"American Women Writers at the Turn of the Century"

2002 / 2003

Kate Chopin’s The Awakening – The Influence of Family, Friends
and Lovers on Edna Pontellier’s Awakening

by

Emel Elbek

Table of Contents

1. Introduction 3

2. The Influence of Family, Friends and Lovers on Edna Pontellier’s Awakening 4
2.1. Edna’s Family 4
2.1.1. Léonce Pontellier 4
2.1.2. Raoul and Etienne Pontellier 5
2.2. Edna’s Friends 7
2.2.1 Madame Ratignolle 7
2.2.2 Mademoiselle Reisz 9
2.3. Edna’s Lovers 10
2.3.1. Robert Lebrun 11
2.3.2. Alcée Arobin 12

3. Conclusion 14

4. Bibliography 15

1. Introduction

There is no denying the fact that Kate Chopin’s novel The Awakening represents one of the milestones in women’s literature. Like numerous other late nineteenth century novels and essays written by females, The Awakening caused heated discussions as far as women’s liberation and its presentation in literature is concerned. Literary criticism ranged from sympathy and admiration for the main character Edna Pontellier to rejection and disapproval of her behavior: Many considered The Awakening as a “a first-rate novel”¹ while others ridiculed Edna Pontellier’s awakening as “a champagne-like performance.”²

In The Awakening, Edna Pontellier undergoes a development towards independence and individuality - the awakening of her self. This internal progress results from external factors such as experiences with fellow human beings. In other words, Edna’s awakening cannot be fully understood without taking the social factor – her surroundings – into consideration.

It therefore seems appropriate to look closely into her immediate environment, her family, first. To what extent do her husband Léonce Pontellier and her children Raoul and Etienne contribute to Edna’s awakening? The second category of persons surrounding her are her friends Madame Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz. How great is these females’ impact on the evolution from Mrs. Pontellier to Edna? And finally, how much do Edna’s lovers Robert Lebrun and Alcée Arobin affect the awakening of Edna’s self? These are the questions I will try to answer in this paper. 

2. The Influence of Family, Friends and Lovers on Edna Pontellier’s Awakening

2.1. Edna’s family

If we consider the function of the persons in surrounding Edna, we can subdivide them into three different groups whereas her family, i.e. her husband Léonce Pontellier and her children Raoul and Etienne represent the first group. Being the persons in her immediate environment, they exert an influence on Edna’s personality and her awakening.

2.1.1 Léonce Pontellier

Already the introductory lines of the novel illustrate the significance of marriage in general and the relation between wife and husband in particular. In order to provide an insight into late nineteenth century marriages, Chopin employs a bird imagery: The parrot, a symbol of beauty and value, represents the wife, who, according to the Victorian female ideal of the Angel in the House is considered to be the pillar within the family. Her value stems from her indispensability as far as housekeeping and upbringing of the children are concerned.

However, this beautiful and entertaining wild bird is doomed to live in a cage and can never enjoy the privileges of freedom and independence. Edna’s cage is her marriage to Léonce Pontellier, who is her legitimate proprietor “looking at her as one looks at a valuable piece of personal property” ³ and regarding her as “the sole object of his existence.”⁴

At the beginning of the novel, Edna seems to have come to terms with the restrictions and norms marriage entails. When she married Léonce, she thought that she was stepping into “the world of reality, closing the portals forever behind her upon the realm of romance and dreams.”⁵ As Elaine Showalter points out, “Edna has married Léonce primarily to secure a fatherly protector who will not make too many domestic, emotional, or sexual demands on her.”⁶

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1 Eble, Kenneth. “A Forgotten Novel: Kate Chopin’s The Awakening.” In Critical Essays on Kate Chopin, ed. Petry, Alice Hall. New York: G. K. Hall & Co., 1996, p. 76.

2 Pollard, Percival. “Their Day in Court.” In Petry, Alice Hall (ed.), p. 68. 

3 Culley, Margo (ed.). Kate Chopin – The Awakening. An Authoritative Text, Biographical and Historical Contexts, Criticism. 2nd ed, New York/London: W.W. Norton & Company, 1994, p. 4.

4 Ibid.,p. 7.

5 Ibid., p. 19.

6 Showalter, Elaine. “Tradition and the Female Talent: The Awakening as a Solitary Book.” In New Essays on The Awakening, ed. Martin, Wendy. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1988, p. 49.