The Pontellier family is a mystery to be sure. In the first chapter they seemed to be rather close. Mr. and Mrs. Pontellier seemed to be very much in synch with each other. They always seemed to know what the other was thinking. Mr. Pontellier obviously adores his family. I’m not sure what he would do without his wife. The way he treats them is very peculiar. They almost seem like possessions to him. He doesn’t really care to spend much time with them. He makes this clear when he goes that evening to one of the local clubs. That evening when he comes home he is very enthusiastic. He doesn’t understand why his sleepy wife does not care to share in his amusement. He doesn’t think that his wife takes care of the children very well but then he doesn’t seem to pay them much mind either. I do not think that Edna Pontellier is very satisfied with her life at present. I am not sure what to make of Robert Lebrun. It seems that every summer he chooses one of the wealthy married women or widowed women to follow around while on the island. This year he has taken a particular interest in Mrs. Pontellier. No one seems to think much of it. I am just curious to know what his motiv
The reader learns a lot about Mrs. Pontellier in these five chapters. All of her life she has been a thoughtful resigned woman. She is not apt to share her deep thoughts with others. This year, however, she has become a bit more open about her feelings and ideas. She fell in love with Mr. Pontellier quite by accident. She thought the way he adored was very flattering. He seems to actually live for her. I think that maybe Mrs. Pontellier should have waited to see if she really loved her husband before she married him. She does not seem very satisfied with her marriage. She loves her sons but not as much as most mothers. When they went away to visit their grandmother Pontellier she rarely even missed them. She was almost relieved to see them go. It was like she needed a break from her family. I do not believe she spends much time with the boys either. They are pretty independent. I think she may also be harboring some feelings for Robert. He seems to be growing on her.
Edna is becoming very rebellious against her husband. She realizes that she can have control over her own life and that she can make her own decisions. When Mr. Pontellier comes back from the beach he wants Edna to come inside with him. She refuses of course. I don’t know if she really wants to stay out there all night or if she just wants to rebel against her husband. When she refuses to enter the house Mr. Pontellier remains outside with her. The next day Edna seeks out Robert to accompany her to Chenerie. He gladly comes with her. They go to mass together. While they were at mass Edna becomes ill. Robert takes her to a friend’s house where she can relax. Edna slept well on Madame Antoine’s bed. She and Robert remained there all evening and long into the night. Edna eventually went home to her worried husband and fussy son. Edna finally believes that all is well is she is happy. However, the next day her happiness would quickly be washed away. Robert decides to accept his friend’s invitation to visit him in Mexico. Edna is one of the last people on the island to know. She doesn’t understand why Robert had not told her before. She is very upset at the thought of losing one of her closest companions. She leaves dinner very surprised and hurt. Later, Robert goes to see her at her cottage. He says he does not know when he will return. Then, he suddenly leaves in haste because his friend has arrived to take him away. He promises to write Edna often. His departure is a sad event for everyone that knew h
Edna misses Robert greatly. She tries to find him in everyone and everything. She is always finding ways to bring him up in a conversation. Her life feels empty now that he is gone. A few weeks after Robert’s departure, the Pontellier family returns to their home in New Orleans. Mr. Pontellier enjoys walking through his house looking at all his possessions. He cares greatly for the things he owns. Tuesdays were the days when people came to the Pontellier house to call on Edna. However, the Tuesday after their return she went out without giving a suitable reason for her departure. This infuriated Mr. Pontellier. He thought it was very important for her to remain home on Tuesdays to greet her guests and to stay a top the chain of society. Edna is going through a great deal of change. She no longer cares what her husband or anyone else thinks of her. She no longer stays at home on Tuesdays. She has also taken up painting. She asks her sons and the maids around the house to pose for her. She gives some of her paintings to Madame Ratignolle much to her delight. She also visits the Lebrun’s to find the whereabouts of Madame Reisz. She also asked about Robert while she was there and she found that he was living in Mexico City and that he was well.
Edna finally finds Madame Reisz’s apartment. When she gets there she hears that Madame Reisz has received a letter from Robert. Madame Reisz tells that Edna that the letter was mostly about her. Robert wanted to know how Edna was doing and how she looked. He asked Madame Reisz to play Edna’s favorite piano piece by Chopin for her when she came to visit. Edna demands to read the letter and Madame Reisz eventually concedes. Madame Reisz plays the piano long into the evening while Edna reads the letter. After Edna leaves the apartment Madame Reisz picks up the letter from the floor which is crinkled and wet from tears. Mr. Pontellier is very worried about Edna. He realizes that she looks very well but he is concerned about her temperament. She is not acting at all like herself and he feels himself becoming angry with her increasingly more often. He doesn’t understand why she keeps to herself and has become so stubborn. He goes to visit the family doctor to discuss Edna with him. The doctor advises Mr. Pontellier to just leave Edna alone and she will come around in time. Edna’s father comes to town to visit the Pontellier family. He has come to town looking for a wedding present for his daughter Janet and a suit for himself. Edna seems glad that he was come. She begins to act more like her old self. She insists on taking care of his every need herself. She also paints several portraits of him. However, she refuses to go to her sisters wedding and this makes her father and husband very angry.
Since Mr. Pontellier has gone away Edna can do whatever she pleases. She becomes good friends with Arobin. I believe that Arobin is in love with her. He spends a lot of time with her. They enjoy going to the races together. Edna enjoys his being with her but I do not think that she loves him. One night when he kisses her on the hand she becomes very upset. She believes she has committed a sin of infidelity. She thinks not of her husband but of Robert. A few days later she goes to visit Madame Reisz. Edna tells her that she wants to buy a small house that is for rent a block away from her house. She tells Madame Reisz that the house that she is currently living in is too large and she doesn’t like to bother with it. Madame Reisz, however, is not fooled by this. Madame Reisz gives Edna a letter from Robert. Madame Reisz tells Edna that she thinks that Robert writes to her about Edna because he loves her and he wants to forget. Edna finally admits that she loves Robert. In the letter he says that he will be coming back very soon. Edna’s heart is filled with joy. Edna then makes the decision to move into the small house around the block regardless of her husband’s wishes.
Robert has finally come back from Mexico. Edna goes to visit Madame Reisz and finds that she is not home so she lets herself in to wait for her. Robert comes along to visit Madame Reisz too. He meets Edna there and they talk for a long time. However, this is not how Edna had envisioned their first meeting together. Robert treated Edna very indifferently. Eventually Edna decides to go home. Robert accompanies her and accepts her invitation to stay for dinner. Later, Arobin interrupts their visit and Robert decides to depart. Edna does not see Robert for several days. A few days later she visits a small garden in the suburbs that serve tea and coffee. It was a very peaceful place. Shortly after she arrived Robert stopped in. They both enjoyed the secluded spot. Robert accompanied her home and stayed. This is when Robert tells Edna that he loves her. He said he went to Mexico to try to forget about her but memories of her brought him home again. Edna tells Robert that she loves him just as much. Their moment of romantic truth was soon interrupted. Edna was called away in haste to see Madame Ratignolle. She told Robert to wait no matter how late it was. When Edna returned she found a note scrawled: “I love you. Goodbye- because I love you.” Robert had left Edna. He knew that he could never marry her because she was already a married woman and Mr. Pontellier would never give her up. He knew that he had to leave and they had to forget about each other. The next day Edna went back to Grand Isle. She went to the beach and started swimming. She swam until she had no energy left, farther and farther out to sea.
Didn't the passage of background information say that Antigone was a victim of Creon's hubris? Some of you are suggesting that Antigone is the tragic hero. Thoughts on that.
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The Awakening
By: Kate Chopin
Chapters: 1-5
The Pontellier family is a mystery to be sure. In the first chapter they seemed to be rather close. Mr. and Mrs. Pontellier seemed to be very much in synch with each other. They always seemed to know what the other was thinking. Mr. Pontellier obviously adores his family. I’m not sure what he would do without his wife. The way he treats them is very peculiar. They almost seem like possessions to him. He doesn’t really care to spend much time with them. He makes this clear when he goes that evening to one of the local clubs.
That evening when he comes home he is very enthusiastic. He doesn’t understand why his sleepy wife does not care to share in his amusement. He doesn’t think that his wife takes care of the children very well but then he doesn’t seem to pay them much mind either. I do not think that Edna Pontellier is very satisfied with her life at present.
I am not sure what to make of Robert Lebrun. It seems that every summer he chooses one of the wealthy married women or widowed women to follow around while on the island. This year he has taken a particular interest in Mrs. Pontellier. No one seems to think much of it. I am just curious to know what his motiv
The Awakening
By: Kate Chopin
Chapters 6-10
The reader learns a lot about Mrs. Pontellier in these five chapters. All of her life she has been a thoughtful resigned woman. She is not apt to share her deep thoughts with others. This year, however, she has become a bit more open about her feelings and ideas. She fell in love with Mr. Pontellier quite by accident. She thought the way he adored was very flattering. He seems to actually live for her.
I think that maybe Mrs. Pontellier should have waited to see if she really loved her husband before she married him. She does not seem very satisfied with her marriage. She loves her sons but not as much as most mothers. When they went away to visit their grandmother Pontellier she rarely even missed them. She was almost relieved to see them go. It was like she needed a break from her family. I do not believe she spends much time with the boys either. They are pretty independent. I think she may also be harboring some feelings for Robert. He seems to be growing on her.
The Awakening
By: Kate Chopin
Chapters: 11-15
Edna is becoming very rebellious against her husband. She realizes that she can have control over her own life and that she can make her own decisions. When Mr. Pontellier comes back from the beach he wants Edna to come inside with him. She refuses of course. I don’t know if she really wants to stay out there all night or if she just wants to rebel against her husband. When she refuses to enter the house Mr. Pontellier remains outside with her.
The next day Edna seeks out Robert to accompany her to Chenerie. He gladly comes with her. They go to mass together. While they were at mass Edna becomes ill. Robert takes her to a friend’s house where she can relax. Edna slept well on Madame Antoine’s bed. She and Robert remained there all evening and long into the night. Edna eventually went home to her worried husband and fussy son.
Edna finally believes that all is well is she is happy. However, the next day her happiness would quickly be washed away. Robert decides to accept his friend’s invitation to visit him in Mexico. Edna is one of the last people on the island to know. She doesn’t understand why Robert had not told her before. She is very upset at the thought of losing one of her closest companions. She leaves dinner very surprised and hurt. Later, Robert goes to see her at her cottage. He says he does not know when he will return. Then, he suddenly leaves in haste because his friend has arrived to take him away. He promises to write Edna often. His departure is a sad event for everyone that knew h
The Awakening
By: Kate Chopin
Chapters: 16-20
Edna misses Robert greatly. She tries to find him in everyone and everything. She is always finding ways to bring him up in a conversation. Her life feels empty now that he is gone. A few weeks after Robert’s departure, the Pontellier family returns to their home in New Orleans. Mr. Pontellier enjoys walking through his house looking at all his possessions. He cares greatly for the things he owns. Tuesdays were the days when people came to the Pontellier house to call on Edna. However, the Tuesday after their return she went out without giving a suitable reason for her departure. This infuriated Mr. Pontellier. He thought it was very important for her to remain home on Tuesdays to greet her guests and to stay a top the chain of society.
Edna is going through a great deal of change. She no longer cares what her husband or anyone else thinks of her. She no longer stays at home on Tuesdays. She has also taken up painting. She asks her sons and the maids around the house to pose for her. She gives some of her paintings to Madame Ratignolle much to her delight. She also visits the Lebrun’s to find the whereabouts of Madame Reisz. She also asked about Robert while she was there and she found that he was living in Mexico City and that he was well.
The Awakening
By: Kate Chopin
Chapters: 21-24
Edna finally finds Madame Reisz’s apartment. When she gets there she hears that Madame Reisz has received a letter from Robert. Madame Reisz tells that Edna that the letter was mostly about her. Robert wanted to know how Edna was doing and how she looked. He asked Madame Reisz to play Edna’s favorite piano piece by Chopin for her when she came to visit. Edna demands to read the letter and Madame Reisz eventually concedes. Madame Reisz plays the piano long into the evening while Edna reads the letter. After Edna leaves the apartment Madame Reisz picks up the letter from the floor which is crinkled and wet from tears.
Mr. Pontellier is very worried about Edna. He realizes that she looks very well but he is concerned about her temperament. She is not acting at all like herself and he feels himself becoming angry with her increasingly more often. He doesn’t understand why she keeps to herself and has become so stubborn. He goes to visit the family doctor to discuss Edna with him. The doctor advises Mr. Pontellier to just leave Edna alone and she will come around in time.
Edna’s father comes to town to visit the Pontellier family. He has come to town looking for a wedding present for his daughter Janet and a suit for himself. Edna seems glad that he was come. She begins to act more like her old self. She insists on taking care of his every need herself. She also paints several portraits of him. However, she refuses to go to her sisters wedding and this makes her father and husband very angry.
The Awakening
By: Kate Chopin
Chapters 25-30
Since Mr. Pontellier has gone away Edna can do whatever she pleases. She becomes good friends with Arobin. I believe that Arobin is in love with her. He spends a lot of time with her. They enjoy going to the races together. Edna enjoys his being with her but I do not think that she loves him. One night when he kisses her on the hand she becomes very upset. She believes she has committed a sin of infidelity. She thinks not of her husband but of Robert.
A few days later she goes to visit Madame Reisz. Edna tells her that she wants to buy a small house that is for rent a block away from her house. She tells Madame Reisz that the house that she is currently living in is too large and she doesn’t like to bother with it. Madame Reisz, however, is not fooled by this. Madame Reisz gives Edna a letter from Robert. Madame Reisz tells Edna that she thinks that Robert writes to her about Edna because he loves her and he wants to forget. Edna finally admits that she loves Robert. In the letter he says that he will be coming back very soon. Edna’s heart is filled with joy. Edna then makes the decision to move into the small house around the block regardless of her husband’s wishes.
The Awakening
By: Kate Chopin
Chapters: 31-End
Robert has finally come back from Mexico. Edna goes to visit Madame Reisz and finds that she is not home so she lets herself in to wait for her. Robert comes along to visit Madame Reisz too. He meets Edna there and they talk for a long time. However, this is not how Edna had envisioned their first meeting together. Robert treated Edna very indifferently. Eventually Edna decides to go home. Robert accompanies her and accepts her invitation to stay for dinner. Later, Arobin interrupts their visit and Robert decides to depart.
Edna does not see Robert for several days. A few days later she visits a small garden in the suburbs that serve tea and coffee. It was a very peaceful place. Shortly after she arrived Robert stopped in. They both enjoyed the secluded spot. Robert accompanied her home and stayed. This is when Robert tells Edna that he loves her. He said he went to Mexico to try to forget about her but memories of her brought him home again. Edna tells Robert that she loves him just as much. Their moment of romantic truth was soon interrupted. Edna was called away in haste to see Madame Ratignolle. She told Robert to wait no matter how late it was. When Edna returned she found a note scrawled: “I love you. Goodbye- because I love you.”
Robert had left Edna. He knew that he could never marry her because she was already a married woman and Mr. Pontellier would never give her up. He knew that he had to leave and they had to forget about each other. The next day Edna went back to Grand Isle. She went to the beach and started swimming. She swam until she had no energy left, farther and farther out to sea.
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