The Awakening- Edna as the New Woman

Adele Ratignolle is labeled upon introduction as a “mother-woman” and the “embodiment of every womanly grace and charm” (Chopin 8).  She is beautiful, submissive, caring, and puts her children before anything else.  From the introduction of Adele’s character, she is contrasted with Edna Pontellier.  Edna is disobedient to her husband and is less fretful regarding her children’s wellbeing.  While Edna may not fit perfectly into the paradigm of the New Woman, she certainly appears to be a precursor to her.  The differences between Adele and Edna are made very clear throughout the novel, but what is most important in showing their differences occurs when Edna visits Adele in her home.  At this point in the novel Edna and her husband are experiencing a fair amount of marital discontent.  This is contrasted with the “domestic harmony” displayed by the Ratignolle’s.  However, Edna does not experience an ounce of desire for this lifestyle and thinks to herself, “It was not a condition of life which fitted [Edna] , and she could see in it but an appalling and hopeless ennui” (56).  This apathetic and negative attitude towards domestic bliss, distinguish Edna as a New Woman.   

-Rachel Kollin