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Edna Pontellier's Expectations Of Women In The Awakening

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In the Awakening Edna Pontellier was an unstable character, she upsets the expectations of the nineteen century women’s role. Chopin focuses on two females that influence Edna`s life and help her in what we see are her awakenings Both of these characters will represent the role of women’s in the nineteen century. Adele Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz are the examples that the men around Edna contrast her with and who they obtain their expectations for her. Edna begins to see that the life of freedom and individuality that she wants goes against both society and nature. She cannot free herself not even through suicide. From these two women’s Edna awakens and feels and understands the women or motherhood image she just does not see the male figure. Both of these characters will represent the role of women’s in the nineteen century.

The Awakening is a novel that brought Kate Chopin, although not during her life time, the fame of an advocate of women’s rights (Wolff 449). THESIS STATEMENT: In The Awakening, Edna’s …show more content…

Musical strains, well rendered, had a way of evoking pictures in her mind.” This quote Chopin states in page 26 shows how Mademoiselle Reisz not only showed Edna values of being an artist but also made Edna`s inside passion, shows how it makes Edna think more than she used to, which show that she control`s Ednas life through music. As Showalter states in page 316 “Chopin becomes the code word for a world of repressed passion between Edna and Robert that Mademoiselle Reisz controls.” This statement is very strong it agains shows that Mademoiselle Reisz is just a motherhood role for Edna which is trying to guide her in a path of her own and it has influence in Edna and Robert. Also showing that is Chopin showing her way of thinking using Reisz as a voice to talk for herself. Also let us know the view she has for the arts. Chopin is showing us the differences of mothehood that is in Ednas

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