The Awakening by Kate Chopin took place during the late
nineteenth century. During this time period, society was restricted. People
didn’t get to pick who they got to marry, and even if they didn’t actually love
the person, they would have to spend the rest of their lives with them. In the
beginning of the book, Edna Pontellier is sitting under a sunshade, conversing
and laughing it up with a man named Robert Lebrun while her husband watches
from a distance. She is aware that he is there, and she even walks over to her
husband with Robert with her. Mr. Pontellier mentions to them that they have
sunburn, and they tell him their story from their walk on the beach. Also, when
they are talking to Mr. Pontellier, Edna puts out her hands for her husband to
place her rings back on her fingers. “It was some utter nonsense; some
adventure out there in the water, and they both tried to relate it at once. It
did not seem half so amusing when told. They realized this, and so did Mr.
Pontellier. He yawned and stretched himself. Then he got up, saying he had half
a mind to go over to Klein’s hotel and play a game of billiards” (Chopin 3).
With this, it seems she does not care what the husband will think about her
talking to Robert, and Mr. Pontellier seems to not have a concern about what
they are doing together. He just says goodbye to his children and goes off by
himself.
It's strange that Mr. and Mrs. Pontellier don't act like a married couple. I think it's because they fell out of love, or they were never in it to begin with. It seems they don't care what the other does or thinks, and that shows that their marriage is failing.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great observation. When reading the novel, I also inferred that Mrs. and Mr. Pontellier had an arranged marriage. They were probably never really in love and it was all a set up.
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