Final Response

The Awakening by Kate Choplin is an amazing and detailed story with plenty of symbolism about a woman trying and wanting very much to break away from the life of the expected woman of the time period. The book is based around the late 1800's, where women were expected to be married, have children and tend to their every need and be ordered by men, mostly their husbands. But Edna is definitely not like that, although she starts out with a husband who she marries to rebel against her father and sister becasue she did not like the man she wanted to marry. She then has children with her husband, and then she comes along a man named Robert, who at first she pushes away but in the end she wants him more than anything and feels hopeless without. Before she falls completely head over heels with Roberts she begin to dislike and becomes insanely annoyed of Mr. Pontellier, her husband to the point where she tries to crush there wedding ring because she is so unhappy. Edna is not even happy with her children. She likes her children but does not care and mother them like she should. It really seems like she is very depressed and does not know what love really is or even how to love. One thing that really leads to her depression is the fact that she keeps so much to herself, and the only thing that makes her calm and brings her peace is the ocean.

"She heard the barking of an old dog that was chained to he sycamore tree. The spurs of the cavalry officer clanged as he walked across the porch. There was the hum of bees, and the musky odor of pinks filled the air."

"She heard the barking of an old dog that was chained to he sycamore tree. The spurs of the cavalry officer clanged as he walked across the porch. There was the hum of bees, and the musky odor of pinks filled the air." - page 128

As Mrs. Pontellier swam out into the sea she began thinking about everything all at once as she got farther and farther away from the shore and as she began tiring from swimming. She maybe refers to the old dog on a leech chained to a tree as her in her life she lived that she did not want. Always having to keep to herself, and the officer being someone she possibly being the doctor that she could have confided everything in. But then she hears humming bee's through all the craziness and musky calming scent, where she has found happiness and peace.

"She thought of Leonce and the children. They were apart of her life. But they need not have thought that they could posses her, body and soul."

"She thought of Leonce and the children. They were apart of her life. But they need not have thought that they could posses her, body and soul." - page 128

Mrs. Pontellier is swimming in the sea in her calming and soothing place of all the places in the world. And as she is swimming she things of Mr. Pontellier and their children and how they did not mean as much to her as they should have. They did not mean enough for her to want to stay around and be with them as she should have been, although for a long period of her life they were in it and yet they never meant much to her.

"you seem to me to be in trouble. I am not going to ask for our confidence. I will only say that if ever you feel moved to give it to me, perhaps I might help you."

"you seem to me to be in trouble. I am not going to ask for our confidence. I will only say that if ever you feel moved to give it to me, perhaps I might help you." - page 123

The family doctor for Mr. Pontellier says this to Mrs. Pontellier. Her husband had went to the doctor to see if her could figure out what was wrong with her and bothering her. But the doctor only told him to leave her be and let her alone. Bascially the family doctor is going behind her husbands back to see what is wrong with her to maybe see if it is another man or whatever may be bothering Mrs. Pontellier.

"The voice of the sea is seductive, never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting to the soul to wonder in abysses of solitude."

"The voices of the sea is seductive, never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting to the soul to wonder in abysses of solitude." - page 127

Mrs. Pontellier feels that through everything that complicates her life which causes her depression and makes her completely unhappy she feels that the ocean is the one thing she can come to and takes her mind completely away from all the heart break and unhappiness of her life. It soothes her and comforts and is practically the only thing in the world that can bring her to peace. The ocean is definitely something for her that symbolizes peace and solitude.

"To-day it is Arobin; to-morrow it will be some one else."

"To-day it is Arobin;  to-morrow it will be some one else." - page 126

Mrs. Pontellier says this, and when she says this she is saying how she believes that it does not matter who thinks they love her like Arobin or her husband. One day someone will care for her and love her or just be very emotionally attached to her, and the next day it could be someone else. But that does not matter to her, all the matter's is Robert and her love for him. No one or nothing could matter but him and with out that she feels so hopeless and completely unwanted.

"In some way you seem to me like a child, Edna. You seem to act without a certain amount of reflection which is necessary in this life."

"In some ways yous eem to me like a child, Edna. You seem to act without a certain amount of reflection which is necessary in this life." - page 106

Mademoiselle says this to Mrs. Pontellier. She says this to her explaining how Mrs. Pontellier thinks like child, with the way she acts and thinks on impulse. In other words she does not think before she acts. Which in life its key that a person or adult think before acting so they do not get judged or criticized for doing wrong or out of the ordinary. Which is exactly how Mrs. Pontellier is, she acts upon what she thinks for herself and not for the other around her.