In The Awakening
467 Words | 2 PagesSome of Edna’s most obvious decisions immediately question her weakness to handle pressure. Edna’s inability to show compassion and care for her children challenge this normalcy for a mother of the time period; Edna considered her children “like antagonists who had overcome her; who had overpowered and sought to drag her into the soul's slavery for the rest of her days” (Chopin 115). The children almost seemed like a burden, or a detriment to her. Edna’s doctor visit nearly foreshadows this mindset, where the doctor notes that
Edna Pontellier's Trial
970 Words | 4 PagesWe had the authors of The New Housekeeper’s Manual explain how a mother should act. They explained that, “She has a husband, to whose peculiar tastes and habits she must accommodate herself; she has children whose health she must guard, whose physical constitutions she must study and develop, whose temper and habits she must regulate, whose principles she must form, whose pursuits she must guide” (Beecher 221). Edna clearly does not follow this principle. Mr. Pontellier stated that, “He reproached his wife with her inattention, her habitual neglect of the children. If it was not a mother's place to look after children, whose on earth was it?"
Edna's Roles In The Awakening
1386 Words | 6 PagesMoreover, when her children tumbled, she will not pick them up just let them get up on their own. In contrast to Adele, Edna is not contributing herself to her family as well as Adele. Edna tries to fit in as the role to be a good mother, but, she cannot definitely, to be a mother-woman cannot fulfill her eagerness to be a special, independent and egocentric person. In Chapter XVI, Edna said to Adele, she would give her money and her life to children, but never herself. And that is what she is trying to understand and recognize.
Adele And Edna Pontellier In Kate Chopin's The Awakening
519 Words | 3 PagesAnd with Leonce and the children’s absence, Edna branches off even further buying her own house and sustaining herself with a small income from her paintings. This allows Edna to gain even more independence from her household, children, and spouse, to the point that she has gone against the female submission rule in societies conventions. On the other hand, Adele is obedient and submissive to her household, husband, and children, rarely leaving the premise of her house. Because of Adele being the “mother-woman”(p.8) and following societies conventions, she is granted very little freedom as she can’t leave her house because of the duties she is expected to complete on a day to day basis. Adele’s obedience and Edna’s defiance contraste each other, effectively highlighting the themes of female submission and female freedom within the
Gender Roles In The Awakening
1178 Words | 5 PagesEdna sets personhood limits on how much she would give up for her children through a recalled conversation with Adele where Edna spoke her views on motherhood: “I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children; but I wouldn’t give myself” (47). Her statement is revealing because Edna goes against what society says a woman is supposed to feel towards her children. She would give up superficial things like money, or a even a vital thing - her life - for her children. However, Edna states her unwillingness to become a ministering angel where to reach divine status she would have to erase her personhood, who she is as an individual. Edna will not give up her self for anything.
The Awakening Summary
1234 Words | 5 PagesEdna is struggling to choose a identity between a mother, wife, lover etc. She seems to not want to be subject as the possession of anybody. She focuses on independence even denying Robert of her love towards him which if she chose to stay with him, she would be associated with him and therefore labeled. She looks up to Madame Reisz as an independent woman, pursuing her passions and doing as she pleases. "I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children; but I wouldn 't give
Motherhood In The Awakening
919 Words | 4 PagesAt the beginning of the novel, Edna had appeared to be recognizing the fact that her life revolves around her husband and her children, and that it is her main duty to care for them. It is mainly Mr. Pontellier, her husband, who tries to establish an image of her being a both a perfect partner and wife. He views her as an object that must be suitable for the eyes of society. According to him, his wife is a “valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage” (Chopin 2). He is controlling over her appearance and actions.
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