Edna Pontellier’s Search for Independence in Chopins The...

Ednas Search for Independence in The Awakening How do you honor the deepest truth you know? --Ram Das In order to honor ones deepest truth, one must first discover what that truth is and then apply that truth to everyday life. The life of Edna Pontellier in The Awakening signifies the search, discovery, and application of an individuals deepest truth. Edna, a wealthy New Orleans housewife, at first attempts to find the deepest truth about herself by conforming to societys norms. She marries a well-respected man, Leonce, and bears him children. However, Edna discovers that she wants more out of life; something about her marriage is not allowing her to achieve fulfillment. Through her relationships,†¦show more content†¦But they need not have thought that they could possess her, body and soul (504). Although Edna did perform her duties as a wife for some time, she is not the typical housewife. She does not worship her husband or idolize her children, which makes both Edna and Leonce begin to sense that Edna i s different from the other mother-women (Lin 1). Edna never realized the reasons she neglected her duties as a wife until she fell in love with Robert and acknowledged that her desires and needs exist outside of her marriage. Thus, after her experiences with Robert, Edna is ready to neglect her husband even more, because she now realizes that her husband is holding her back from her needs. When Leonce tries to make Edna act like the other women that obey their husbands, his attempts to control Edna further instigate Ednas desire for independence from him. For example, the scene when Edna is lying in the hammock, Leonce says: I cant permit you to stay out there all night. You must come in the house instantly, Edna replies: I mean to stay out here. I dont wish to go in, and I dont intend to. Dont speak to me like that again; I shall not answer you (492). Edna is carefree and spirited, and she refuses to conform to her husband because she does not want to lose herself. Becomin g the perfect, obedient wife would mean losing her individuality, and Edna realizes she can gain no fulfillmentShow MoreRelatedThe Awakening: An Emergence of Womens RIghts in the Late Nineteenth Century1330 Words   |  6 PagesThe Awakening: An Emergence of Women’s Rights in the Late Nineteenth Century Kate Chopin’s The Awakening addresses the role of women within society during the late nineteenth century. The novel is set in South Louisiana, a place where tradition and culture also play a vital role in societal expectations. The novel’s protagonist, Edna Pontellier, initially fulfills her position in society as a wife and as a mother while suppressing her urges to live a life of passion and freedom. 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