Edna + Robert = Rodna

I think it is fairly significant that Edna doesn't remember her dreams the next morning in Chapter 12. Since she is left in a confused state, wondering what could have gone through her head the night before, Edna starts to feel like she can do anything. She wakes up a new person, "blindly following whatever impulse moved her, as if she had...freed her soul of responsibility." I feel as if she had remembered her dream she would have never felt the impulse to summon Robert. This is the first time she sends out for him. In my opinion, this impulsive action shows their new step in the relationship. While in presence of other women, Robert also seems to keep his attention to Edna. So far in the story I think this is going to bloom into a deep and loving relationship that at first is going to be very good for the both of them, but when her husband finds out, he is going to be mad and try to get rid of them. I also think this may affect her children in a very bad way. Just a little prediction for ya. :)

Happiness and rebelling

Edna has always wanted a better life, including a better relationship with her husband. However, in her time period, she didn’t have the freedom she could have now, especially in her marriage. She was always unhappy with the way her life was going, but I think Robert makes her happier than she ever was. I feel like the taste of happiness from Robert is making her more hostile towards Mr. Pontellier. “Another time she would have gone in at his request. She would, through habit, have yielded to his desire; not with any sense of submission or obedience to his compelling wishes, but unthinkingly,” (Chopin 42). Edna didn’t want to listen to her husband and go to bed. I believe her animosity towards Mr. Pontellier will make her, in a way, rebel. I predict her biggest act of rebellion will be her trying to leave her family and be with Robert.

Mrs. Pontiller's freedom without children

Throughout the beginning of the story, Mrs. Pontillier is only known as that, Mrs. Pontillier. However, when she is alone, particularly without her children, she is usually introduced as Edna. This was used by Kate Chopin to show the sense of freed Edna felt without the burden of her children. We have already inferred that Edna wants to live without having to constantly be reminded of and live the typical role of a housewife, but we haven’t delved too deep into the realm of her relations with her children. She has rarely had any reaction with them throughout the story so far. The only time I can recall being that when she was reading the children a bedtime story, which was counterproductive and actually revved the children up even more-she didn’t even finish the story! As Kate Chopin has stated in the story, it isn’t the Edna doesn’t love her children, it is more that she doesn’t want to be burdened with having to take care of them. Also, Edna said that although she would give her life for her children, she wouldn’t give herself, which she says are two completely different things. The farther we go into the story, the more we learn about Edna and her relations with the rest of the family.

Pontellier and her children

     In the Awakening Mrs. Pontellier's children are not introduced with names. They are just referred to as "little Pontellier children". Chopin also makes a point to mention "the young man descended the steps and strolled over toward the croquet players..." "the little Pontellier children, who were very fond of him". Chopin saying this shows that one, her children like being around him and not her. Two, Mrs. Pontellier also didn't go see or play with her children, but he did. Also she did not say the names of the children. She just called them croquet players. All of these make it easy to infer the fact that she does not care much for her children. It seems as though they are a bother to her. Chopin states "Mrs. Pontellier was not a mother-women" (11). To me she would rather be off at the beach with people that are not her husband then with her family. She is not a family oriented women.

Figuring Out Edna

Who is Edna Pontellier? Dreary as it is, she is a woman in a not so great marriage, a woman who does not cherish her children with the same conviction as other mothers, and a woman who usually keeps to herself in most situations. No one can deny that she isn't happy with where she is with her life. She doesn't marry for love, that much is obvious. But there lays the question: does Edna even recognize what love is? "She was fond of her children in an uneven, impulsive way. She would sometimes gather them passionately to her heart; she would sometimes forget them... she did not miss them except with an occasional intense longing. Their absence was a sort of relief..." (Chopin 25). It's reasonable to infer that the reason she can't take care of her own children is because she does not have the ability to love and care for them like a mother should. She's had her life paved out for her, or at least, denied of the simplest but most important pleasures such as love. She describes her marriage as "purely an accident" She goes on to say "[Leonce] fell in love, as men are in the habit of doing... his absolute devotion flattered her. She fancied there was a sympathy of thought and taste between them, in which fancy she was mistaken" (Chopin 24). Edna used to believe that Leonce had committed acts of flattery in order to woo her because he truly cared. But the problem is, even if he did do it out of "love", Edna wouldn't be able to recognize it. Edna's mentality is that of a caged animal, not caring or taking note of surroundings, only of the need to escape. Edna wants out, badly, and she pays no regard as to how this affects her husband or children. This is not to say that Edna is a bad person, but the idea that Edna doesn't even recognize or experience love is totally plausible.

This is a pretty accurate representation of Edna's feelings

Edna swimming metaphor

Chapter 10 sees the Pontelliers and the Ratignolles go to the beach, with Robert following behind. Edna wonders why Robert doesn't join them and is upset. When they arrive at the sea, Edna suddenly can swim and is overcome with joy."But that night she was like the little tottering, stumbling, clutching child, who of a sudden realizes its powers, and walks for the first time alone, boldly and with over confidence." (Chopin 37) However, when Edna decides to swim out very far, she suddenly realizes the limit to this happiness. This is a metaphor for her relationship with Mr. Pontellier compared to Robert. When her affair with Robert began, it was like that sudden feeling of happiness that overtook her when she first swam. But, when she swims out too deep, it is her realizing the reality of her marriage, and that she cannot truly be happy.

Loneliness

While continuing to read The Awakening I noticed how Edna feels alone and different from the other characters at Grand Isle. For example whenever Edna goes to the beach she decides to swim away from everyone else. The sea could be an example of what loneliness is like for her. She feels that she has to swim away from everyone else. The quote “Times may have changed, but there are some things that are always with us - loneliness is one of them.”  by Laurie Graham really reminds me of what Edna is going threw. I think that no matter what happens to her she will deep down always not feel complete. Like there is something more or different that she wants. In my opinion I think she should do whatever it takes to feel complete and not be lonely anymore.

"Friend Zoned"

Mrs. Pontellier and Robert are very good friends. They connect way better than Mrs. Pontellier has ever connected with her husband. Just being in each other’s presence, or hanging out, puts them in good spirits and they don’t even realize it. For example, when Mrs. Pontellier invites Robert to join her on a boat ride, Chopin writes, “his face was suffused with a quiet glow when he met her” (Chopin 80).

However, similar to many modern love triangles, Robert is stuck in the friend zone. It is not until he leaves for Mexico that Mrs. Pontellier becomes conscious of her feelings for him. “For the first time she recognized anew the symptoms of infatuation… with the biting conviction that she had lost that which she held, that she had been denied that which her impassioned, newly awakened being demanded” (Chopin 94). She realizes that Robert was the only reason she enjoyed life. He also served as a form of escape from her struggles. Without him, she is falling apart slowly.

The Awakening???(?)

When Edna hears Mademoiselle Reisz play the piano, she experiences something unusual. As explained earlier in chapter nine, Edna has the ability to discern images from pieces of music, such as the solitary man on the sea, or a woman stroking a cat. However, when Edna listens to Mademoiselle Reisz play at the get-together, she gets shivers down her spine and feels something stirring within her, as she experiences something that is inexplicable to her. As the author puts it, “... the very passions themselves were aroused within her soul, swaying it, lashing it, as the waves daily beat upon her splendid body.” I believe these feelings Edna experiences are the reason for the title The Awakening.

Later on, in chapter ten, Edna wonders if she will ever feel the way she did when Mademoiselle Reisz played the piano ever again.She goes into further detail by stating she felt a thousand different emotions, and couldn’t comprehend half of them. I believe this to be foreshadowing a greater event later on in the story, based on the way the author has Edna reflect on the music.

You, you or maybe you

 As the story progresses, Edna begins awaken from a figurative sleep. She reminisces on her childhood, and more specifically, it's relationships. She never had any solid relationships with woman, her mother died when she was a child, and Edna was the middle child of three sisters. She had childhood friends whom were girls, but like most girls that day kept to themselves. The relationships she really likes were the ones with the men. She would fantasize about them as a child, and that is partly why she got married. She hoped marriage would bring her down to Earth, and provide her with politically correct standards of society. Only now, she realizes the she is not cut-out for mother duty, and while she respects her husband, she would much rather be single. It begins to show in her relationship with Robert. She finds herself much more comfortable with him than with her own husband. In chapter seven, Edna shares a moment of intimacy with Adèle, with Adèle caressing her hand, and Edna resting on her shoulder. Edna seems very confused as to what she wants to do with herself, and it could possibly ruin her marriage.

Sea Compared to Loneliness

Chapter 10 is where you first start to understand how Edna feels alone and different from everyone else at Grand Isle. Robert has been giving Edna swimming lessons all summer. When they all go to the beach, Edna is the only one that decides to swim far out in the ocean. “But to her unaccustomed vision the stretch of water behind her assumed the aspect of a barrier which her unaided strength would never be able to overcome,” (Chopin 37). The barrier is the water that separates her and the rest of the people in Grand Isle. She doesn’t feel like she can overcome the barrier because she isn’t happy. She doesn’t want to be a part of the life that’s lived in Grand Isle. She’s not happy with her kids or with her husband. When she is floating in the water she feels alone because she realizes how different she is. She feels like she’s drowning because that isn’t the life she wants. The person standing in this picture reminds of Edna. The person looks so small compared to all this water surrounding them. Edna feels small compared to all these people that hold expectations for how she needs to act.

"The voice of the sea is seductive; never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation.
   The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace." (57, Chopin). The sea seems to be a matter of distraction for Edna. The sea represents Edna's desires and things that tempt her.
      Every time Edna is at the beach or near the sea/ocean, it seems that she is with anyone and everyone but her husband. To me, the sea seems to be a place where she allows herself to become seducted by people she may have secret relations with. "Edna Pontellier could not have told why, wishing to go to the beach with Robert, she should in the first place have declined, and in the second place have followed in obedience to one of the two contradictory impulses which impelled her." ( 56, Chopin). In this sentence, Edna explains she has no reason for why she chose to go to the beach with Robert when she knew she shouldn't have, which shows that it was from pure seduction. Once again, on another page, whilst with Adèle Ratignolle, Chopin writes, "The two women went away one morning to the beach together arm in arm, under huge white sunshade." (58, Chopin). Edna seems to be very friendly with Ratignolle, so maybe these connections to the beach and Robert and Adèle symbolize something more. Edna could possibly be bisexual and the connections with the beach could represent her lifelong temptations that she could never live out due to her religion. The sea could symbolize Edna's sexuality and her suffering through the years pretending to be something she is not.






              

Literary Devices

            Edna often finds herself drifting into her own, imaginary thoughts. These thoughts, often insignificant to the overall plot, add finesse to each chapter, giving the reader description of characters, places, and events. The first time Edna meets Adele Ratignolle, for example, her adoration for Adele’s beauty is shown. “Her beauty was all there…the spun-gold hair that comb nor confining pin could restrain; the blue eyes that were like nothing but sapphires…” (Chopin 11). The reader, from this description, can imagine Adele as physically attractive. Edna is very fond and almost envious of her. In some ways Edna might want to look like her, too! Edna, later, reflects on the summer at Grand Isle, and her meeting of Adele Ratignolle. It is said that, “The excessive physical charm of the Creole had first attracted her, for Edna has a sensuous susceptibility to beauty…” (Chopin 18). Edna, for a time after the summer, repeatedly thought of Adele and her beauty. She was unforgettable in that sense. Perhaps it was because she was a Creole woman, and Edna longed to be one herself. The use of imagery to describe Adele Ratignolle paints a picture for the reader, just one of the many literary devices included in The Awakening. 

From Edna to Adele

Hidden Desires?

In The Awakening, Edna’s sexuality could be questioned. This is because Edna’s homosexuality is becoming more evident as the novel progresses. It is obvious that she has an affection towards Adele Ratignolle. “The excessive physical charm of the Crepole had first attracted her, for Edna had a sensuous susceptibility to beauty. Then the candor of the women’s whole existence, which everyone might read, and which formed so striking a contrast to her own habitual reserve – this might have furnished a link,” (Chopin, 18).

                Then Edna first opens to what exactly she is feeling, and then asks herself why she feels this way, after pondering, she comes to the conclusion that she takes obvious interest in Adele Ratignolle. "That summer at Grand Isle, she began to loosen a little the mantle of reserve that had always enveloped her. There may have been-- there must have been-- influences, both subtle and apparent, working in their several ways to induce her to do this; but the most obvious was the influence of Adele Ratignolle" (Chopin 18).

                As the novel progresses, Edna and Adele make intimate gestures and call each other darling. As they made their way to the beach, the pair went arm in arm. “The two women went away one morning to the beach together, arm in arm, under the huge white sunshade,” (Chopin, 19). Then, as they were talking, “Madame Ratignolle laid her hand over that of Mrs. Pontellier, which was near her. Seeing that the hand was not withdrawn, she clasped it firmly and warmly. She even stroked it a little, fondly, with the other hand, murmuring in an undertone, “Pauvre cherie”,’’ (Chopin, 22). As well as a moment that was interrupted by Robert. “She had put her head down on Madame Ratignolle’s shoulder,” (Chopin, 25).

                As you can see, Edna’s sexuality can be questioned as her homosexuality becomes more evident as the novel progresses.

Edna vs. Adéle

As reading on in the book the big thing that sticks out to me is the difference in everyone in the book. Especially the women compared to Edna. In the book the two woman that to me stick out are Edna, her friend Adèle. Edna a woman who wants to be her own person free from this time where she is nothing but a possession, she tries to show everyone the way it can be the way she believes she should be treated. She isn't like the normal woman and wives of this era she deist want to worship her husband who she didn't even get the chance to choose of she wants to marry him and she didn't get to experience life before having to have children so soon. As you find out about her friend she is the exact opposite she follows the general population of women and their everyday duties to follow orders. Adéle is the typical mother back in those days she nurtures her children and follows what her husband has to say and even gets worried about what he thinks. Unlike Edna even with this because she doesn't are about wait her husband thinks of her she is still going to do it.

The Difficulties of Life

In chapter 4 things really haven't changed for our main character's family. She still doesn't really idolize her children as much as her husband wants her to. He is very dissatisfied about how she raises their children.  We then meet Edna's friend Adele Ratignolle, who is the opposite of Edna. She is the example of a mother who cares and loves her children to death. See Edna has been around creole women because of her husband. He is creole. She isn't entirely comfortable with their customs as  the other women are. She feels like that this whole marriage is a trap and she can't escape it and her kids are the shackles. She was sitting on the porch with her friend Adele and Robert. Then Mr. Pontillier thinks that she should model after her friend. Her escape route is the beach or the ocean. She feels free and that she has no responsibilities whatsoever. She talks walks on it or just sometimes stares at the ocean. The ocean symbolizes life and freedom. That is what she wants out of life is to be free from her life. But the other people feel as that she should do what she is told an take care of her family and not question what she has to do. But she won't do what other people tell her.

Relationships

While reading The Awakening I really felt topic of internal struggles was recurring.In chapters 5 and 6 we see that Mrs. Pontellier is living a lifestyle close to being “dual” And she doesn’t really close to any certain person, but she feels more of a connection to the outer world. On page 7 Mr. Pontellier says “ You look burnt beyond recognition” here we catch one of the many moments and relationships that Mrs. Pontellier loses connection with. Also the sea is a symbol for something that Mrs. Pontellier wants to be, alone and sectioned off from society. As we can tell from Mrs. Pontelliers childhood she likes to keep information to herself and doesn't let her feelings open up to the world around her.

Edna and the Sea

From what can be seen, it would seem as though Edna looks to the ocean as an escape from her current life. She is looking for some beauty in her world. “The excessive physical charm of the Creole had first attracted her, for Edna had a sensuous susceptibility to beauty.” (Chopin 18). She at first saw the life style and culture of Creole life as beautiful from an outsider’s perspective. But once she had felt it firsthand, she found out that she did not like it as much as she might have originally thought she would. This is why she sees the ocean as an escape. “The voice of the sea speaks to the soul.” (Chopin 18). She sees the beauty in the ocean that see might have wished for from Creole life. Edna might see this as the beauty she seeks but feels depraved of in her current life.

Seductive Sea?

While reading The Awakening I’ve felt a poignant relationship between the sea and Edna Pontellier. We all know that Edna is the “elephant in the room”, she is out of place among the Creole people and numerous times throughout the novel this is stated. When Edna returns from the beach, “burnt beyond all recognition” (Chapter 1), we catch a glimpse of how she contrast from the members of high society who work hard to protect themselves from the effects of the sun. Edna wants to be away or apart, or more importantly an individual. In the subsequent chapters, this poignant wish is in reflect in the sea, “The voice of the sea is seductive, never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander to abysses of solitude… to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation” (Chapter 6). The sea shows itself as the awakening and desire in Edna. The voice growing inside Edna is manifesting after spending so much time by the sea, “The voice of the sea speaks to the soul” (Chapter 6). The sea and the time spent by it during this summer seems to play a big role in Edna’s choices this summer and individuality.

Edna the Swimmer

In chapter 10, Edna Pontellier is at the beach with Robert LeBrun. This is when she learns to swim for the very first time. She says, “’Why did I not discover before that it was nothing. Think of all the time I have lost splashing around like a baby.’ She would not join the groups in their sports and bouts, but intoxicated with her newly conquered power, she swam out alone,” (Chopin 37). She feels empowered by being able to swim. She’s gaining control of her body and it’s potential. However, she starts to swim out too far and gets frightened that she will drown. Although she doesn’t go out that far, as Robert tells her, it was far to her for being a new swimmer. Her being able to swim is a metaphor for the awakening she’s experiencing within her soul and the fear of drowning represents her being scared of her new found want to change and grow. She’s worried about where this journey in life will take her.

Awakening Post #2

It seems that Edna Pontellier is up to something that only her and Robert Lebrun know about. Apparently nobody thought anything of it. Robert was "living in her shadow". Since Robert lived with a woman every summer, nobody was suspicious. Mrs. Pontellier could spend time with him since he had been living with her friend Madame Ratignolle. From the hints the author gives, it is pretty obvious Lebrun and Edna are up to something. "...Robert and Mrs. Pontellier sitting idle, exchanging occasional words, glances or smiles which indicated a certain advanced stage of intimacy and camaraderie" (Chopin 13). From the looks of this, Edna and Robert seem to be more than friends.

If Mr. Pontellier finds out that Edna and Robert are in love, there could be a possible divorce. Edna's weird interests are all that consume her thoughts. she has no thoughts of her husband or children. "She had long wished to try herself on Madame Ratignolle. Never had that lady seemed a more tempting subject than at the moment, seated there like some sensuous Madonna, with the gleam of the fading day enriching her splendid color" (Chopin 15). Does Edna have feelings for Madame Ratignolle? Her thoughts seemed to be mixed and forbidden in this time period. If anyone is to find out about Edna's feelings for other people besides her spouse, what will happen to her?

The Awakening Post #2

While reading the novel, The Awakening, I realized that Mrs. Pontellier is very similar to Kate Chopin. Both Kate and the character she created are French woman. The novel explains her French background. Also they both have bad luck when it comes to relationships. Mrs. Pontellier is married to a man that she is not in love with. I believe that her marriage was arranged and there was never any feelings between them. Her husband does not care if she flirts and spends the night with other men. Kate Chopin had a healthy relationship at first but then, unfortunately, her husband passed away. This traumatic event led her to depression. They both seemed like very depressed people and this quote explains the way they feel. "There were days when she was unhappy, she did not know why- when it did not seem worth while to be glad or sorry, to be alive or dead; when life appeared to her like a grotesque pandemonium and humanity like worms struggling blindly toward inevitable annihilation." (The Awakening) I have come to think that Kate Chopin expressed her feelings through Mrs. Pontellier.

Betrayel and Concern

I feel that Mrs. Pontellier is starting to get more annoyed with the way that she was living before. When she was laying on the hammock and Mr. Pontellier was telling her to come in “she heard him moving about the room; every sound indicating impatience and irritation. Another time she would have gone at his request. She would, through habit, have yielded to his desire; not with any sense of submission or obedience to his compelling wishes, but unthinkingly, as we walk, move, sit, stand, go through the daily treadmill of the life which has been portioned out to us.” (page 41). I think she finally realized how much she just doing whatever he wanted her to do. She was concerned that she was following other things that he was telling her to do. The longer she stays with Robert, the farther apart Mrs. Pontellier and Mr. Pontellier became in their relationship. When she found out that Robert was going to Mexico she felt betrayed. I think that’s because she doesn’t want to have to spend more time with her husband.  

Solace by the Sea

              It is no secret that Mrs. Pontellier is a wise woman, understanding the complicated ways and difficulties of life. Also as shown on page 49 where she breaks down into an overwhelming river of tears— a distressed woman. Her marriage is not perfect one as I explained in my previous blog post, and when there is not a significant other for comfort and support through difficult times; it is necessary to have some sort of relief to get away from. Mrs. Pontellier obliges to Roberts request for her to join him on a stroll to the sea. Chopin describes the sea as a sort of solace for Mrs. Pontellier, “The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace.”(Chopin 57). I fell that Chopin’s description of the sea is one that could be a description of a lover, maybe it is depicted this way because of Mrs. Pontellier’s lack of a comforting lover, so the ocean is a substitute for it. Since her husband will not wrap her up in a warm embrace, the ocean will instead.

                In class we were informed to try and understand the symbolism of large bodies of water, and in this situation, I feel that the ocean is a solace in Mrs. Pontelliers stressful and hard to understand life.

The Men of Mrs. Pontellier

Throughout the novel, The Awakening, it is evident that the men in Edna's life impact her life in multiple ways. After giving it some thought, it is clear that each male in her life brings out a different side of her. Leonce brings out a negative side of her, especially when she is told to stay at home. For example, on page 60, Leonce goes out to eat dinner at a club after a brief argument between the two, leaving her to stay at home. She enjoys the loneliness, but as she enters a room of her house, she angrily throws her ring on the ground and steps on it as she breaks a vase. Edna's father draws out a similar side of Edna, however, this is only when serious matters are brought up. "Edna and her father had a warm, and almost violent dispute upon the subject of her refusal to attend her sister's wedding (Chopin 96). Although this argument brings about a hostile mood between them, beforehand, they had a perfectly fine relationship enough that, "When Doctor Mandalet dined with the Pontelliers on Thursday he could discern in Mrs. Pontellier  no trace of that morbid condition which her husband had reported to him (Chopin 93). Even Victor Lebrun makes her feel something that other males don't. She felt uncomfortable, "...like a confederate in crime..." (Chopin 81). Robert brings out two sides of her, depending on whether or not he is in her life. In the beginning of the novel, she feels adventurous and rebellious, seeing as how she spends an entire day with Robert without even giving a second thought about her husband. However, after Robert leaves to go to Mexico, she feels only desire. Only after he leaves, does she realize , "...the symptoms of infatuation...(Chopin 61). Almost every male she encounters, brings out a different side of her, resulting in the reader unable to understand who she really is.

Annoyed With Her Life

I think that the longer Edna hangs out with Robert she starts to dislike her life more and more. In the beginning of the book she seems to be tolerant of her life and now she is showing her annoyance. Chopin writes, “Another time she would have gone in at his request. She would, through habit, have yielded to his desire; not with any sense of submission or obedience to his compelling wishes, but unthinkingly,” (page 42). Edna had refused to listen to Mr. Pontellier and go inside and sleep. I think her stubbornness appeared after she had gone swimming and for the first time in a while felt freedom. She wanted to feel that for as long as possible and did not want reality to take it away yet so she stayed outside. If she had listened to Mr. Pontellier then she would give up that feeling and go back to her normal life.

Miserable

To many, Mr. Pontellier seems to be a great husband and person. He checked on his children when he got home the one night, and suspected his son had a fever. His children hang on his legs when he has to leave for work. Everybody in the town would make sure they said good-bye to him when he left for New Orleans. He is thoughtful of others. As he was preparing to leave he stated, “Oh! We’ll treat Sister Janet better than that, my dear” (Chopin 9).  He wanted to make sure they got Janet a good gift. When he went to New Orleans, he sent a box full of items to his family which he seemed to do every time. The ladies in town were praising how good he was of a husband. “Mrs. Pontellier was forced to admit that she knew of none better” (Chopin 9). The ladies seem to like him more than she does. Even though he is a good man and is respected very much, Edna is living a miserable life. She stayed up one night and cried. She has a good life, but she hates it. It is obvious that it’s not the life she wants.

Is everyone cut out to be a parent, even if they want to?

Mrs. Pontellier, as seen in previous chapters, lacks a relationship with her children. There could be multiple causes for this, and one may be she simply just is not able to. Some people are not cut out to be parents, for lack of a better term. "Mrs. Pontellier made them carry her paints and things into the house. She sought to detain them for a little talk and some pleasantry. But they were greatly in earnest. They had only come to investigate the contents of the bonbon box. They accepted without murmuring what she told to give to them..." (Chopin, 16). As seen here Mrs. Pontellier tries to have a conversation with her children, she tries to form some kind of relation or some kind of compatibility with them, but it seems almost impossible. It could be possible if it were another person. The children seem to be able to form a great relationship with thier nanny. It is also possible that Mrs. Pontellier never spent enough time with the children when they were young thus never building up this relationship

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The Lovers and The Lady in Black

In the book, Chopin speaks of "the lovers" quite frequently. Immediately following, "the lady in black" is mentioned.  In chapter eight Chopin writes, "The lovers were just entering the grounds of the pension. They were leaning toward each other as the water-oaks bent from the sea. There was not a particle of earth beneath their feet... The lady in black, creeping behind them, looked a trifle paler  and more jaded than usual" (Chopin 28). This scene was when Madame Ratignolle was trying to convince Robert to let Mrs. Pontellier alone. Robert refused. Again in chapter 12, the lovers and the lady in black are mentioned, "The lovers, who had laid their plans the night before, were already strolling toward the wharf. The lady in black, with her Sunday prayer book... was following them at no great distance" (Chopin 43). I think the lovers are Mrs. Pontellier and Robert. The lady in black could be Mrs. Pontellier's consciences or society. It seems as though the lady in black is always following the lovers wherever they go. Society does not allow for affairs, and maybe Mrs. Ponellier knows what she's doing wrong, and she has a guilty conscience. Throughout the book, the lovers and the lady in black are always mentioned together. 

The Farival Twins and The Parrot

The Farival twins first appear in page three of The Awakening, where they play on a piano "The Poet and the Peasant" and "Zampa". But they also reappear in page thirty-one, where they play the same songs on the piano. Now this can be concluded as a mere coincidence, after all those could possibly be the only two songs they know - but it isn't only the music that correlates. Near both mentions of the Farival Twins is the parrot that at both times shrieks, "Allez vous-en! Sapristi!" (Chopin 31), which translates to "Go away! By God!". Both of these songs have a very fast paced and light hearted melody, and the parrot's words bring a slight uncomfortable and conflicting message. Perhaps the parrot is a metaphor to Edna and the twins represent the side of the Creole culture she doesn't identify with? Especially since the first mention of the parrot was a nuisance to Mr. Pontellier.

Control

        Edna starts to test how much control she really has of how she lives when Mr.Pontellier comes to the cottage late at night and finds her outside on the hammock. He tells her it's one in the morning and basically demamds that she has to come inside with him.  Edna stands up to Mr.Pontellier for the first time in their marriage. She even states “ I mean to stay out here. I don't wish to go in, and I don't intend to. Don't speak to me like that again; I shall not answer you.Eventually the pressure of situation sinks in, and the uncomfortable hammock she began to head up back to the house. As she goes inside to bed Mr.Pontellier bumps his ego even more with his comment that he will go to bed after he finishes his cigar. I believe he want to prove that he can choose what his bedtime is or isn't. Edna doesn't have that choose because of the boundaries a women has during this time.