“The Awakening” was a short read, almost 1/7 of “Anna Karenina”. Obviously, the plot of “Anna Karenina” was deeper, detailed, and interesting. However, considering the shortness of “The Awakening”, the short read was also quite a deep read, similar to “Anna Karenina”. I think that out of all books we read, I was able to feel the conflict between the protagonist and society the most.
I think I felt this conflict the most when Edna’s husband was explained through the eyes of other people. The last two sentences of Chapter III were simple, yet displayed this conflict very well: “And the ladies . . . all declared that Mr. Pontellier was the best husband in the world. Mrs. Pontellier was forced to admit that she knew of none better” [p.9]. This conflict was further strengthened by a sentence in Chapter IV: “In short, Mrs. Pontellier was not a mother-woman” [p.9]. Obviously, Edna and Madame Ratignolle were opposites in this quality, as Madame Ratignolle would sacrifice herself for her children while Edna would not. Also, not being a mother-woman was against Mr. Pontellier’s view on a proper wife, which included him wanting Edna to maintain the family and care for their children.
When Edna fell in love with Robert, she became a victim of society. However, despite this fact, she did not stop her love towards him, but Robert tried to escape. I was wondering what this represented of Robert. Did it show that his love towards Edna was not as strong, or did it show that he had a stronger view of society? Although I think it is the second, I was thinking whether if it also had the first meaning as well.
I also wondered about Mr. Pontellier, thinking whether he too was a factor leading Edna to her death, other than ‘trapping’ her by being her husband. He was a good husband in the eyes of many, but Edna was not satisfied due to him having a backward view on a wife’s position and not being able to understand her. These faults too could have made Edna feel devastated.
This book was almost dominated by Edna’s confusion which eventually led to a tragic end. I think I did not enjoy this book as much due to this reason as it made me feel trapped in her head and could not make different perspectives. On the other hand, I simply may have wanted something interesting like “Anna Karenina” which was a favorite among many in our class.
Excellent, Ian!