Edna Pontellier's Role In The Awakening

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Edna Pontellier, the central character in Kate Chopin’s, The Awakening functions biologically as a female; she is a housewife and mother of two boys. However, evidence points in the direction of her falling more towards the masculine end of the gender spectrum. Throughout the book, Edna’s various “string of performances as a man propose that gendering derives from deliberate imitation” (Runzo 2). Through her physical appearance, dialogue, and actions, Edna repeals her role as the conventional Victorian woman and obtains a masculine identity in order to thrive in the patriarchal society that constricts and surrounds her.
Chopin utilizes specific words and phrases to paint Edna in a masculine light. We get our first clear description of her …show more content…

“…Madam Ratignolle possessing the more feminine and matronly figure.” (33) Following these lines, a further description of Edna is revealed and one sentence sums up her entire appearance. “A casual and indiscriminating observer, in passing, might not cast a second glance upon the figure” (33). Edna is not viewed as womanly here; compared to Adele; she is rather plain and far less feminine, thus hardly attracting attention from male passerby. Edna chooses simple clothes to wear in the book, for she does not want the other characters to view her as the typical …show more content…

Leonce and she get into an argument concerning her sleeping in the hammock outside their house. Leonce continuously insists that she come inside, yet she keeps refusing. Eventually his persistence precipitates Edna’s fiery retaliation to her husband’s wishes. “Don’t speak to me like that again; I shall not answer you” (51). Here Edna shows her defiance towards her husband, which shocks him. Leonce at this point comes to the realization that his wife is acting out of her normal role. By refusing to give in to Leonce, Edna proves that she is starting to gain a masculine

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