How Is Edna Pontellier Truly Independent

When Edna was just a child “she had lived her own small life all within herself. At a very early period she had apprehended instinctively the dual life—that outward existence which conforms, the inward life which questions” (Chopin 14). Edna Pontellier has always had two parts to her life: an internal one that challenges society, and an exterior one that assimilates to it. In the novella, The Awakening, Kate Chopin explores these two parts and explains how Edna tries to balance the two. Unfortunately, with both of these parts behaving simultaneously in opposite directions, Edna is unable to survive. Edna is not truly independent because she refuses to choose between her personal desires and society’s expectations.

Contrary to societal norms

of the time, Edna Pontellier holds onto her personal desires and refuses to give them up. Edna does this because,“Every step she [takes] toward relieving herself of obligations [adds] to her strength and expansion as an individual. She [begins] to look with her own eyes; to see and to apprehend the deeper undercurrents of life” (89). Everytime Edna pulls away society she feels stronger and more free as an individual. She realizes that without all the rigid restraints from society on her, she can be free and strong. She starts to understand that her personal world can be controlled by herself. At the time of this novel, the sole purpose of a woman was to take care of her family. Edna challenges this idea when she admits to Madame Ratignolle that, “She would never sacrifice herself for her children, or anyone” (46). Edna refuses to give up her individuality in any of her relationships whether it be as a mother or a lover. She wants to keep her personal identity to only herself. This inherent desire in Edna to become an self-sufficient woman, goes completely against the ideas of society at the time. She is not acting as the perfect mother-woman and is instead following just her personal beliefs. However, Edna fails to take the full step towards total independence as she still remains married to Léonce. In this way she is still conforming to society and not really behaving completely autonomously. Without deciding between these two important parts of her life, she left feeling hopeless and confused—not at all independent.
Even after Edna Pontellier expresses her controversial personal beliefs she continues to conform to society, which prevents her from being independent.

Following her personal desires, Edna goes swimming with Robert early in the novel. This shows that she wants to be self-sufficient and go against society, but when she returns she, “silently reached out to [Robert], and he, understanding, took the rings from his vest pocket and dropped them into her open palm. She slipped them upon her fingers” (4). By putting back on her wedding ring, Edna is accepting her role in society and is no longer being defiant. Edna feels that she is neither able to control her situation nor change it, so she just stay in it. If Edna had stopped caring about all her duties as a woman, she would finally become independent, but as she puts back on the ring, symbolizing the society, she refuses to do this. Edna continues to struggle between her personal desires and societal obligations to her family even later in the novel. Edna explains to Doctor Mandelet, “There are periods of despondency and suffering which take possession of me. But I don’t want anything but my own way. That is wanting a good deal, of course, when you have to trample upon the lives, the hearts, the prejudices of others–but no matter–still, I shouldn’t want to trample upon the little lives” (105). Edna goes through times where she does not have courage and feels oppressed; these feelings take control of her. She wants to be

autonomous in her life, but cannot find any way to do that without hurting other people in her life. If Edna was to follow only her personal ideas, the lives of her children suffer. Edna Pontellier must let go completely of all her ties to the rigid society if she wants to be free–but she is not willing to do that. It is impossible for Edna to live as an independent if she is still conforming to society in this way while still trying to live out her personal ideals. Edna must decide whether she wants to please her society or herself. By choosing herself, she must commit to the idea of leaving her Creole status family behind; by choosing society she must be ready to forget all of her personal aspirations.
Since Edna can not choose between her personal desires and social obligation, she is left feeling oppressed and hopeless. What Edna went through happens to many women even today. Women are forced to choose between their personal success or familial obligations. Women that are like Edna and refuse to choose are left feeling even more oppressed by their families and inner tendencies. If Edna had found some way to break free from her societal expectations, maybe by the means of divorce, she could have served as an example to show women everywhere that they can be independent. Instead Edna actions show them that there can never be a perfect a balance between personal ideals and social duties since they inherently contradict themselves. Through Edna Pontellier, women should learn that they must be ready to put their own needs first in order to become truly independent.