Edna's False Social Constraints In The Awakening

Edna decides that it was silly of her to stamp on her wedding ring and break the glass vase and decides to do what she wants without apology. She stops receiving guests on Tuesday, neglects the social obligations that her husband expects of her, and instead paints all the time in her atelier. Naturally, her husband becomes peevish and demands to know what is going on. Edna brusquely says that she just wants to paint and that he shouldn't bother her; her husband thinks his wife is becoming mentally unstable. In reality, however, Edna is just expressing her true self, free of the false social constraints that earlier made her be a dutiful, quiet wife. Mr. Pontellier does leave his wife alone, and she gets her two sons, the nurse, and the maid

to all sit and model for her. While she paints, she sings the song that Robert used to sing, "Ah! si tu savais!" and she feels transported back to the ocean and overwhelmed with desire for her friend. Edna has intense mood swings without knowing why: on some days she is ecstatic, and her senses are heightened, while on others she is plunged into the depths of depression and feels like life is pointless.(1)
One day Mr.

Pontellier drops in on the family physician, Doctor Mandelet, who due to his wisdom, is frequently consulted for advice. He is startled to see someone approaching so early in the morning and inquires after his visitor's health. Mr. Pontellier explains that he's actually concerned about his wife, who though very healthy, seems to be exhibiting odd and uncharacteristic behavior. According to Mr. Pontellier, Edna's symptoms are: neglecting the housework, provoking him to quarrel with her, refusing to sleep with him, and talking about women's equal rights. The Doctor asks him if she's been associating with "pseudo-intellectual" feminists, and Leónce tells him that she spends most of her time alone and likes to wander the streets after dark. When the Doctor hints at hereditary mental illness, Mr. Pontellier briefly describes Edna's family. Her father was a pious Presbyterian, who gambled away his farm, her sister Margaret is very devout, and the youngest is getting married. According to Mr. Pontellier, Edna refuses to go the wedding, saying that "a wedding is one of the most lamentable spectacles on

earth."
After a bit of thought, the Doctor advises Mr.

Pontellier to leave his wife alone. He argues that women are complex and mysterious organisms, and as ordinary men, they cannot possibly understand them. The Doctor promises to drop by on Thursday, and before leaving, Mr. Pontellier reveals that he has business in New York that may occupy him a considerable length of time. The Doctor advises him to take Edna along if she wants to go and warns him that it might take up to three months for her to regain her humor. As soon as Mr. Pontellier leaves, the Doctor wonders which man is making Edna behave the way that she is, but knows better than to hint at adultery to his friend.

(2)
Edna's friendship with Alcée Arobin begins to develop. During this time Edna is moody: sometimes excited by life's possibilities, sometimes depressed that life was passing her by. She starts going to the races a lot, one time with Mrs. Highcamp and Alcée Arobin, a fashionable young man who is pleasant, cheerful, and good-looking. Arobin had long admired Edna from afar, but circumstance never permitted them to meet until the day he saw her and her father at the races. At the races, Edna is knowledgeable and lucky; she gets very excited, and other people in the audience turn around to look at her. Afterward, they all dine together, and the dinner is unremarkable and a little dull. Arobin drops her off at home, and feeling restless and awake, Edna has a snack of crackers and cheese. She wants something to do, but after counting her winnings, she goes to sleep. Waking up in the middle of the night, she remembers that she has forgotten to write her daily letter to her husband. A few days later, Arobin drops by to invite her to the races, and they end up going alone. Once again, she has a good time and finds Arobin easy to talk to her. He stays for dinner and while bantering, shows her a scar from a sword on his wrist. While observing the scar, Edna touches his hand and suddenly squeezes it impulsively. She instantly rushes away and makes an excuse, while Arobin follows her closely. When he asks her to go to the races again and to show him her art, she refuses and tells him she doesn't like him. Arobin kisses her hand and continues to pursue her gallantly until she tells him that she must have accidentally misled him in some way. He apologizes, saying that she has done nothing except to unwittingly captivate him, and he reluctantly leaves. When he leaves, she looks at her kissed hand and feels unfaithful, not to her husband, but to Robert. However, when she goes to bed, she can still sense the touch of Arobin's lips on her hand and longs for his physical presence.