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What Is Edna Pontellier's Role In The Awakening

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In the novel The Awakening by Kate Chopin, the main character, Edna faces many challenges that she has to overcome. While trying to overcome them, she makes decisions that not only effect her life, but the lives of others. Edna Pontellier is a woman that grew up in the late 1800s who tries to break away from the normal gender roles of this time period. She does this by separating herself from her home, husband, children and by acknowledging her sexual desires. A lot of people do not agree with Edna's actions because they feel as if she is abandoning her children and ignoring her responsibilities. As Edna's attorney I am here to prove that although Edna has acted in a questionable manor, everything she has done was for her independence and happiness …show more content…

Edna thought that although she didn't love him, when she married him, she could possibly grow to love him. Sadly, as the marriage continued, Edna realized that that wasn't the case. Because Edna married so young and wasn't mature enough to realize what she truly wanted, she faced the consequences later on in the marriage when she matured and realized that being a homemaker and caretaker was not what she felt she was destined to be. Edna realizes that she has no passion with her husband, he is simply there because he can financially take care of her. When she realizes this, she develops a love for Robert Lebrun. She realizes the passion between them is nothing that she has ever felt before. When she comes to that realization, that is when she decides that she is going to go against societies gender norms and do as she pleases. She decides to leave her husband and move out and leave her children with their grandmother. A good example of this is when she says “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).” What Edna means by this is that she would sacrifice anything for her children but she would not do what a mother-woman would do; she wouldn't mistake her own life for

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