Mrs. Pontellier's Failure to Escape

Mrs. Pontellier often loses herself in thought while looking out at big bodies of water. As she relaxes on the beach with Madame Ratignolle, she says the sight of the water makes her think of “a meadow that seemed as big as the ocean to the very little girl walking through the grass…” (Chopin 60). And when asked what she was doing in the grass, she says, “I was running away from prayers” (Chopin 60). Her comparison of the ocean to the meadow lets the reader know that she regards the water as a means of escape from the troubles in her life. Her inability to swim, despite multiple attempts, symbolizes her failed efforts to escape from being a mother, a wife, and also an outsider in the society. However, one night, she walks into the water and finds that she is able to swim. She swims far out, “reaching out for the unlimited in which to lose herself” (Chopin 74). Surprisingly, the water, which she once viewed as seductive and comforting, now gives her “a quick vision of death” (Chopin 74). She loses faith and is brought back to reality. She realizes that she cannot escape from her problems and responsibilities don’t disappear just because she wants them to.

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