Tag: The Awakening

In my opinion I didn’t like the ending. I don’t think it was either option with some critics viewing her suicide as a failure to escape from conventions of society or that it was a final awakening, ‘a decision to give herself to the sea in a show of strength and independence that defies social expectation’. At the beginning of the book it is saying that she doesn’t like having to follow the norms of the society at the time, with women being mothers and housewives. The book says that even the husband didn’t like how his wife acted, not like she was meant to as she “evinced so little interest in things which concerned him” (8) and that she had a “habitual neglect of the children” (8). He questioned as to “if it was not a mother’s place to look after children, whose on earth was it?” (8) as she wasn’t doing her ‘duty’ as required by the time period. Then she had an awakening “she could not have told why she was crying… an indescribable oppression, which seemed to generate in some unfamiliar part of her consciousness, filled her whole being with vague anguish” (10) which made her realise this is not what she wanted for herself. 

Then under the guise of self discovery, she started to have feelings towards another man, Robert, then the feeling of lust for another and then she gained more independence when she moved out of her house and lived by herself. When Robert returned, they got together. Then when Robert was asleep when she returned, rather than what she expected, which was apparently to stay up and wait for her, she went to the beach and killed herself. 

The opposing views on this is that it was a failure to escape the societal norms or as a final awakening. In my opinion it was neither. She started by not wanting to play the typical role of a woman in that time period, and she didn’t want to be reliable on the men, so she broke away from that and was more ‘free’ but then she instantly got tied down to 2 men and ‘in love’ with one. Then she killed herself because of the men showing how she still relies on the men in her life to care for her and show her attention. There is no independence in that at all. She is a weak character that needs to rely on others, which is an example of part of how women were meant to be like in society.

Obviously, I am looking at this book from a more modern perspective as maybe during the time this was written it was a great example of feminism but to me if this book is meant to be a feminist novel, the only feminist ideal it shows is that women want to be independent, not that they can successfully be independent- with the exception of Mademoiselle Reiz, who I think is the only strong example of an ‘independent’ women of that time period. The book could easily be labeled as a romance and make more sense. It feels as if the only way the author can think to be feminist is separation from the husband as a first act of independence, an affair and including more men into the story. Obviously, this was written a while ago and the views were different but surely they realise that independence does not mean an affair and a divorce- but not really. In order to make it more feminist, the character of Edna can changed completely and Robert and the other man can be taken out of the book, in order to be more successful.

Task 1: In Chapter 20, Victor remarked that Edna, in “some way she doesn’t seem like the same woman.” Find two images online to show what you think Edna looks like at the beginning of the book and at this point of the novel. Feel free to include relevant quotes to show changes in her character.

In Chapter 19, it says that “she began to do as she liked and to feel as she liked… She made no ineffectual efforts to conduct her housend en bonne menagere, going and coming as it suited her fancy…” (89) which was different to how she was before as she would act as a typical housewife even though she didn’t like it, hence why she was said to “not [be] a mother-woman” (12) and her husband “thought it was very discouraging that his wife… evinced so little interest in things which concerned him” (8). From the beginning of the book she was just acting as best as she could as the wife she was meant to be, but there are statements which show that she wasn’t the best at it, as quoted above. Once she has a breakdown and realises a few things about herself she is more free like what was said on page 89, which is the reason why Victor said that “she doesn’t seem like the same women” (96).

Task 2: In Chapter 21, we see a description of the apartment of Mademoiselle Reisz. Find an image online that you think best represents her apartment. Discuss how this apartment is symbolic of another type of life, a different type of life that Edna might be yearning for. [around 200 words]

I don’t think there is a clear picture of her apartment as it seems to be a type of place that is individual to the person, and in the apartment it’s not perfectly designed and everything is not matched. It still seems like a nice place and looking nice but more personal with well worn items like the “rare old buffet, dingy and battered from a hundred years of use” (97), and items that the woman might have found and picked up without too much care about what it would look like amongst the place. I feel like she cares more for the significance of items rather than materialistic and having a perfectly designed place with everything in pristine condition. I feel like Edna might like that idea as she hasn’t got the freedom to do so, and in a way the apartment represents the freedom she is lacking, so she might wish she had that type of life that Mademoiselle Reisz has. 

Task 3: Imagine you are Robert; write the letter that we read about in Chapter 21, the letter that was written to Mademoiselle, the letter that made Edna cry uncontrollably. [around 300 words]

Dear Mademoiselle Reisz,

I am enjoying my stay in Mexico. It was the right decision to leave, Mrs. Pontellier was in my thoughts too often for a friendship and I feel I could not have stayed a moment longer, for fear of doing something I know I should not. Have you see Mrs. Pontellier? How is she looking? Do write back and tell me though, I suppose your words will be a poor replacement for her true self, I hope it will bring me comfort. 

She asked me to write to her but everytime I pick up my pen, I lose control of my hand and end up writing something she should not know. The embodiment of the yearning I feel. Something I should not say. I almost did, during our last conversation, but I stopped myself. I will come to regret that, I feel, maybe I should have said something before I left. Though it is probably best I didn’t, it would have soured the already bittersweet parting. I kept away from her the day I left. Kept silent and kept mystery about myself, as Mrs. Pontellier once said that day. I hoped it would ease the sorrow I felt. I never spoke to her much, except for goodbye. Such a painful word, in my experience.

Maybe once you receive this letter, you could show her? Then again, perhaps not, I know nothing of her feelings. Maybe if I return, things could be different. Anyhow, if Mrs. Pointellier should call upon you, play for her that Impromptu of Chopin’s, my favourite. I heard it here a day or two ago, but not as you play it. I would like to know how it affects her. I have a feeling she will appreciate the freedom of the piece.

Give Mrs. Pontellier my best, should you see her. Hopefully my next letter to you will be one of more positive contents, when my head has been cleared of my thoughts of her. Though don’t get your hopes up. I feel as if that is an impossible task.

Kindest Regards,

Robert Lebrun

Prediction before I read the story

It might be something quick and unexpected because of the time in the title, it might be something important because ‘story of an hour’ can be a phrase people use to say something is important like ‘man of the hour’

Summary

A woman finds out her husband dies. She weeps and spend her time alone but something comes to her, like a thought or realisation. She realises how better she feels, how she is free now. When she leaves the room, now she has come to the positive realisation, the door to her house opens and there is her husband; alive. When she sees him, she dies of a heart condition as she was happy before when she thought he was dead.

Predication after I read the story

I think I was kind of right how it was something like ‘man of the hour’ because in a way the husband who died was the man of the hour and that means he was important at that time which he was, as she was happy he died. Also it was something quick as it went from something amazing to something bad quickly and it was unexpected that he came back. Also if you call something the story of the hour, it would usually mean that it something amazing and positive which this story was to her, until her husband came back.