The Awakening Character Analysis Essay - 1339 Words

Throughout the novel â€Å"The Awakening† by Kate Chopin, the main character, Edna Pontellier travels through her journey of finding herself. A complete foil to Edna’s open-mindedness, her friend, Adà ©le Ratignolle is one of the most influential characters on Edna’s awakening. Remaining a static character throughout the plot, her devotion to her family, conventional and set-in-her-ways behavior, and candidness make her an interesting character with a hidden, but deep impact on the plot. While Edna is seen to be distant from her family and friends to a point of being uncaring, Madame Ratignolle is devoted to her husband, children, and her friends. Beside her husband at the dinner table, among others, â€Å"[Madame Ratignolle] was keenly interested†¦show more content†¦To obtain release from the jaws of her motherly and marital responsibilities is what Edna wants, and Madame Ratignolle’s statement indirectly encourages her to do so. Madame Ratign olle is very devoted to the people around her, but she is also very conventional. She always abides by what is expected of her. For instance, while discussing children with Edna, she says, â€Å"a woman who would give up her life for her children could do no more than that— your Bible tells you so† (89). Living in a Christian society, Madame Ratignolle is expected to live the way described in the Bible. Since the Bible expects that a woman should be willing to give up her life for her children, according to Madame Ratignolle, she must be willing to do just that. This concept shows her commitment to religious conventions. In addition, when Robert announces that he is going to Mexico, Edna is distraught and goes to her room. Madame Ratignolle follows her and says, â€Å"Are you not coming down? Come on dear; it doesn’t look friendly† (83). Her attempt to get Edna to return to the dinner table seems like an act of kindness and support for Edna. However, it i s also an attempt to keep up conventional appearances. Madame Ratignolle knows that it is not appropriate in this society for Edna to leave the table and go to her room, and she is trying to persuade herShow MoreRelatedWolffs Analysis of Chopins The Awakening647 Words   |  3 PagesWolff’s Analysis of Chopin’s The Awakening In her essay Un-Utterable Longing: The Discourse of Feminine Sexuality in Kate Chopins The Awakening, Cynthia Griffin Wolff creates what Ross Murfin describes as a critical whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. (376) By employing a variety of critical approaches (including feminist, gender, cultural, new historicism, psychoanalytic and deconstruction) Wolff offers the reader a more complete (albeit complex) explanation of Edna PontelliersRead MoreAnalysis Of Hildebrand s The Feminine Sea 1323 Words   |  6 Pagesoverlaps of these. 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