"The Awakening "-Focus on Motherhood- Jennifer Fragomeni

Throughout "The Awakening", there are several suggestions as to what makes a good mother. Leonce Pontellier, is very hard on his wife Edna when she doesn't tend to her sons they way he feels she should be. He explains how she should comfort, care, and heal them at any given time. He believes she should do these things, yet it would never cross his mind to think of doing it himself. Tending for children is the wife's responsibility. It doesn't appear that Edna wants much to do with her sons. However, she isn't a horrible mother (at times she will comfort them, etc). Rather, it isn't her life purpose to take care of them. This makes me question how motherhood fits into the "new woman". Do these women dislike children? Or, are they wanting to make a life outside motherhood. Is birth control only used to prolong a woman's time to make a career and one'sown stability, or is it totally against the mother idea?

Edna's friend Adele represents the way a mother "should" be. I believe the dichotomy between Edna/Adele demonstrates how Edna wants to independent. Whereas Adele is okay with the traditional lifestyle. I really found the reoccurring idea of motherhood interesting. I believe that the author wants readers to recognize that being a good wife and good mother requires a woman to act subordinate to a man. Overall, children become an obligation and women must put them first or are seen as a bad parent.