Journal for Chopin (pt.2)
English 48B
March 3, 2011
“She did not look back now, but went on and on, thinking of the bluegrass meadow that she had traversed when a little child, believing that it had no beginning and no end” (625).
“Unlike many of the feminist writers of her time who were mainly interested in improving the social conditions of women, she looked for an understanding of personal freedom that questioned conventional demands of both men and women. Additionally, she did not limit her exploration of freedom to physical emancipation (i.e., husbands controlling wives through the traditional expectations of motherhood), but also intellectual autonomy (i.e., women having political opinions taken seriously).” (Biography of Chopin from Classic Literature.com)
In the second part of the Awakening Edna begins a spiral of downward selfishness when she chooses to move out of her beautiful home and in to a “pigeon house” around the block. She throws a dinner party celebrating her 29th birthday, and move into her new home. Edna pays a few visits to Madame Ratignolle and eventually finds out that Robert is planning to move back to New Orleans. Edna also discovers that Robert has been writing to Madame Ratignolle (mainly about Edna). Edna is overwhelmed with emotion, and she runs in to him a few days after his return. She confesses her love for him, and he does in return. Edna fantasizes about running away with Robert, but her dream is cut short when she is interrupted with the news that her friend, Adele, is giving birth to her child and she requests the company of Edna. She adamently goes but promises Robert a quick return. Edna stays by Adele’s side and is horrified with the painful birth she see’s. Afterwards Edna returns to Robert’s place only to find that he has gone and left a note saying he loves her and goodbye. Edna heads to the beach, undresses, and swims out to deep water where she becomes overwhelmed and drowns.
In the beginning of the story I had sympathy towards Edna, because I thought that she was just an innocent woman who had lost her sense of self with the marriage of her husband and birth of her two children, but as I finished the story I was left feeling less pity towards her because of her reckless actions and childlike decisions. I do admire Edna’s courageousness and willingness to go against the norms of society, but often times I didn’t think that Edna felt remorse or considered the repercussions of the things she did. She was almost like a child in this “awakening” and failed to consider the emotions of anyone around her. For instance, while Edna’s husband is away for work, Edna decides to have an affair with another man, and fantasize about Robert. She feels no pity or guilt for thinking about other men this way, and even writes to her husband as if everything in their marriage is A-okay! Chopin writes, “Edna wrote a charming letter to her husband, telling him of her intention to move for a while into the little house around the block, and give a farewell dinner before leaving” (599). I find it ridiculous and so selfish that Edna would send such a devastating letter to her caring husband in such “cheerfulness”. She does not at all consider the feelings of her husband, and moves out of her home without even talking to him about it. Furthermore, Edna is selfish in the sense that she never really cares for a children. In fact, the children are hardly ever mentioned in the story, and when they are...the dialogue usually consists of the children entering and Edna exciting shortly after! Without any remorse, Edna ships her children off to their grandmothers, and when she leaves after visiting them she feels a sort of cheerfulness! Any sane mother would feel devastated to have to leave her children, but like the selfish woman that she is, Edna feels happy (almost like she is fulfilling her “duty” as a mother).
Overall, I saw several instances of selfishness and immaturity through Edna, and I didn’t feel much remorse for her in the final scene of the “awakening”.
