Mrs Pontellier In Her Place example essay topic

Alfred Roberts Eng. 102-H Dr. Daniels 4/17/00 Edna's Attempts for Happiness Kate Chopin's The Awakening deals with a young wife living in common days and times. Where every man works and provides for his family and the woman's primary focus was the care of her children and other household duties that women were responsible for in those days. The main character of this novel, Edna Pontellier, struggles from day to day to try and establish herself as an individual in the midst of women following tradition and who were satisfied with being a mother and a wife.

In every instance that Edna was awaken to what she thrived for out of life, her husband, her friends, or the society in which she d welled tried to find a way to relinquish her dreams and bring Edna back down to the other common wives and mothers. Through all of the efforts made to keep Edna a commoner, it opened her eyes to what she was aspiring to become and how her children, husband, or friends would not prevent this from occurring. Mrs. Pontellier's husband, Mr. Leone Pontellier, was the typical male image in those days. His thoughts were since he provided for the family, the least Edna could do was look after the children. One scenario in the novel when Mr. Pontellier believed his son had a fever, he literally puts Mrs. Pontellier in her place by stating his views the conventions of this time". If it was not a mother's place to look after children, whose on earth was it?" (Chopin 9).

Mr. Pontellier resembles John in the story " A Yellow Wallpaper", by Charlotte Perkins Gillman, in the sense that both did not want their wives to reach their true potential and to prevent this from occurring they used mind games to try and keep the wives below them. In both cases these acts were the most painful ones, but also pushed both wives into the direction of change and individuality amongst other common individuals. The friends that Mrs. Pontellier associated with were not many, but closet one to her was a man by the name of Robert. Robert was like a true friend in the beginning of their relationship. Feelings started to form from both directions and eventually they fell in love with each other.

Now the problem with Robert was that he let his reputation and how would be looked upon in the "society" to be the primary focal point in his life. This really hurts Edna, but in the same sense served as another stepping stone toward her obtaining that individualism she wanted and strived for. As stated before, the society in which Mr. and Mrs. Pontellier lived was one that had little to no variety saying that men worked and women stayed at home. Madame Ratigonelle and Madame Reis z were the true believers and followers of keeping the woman in her place.

I believe that they did not want to risk the ruining of their reputation and did not have the strength to try and make a change. The beliefs they had were passed down from generation to generation and so even if they felt like Mrs. Pontellier they would not admit it and risk being looked down on by the others on the Isle. Mrs. Pontellier had been through some situations that really strengthened her mind, spirit, and well being. Even though it was her own husband and friends that put her through most of these circumstances it made hunger and thirst for that person she wanted to become and do whatever it called for to sacrifice she was willing. In the end, she was able to spread her wings and soar throughout life in any direction or spectrum she chose.