Edna Pontellier is more of just a woman, rather than a mother or a wife. Kate Chopin says, “The mother-women seemed to prevail that summer at grand isle. It is easy to know them, fluttering about with extended, protecting wings when any harm, real or imaginary, threatened their precious brood.” (Page 10) From this quote the wings of a woman can be linked to the symbolism of birds as earlier mentioned. The “mother-women” are most commonly anticipated to use their wings to only shield and aid their families not to be independent and fly on their own. Chopin relates “winged-women” with imprisonment rather than freedom. Edna Pontellier, on the contrary from most women at Grand Isle, does not spread her wings as much to help her children or her husband. It also talks about how the children often fall and get hurt, but they get right back up, brushing away the dirt and wiping away the tears and going on with their play, while Edna just sits at a far distance and notices but has no reaction. Whereas most mother-women would run and fondle their children for every little pain they felt. All in all, Edna Pontellier is revealed to only be suitable as a woman rather than a mother.
Couldn't have said it better myself! She's a lot like Mrs. Mallard in this way - which I think is also an allegory to Kate Chopin herself.
ReplyDeleteAs a woman myself, I have to agree with Edna. She wants to be treated as more than just a "mother-woman" and in doing so expresses herself through Grand Isle. It must be hard to have such high expectations all the time. Poor Edna 😢
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