Saturday, January 21, 2012
The Awakening- Kate Ferraro
The chapters leading up to the end of The Awakening, reveal subtle changes in Edna. She was finally alone, after moving into the "pigeon-house," and admitted she was in love with Robert to Mademoiselle. After establishing a close friendship with Alcee, and eventually kissing him, I thought it was extremely important to notice that she not only felt "there was her husband's reproach," but also, "Robert's reproach" (80). With her new found attitude, "she had abandoned herself to fate and awaited the consequences with indifference" (98). One of the most powerful scenes took place when Robert returned and they kissed for the first time. Robert explained his love for Edna, "drove me away and drove me back again...but you were not free, you were Leonce Pontelliers" (101). Edna begins to realize after being reminded to think of the children, "it doesn't matter about Leonce, but Raoul and Etienne" (108). She eventually concludes that there is "no human being whom she wanted near except Robert" driving her to an emotional ending. As she gets further from the shore, her past comes back powerfully, until the "shore was far behind her- and her strength was gone" (109). Ultimately, the passion that Robert feels toward Edna is not strong enough to join the lovers, making Edna alone in her "awakening."
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The ending was a very interesting part with Edna drowning in the sea. It brings up her relationship with water that I brought up in my first post on "The Awakening". The water in the end is the only thing that can set Edna free from society norms. I like how you bring up the first kiss Robert and Edna shared because this is what I feel led Edna to the conclusion of escaping into the vast ocean. Good post!
ReplyDeleteThough I applaud Kate Choplin's literary abilities and how she was able to incorporate all of the traits that Edna acquired over the course of the book into the final scene, I was incredibly disappointed in Edna's selfish demise. Though many of our classmates made the argument that Edna embodies many characteristics of a "new woman" I'd have to disagree. No "new woman" would surrender her life because of the love she feels for one man, and the lack of passion she feels for another. No "new woman" would leave her successes, her passions, and her opportunities to cowardly surrender her life to the sea.
ReplyDeleteKate, I agree with what you say, especially that "her past comes back powerfully," and Erica, I understand what you are saying, but maybe what makes Edna a prime example of "the New Woman" is her resemblance to the protagonist in "The Yellow Wallpaper," that maybe she cannot handle being a new woman in a society that does not appreciate that yet.
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