Erica- I think that she probably is more of a lady than that. Maybe she is a strong woman or maybe she's not but either way, she doesn't want to be mean. However, she does still wants to be with Robert.
i think she's afraid of his reaction, and i deffinatly agree with her. i see her husband as the type who would expolode and get really mad, as most men would
I think that's just one of the standards of society that is NOT crossed.
In our society, it is unacceptable to beat one's wife. However, back in Puritan times and what not, that was TYPICAL and not only that, but compeltely NORMAL.
I think that she doesnt have the power to overcome the battles she is fighting in her head. She knows that there will be conflict with whatever she does and is battling over the right decision. I think that she will eventually stand up for herself because she is already starting to do that by painting and not being a norman house wife.
She is scared of just human guilt, of not trying hard enough to make things work, of breaking the "normal" human reaction. Of what society will think and of realizing that she does love her husband and making a mistake.
Kylie, that is also very frustrating to me. If I was her, I feel like it would be such an easy decision to make and run away. I really don't get why she doesn't just follow through with everything she talks about.
His actions? I agree with Kylie, she could just run away. She has a car, she could go stay with her friends. She has everything she needs but what is holding her motivation?
I think she is too weak of a character to stand up to him. She will rebel his reign behind his back (like breaking the vase) but she is too afraid of the consequences to say it to his face. With Robert gone, she would have no one to turn to if she left him.
Dan- At this point in the book, I think that the main conflict would be an affair with Robert and Edna. I'm not sure whether he will come back or not, but with the circumstances in the book right now, that is what I would see as the major conflict.
I think she is too exhausted with her emotional affair with Robert that she doesnt have time to fight with her husband. But if she really loved Robert, wouldn't she try and stand up for herself and leave her husband? She wants to be with Robert but she is too scared to break out of her comfort zone. I was just wondering why doesnt she stand up for herself, when she knows that she is unhappy? What would a feminist character do?
that is basically the whole plot of the novel, is her getting to the point where she is comfortable enough with herself to do that. It is harder for her than it seems, becuase of the times she lives in.
I think she has just always just been too weak to stand up for herelf and she has been trampled over by her husband in her marriage. She can't stand up for herself because she has too much fear that she has yet to conquer.
She doesn't realize what she can do to change her situation yet, and she has to sort through her thoughts and actions before she reacts. She is starting to voice herself (with the wedding ring). I think the big idea is that Leonce and Edna do not really communicate and understand eachother, which makes it difficult when Edna wants to voice her opinion because Leonce won't take her seriously.
Dan- I think the conflict is that Edna feels lost and in a rut in her life, and I think the conflict will be her trying to find a meaning for her life.
I think that she is just not used to standing up for herself. Obviously throughout the book she is showing signs of "rebelling" against her husband, like when she refused to come into the house. So I think it would be a huge step for her to stand up to her husband like that.
dan- I see the main conflict within Edna herself, and her battle to be true to herself. I think as they novel continues she will become stronger and the conflict will be resolved.
Nathan, I'm not sure, but I do think that Edna thinks it would be a bad thing. Almost as if she knows she wouldn't be able to hold her own and defend herself. Maybe that is ultimately her biggest fear.
Kylie- I think that Edna is probably too weak to run away. Though she may be a strong woman, her life and friends are there and she doesn't want to leave though she may dislike her circumstances.
I think Edna and Mr. Pontellier are in a relationship that is far, far more like mother and son that husband and wife.
"Back in the day," so to speak, it was typical for a man to marry a woman who greatly resembled his mother because he wanted someone to cook and clean and care for him and not ask questions and not think...sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice.
I'm certainly not saying that ALWAYS OCCURED! There are always good men and smart women out in the world who do what they need instead of what others expect. But it cannot be denied that this did occur quite often.
I think that it isn't that she is scared or that she doesn't want to break societal standards, but more that she hasn't realized that standing up for herself, running away etc. is the best thing, she still has feelings for Mr. P as she says multiple times. I think she eventually will, but at this point in her development she hasn't discovered that solution.
Erika, she isn't afraid of Leonce himself, but more of his reaction and thoughts of her and how they can become scewed. She has a fear of the future ad is afraid of what actions he will take.
I dont think she actually has sincere feelings for her husband i think that she is trying to fool herself into believing that she still is in love with him.
Erika- I don't think that Edna is necessarily afraid of Leonce. Like I said in a comment to Kylie, her ties are to hwere she lives and she really doesn't want to leave there even though she may dislike her current situation.
kyle- i agree, i think that eventually she will realise that her realationship isnt working, and will have an "awakening". i think that she will eventually work up the courage to confront her husband
Adding to Madison: I think that the house on the outside is a facade for what is really happeing on the inside. A house can look great from the outside, but you never know what is happeining on the inside no matter how wonderful it looks.
Kylie~ I think that Edna won't run away because it is society's demand that the women stay by their families. I think that Edna isn't rebeling enough right now to make her think of leaving her family and her friends because she is not happy. I think she needs more of a conflict for her to remove herself from her current life.
erika I don't think that Edna is afraid of Leonce at all. I see her being a more powerful character than him, which is hard to do becuase as of now i see her as really weak. I see Leonce as a weak husband. He does not seem to be there for is family and is even more absorbed in what others thin that Edna is. So I don't think she is afraid of him, nor does she have any reason to be. I think she is afraid of herself, and almost afraid to be who she is.
I think that Robert will come back. It seems like the whole plot in the book so far has been based on a possible affair between Robert and Edna. That is why I was so suprised when Robert decided to leave.
I don't think that Leonce has the power. I think that rather Edna is powerless to everything and everyone. I think that she allows herself to be taken over by people that she doesn't know how to take control of herself.
Karib- I believe that Edna actually has more control over Leonce than Leonce has over Edna. I believe that Leonce WANTS to have control over Edna but that Edna has authority over leonce. :)
I feel that since Robert left her, her frustrations have escalated and she's starting to become so angry with everything that is going on in her life. She no longer seems to care what happens, if she's home for dinner, how her children are doing, and what her husband is up to.
Kylie, Chelsea, Shannon, and anyone who is speaking of the husband/wife relationship.
My parents got a divorce when I was in 7th grade.
To be honest, this divorce could have occured far earlier. There was a lot of pain and effort put in to save the marriage.
I mean, really: could YOU just leave the spouse you've spent years with, leave your children and your home and the lifestyle you know?
It's like cutting off your arm to lose someone like that; it was months before any of us remembered to set the table for just three at each house instead of four. I don't think that Edna should stay if she is truly unhappy and can do nothing to improve her situation, but I do think she should try everything to make her marriage work before she leaves it.
Matt- I agree with what you said to Kyle. I think that she will eventually have an 'awakening' and realize what she is doing and fix what is going on. Whatever that may mean.
I agree with Connor, I don't see why the author would introduce Robert as such a big character in the book and then have him leave without coming back.
Going off the passage that Ms. Leclaire just read, do you think he sees her as a person as an object? I think he presents evidence to suggest both though.
But Jimmy! She already has guilt. Yes, she could add more, but I dont think that's bothering her. She breaks the vase and she doesnt mind. I think that she truly is afraid of something else.
I think that he makes his house perfect because he wants control over something in his life, and his house can not fight back like his wife can. He can make his house just how he wants it and can make every single aspect about it perfect.
I agree with Nathan. I think that Edna is just trying to tell herself that she loves him. I think she feels guilty for marrying him because she doesn't love him.
Erica~ I just dont think that Edna really cares about her husband anymore, and that he is really just there for convience, and so people won't jump to conclusions about her. She ahs no emotional relations for him, she used to ahve love, but now she has lust for Robert
Connor- but he has a history of summer romances that end at the end of the summer, how do we know that he is not just moving on past her and onto another woman.
Zach, maybe his absence leads to her ultimate awakening and change in character. Maybe this leads to her freedom and convidence that she seems to be lacking.
Meghan, I don't disagree with you at all, but I do think that since her thoughts of Robert and running away, etc. occur so often, her mind may be way too far gone for there to be any real chance of them being able to fix their relationship. I'm not trying to be a huge pessimist, I'm just saying there is a chance, from what I see, that it is already out of anyone's hands, and their marriage may be unfixable.
That is a good question. We don't have much background on Robert and his past relationships. I predict that he will come back, but I have no idea what will happen when he gets back.
I don't see any emotion in Leonce, I don't see him wanting to have control over her or really caring for her. He does not seem entirely upset with the way Robert and Edna were. I think he is also only in this relationship for the social accpetance. He seems like a very empty character that is almost hard to like or hard to dislike becuase of his lack of substance. Yes, he does yell at Edna and fuss over little things, but yet he has not made a big stand that would cause the reader to feel one way or the other about him.
Hannah- you say that she will have her "awakening." When I was reading I thought that she had her awakening on the night where she swam out in the water. Could it be possible that she still is going to have another "awakening"?
The odd farewell between Edna and Robert shows their different attitudes toward upholding the rules assigned by society and tradition. Robert never addresses Edna directly by her first name. He seems to think that Léonce already has the rights of possession over Edna, and Robert’s use of the words “my dear” is his only expression of his feelings for Edna. Edna, on the other hand, calls Robert directly by his first name, clinging to his hand as she asks him to write her. Robert, who has recognized the chemistry between himself and Edna, is able to overlook his feelings for her. How can he do this so easily and just leave?
Shannon, I think that love and lust so far are hard to differenciate, I think if we see an affair emerge it will be a show of lust, however, Edna's new found sense of sexuality may be a clue toward separting the two.
Shannon- In this story, I see the love as a mutual respect and kindness toward each other, and Edna doesn't feel respected by her husband, which is why she does not truely love him.
Shannon- I think The Awakening shows love and lust as opposing forces. Lust is negative and love is positive, and they represent a dichotomy (sp?) between the ideas of things that are superficial vs. deep.
Shannon~ So far, I haven't seen a true depiction of love in the story, other than the "Lovers". The wives and husbands seem to be attracted to each other because of what is expected of them. Edna and Robert seems to only lust, and don't really have a true lovng relationship. I think we have to wait and see.
I think that she wants to have the perfect life but she also wants to have a more exciting life, full of adventure. I think that half of her wants to be a happy house wife but she also wants to explore her other callings. She wanted to have an affair because it is unexpected and risky.
Meghan~ I agree that marriages should be saved, and divorce is a last resort, but is something really worth saving when you know that it is wrong? How far is too far? Should you sacrifice your personality and your happiness for something that gives you neither? When would Edna let go, if not now?
jimmy-why would the author spend so much time and effort building up that character, jsut to throw him away? it would be a waste of the readers time. that, and he has been a HUGE part of the story thus far, taking him out would leave a big void to fill
Meghan, good point :) there is also a chance that maybe she has no desire to fix it, and we all know that if you don't have any motivation to do anything, then it most definitely most happen. And I just get the vibe that neither her nor Mr. P. care enough to put the time and effort into trying to fix it.
Jordan- to answer both your comments, He can get up and leave because he has a history of it in the past summers. Also we don't know if Enda ever did care about her children or what her husband was doing before Robert came.
Meghan, I see what you are saying, definitely. I think in the case of the Pontelliers, they have that mother-son relationship, I agree. Or is it father, daughter, kind of? Is there a difference in that?
The happiness, is where it's at. If the two of them are content, then yea, they shouldn't run away. But since Edna is at such a loss, she might want to make a change.
But it IS a story, so the more drama, the better. :]
Going off of the inner circle discussion, do you agree that very few people are truly not selfish? Do you think that it is a good thing to have some selfish traits, as long as they don't completely take over?
I think that Chopin built up th character or Robert so that we would miss him too and so that the reader could feel what Edna is feeling too. It's like what we were talking about earlier, we WANT Robert to come back. We miss him too.
You know how sometimes, people fall in love and it cannot work out? A shining literary example here is Romeo and Juliet. They love each other, but they barely know each other, and even the stars conspire against them. Their love CANNOT currently work out, but they give it a shot.
As opposed to this, there is Robet and Edna, much like Abigail and John Proctor. It can't work, and he leaves her to fix his own life and keep from pulling her down into his "den of sin" laughlaugh.
Zach,
I think that there are many awakenings that occur in this book, literally and figuartively. I mean, she wakes up each morning. Her heart wakes up. Attraction flares...etc. Etc. Etc.
Matt- Like you said, it seems like the author has been building a lot of things up, but has yet to do anything with these things, so it seems like eventually something will break, and there will be some crazy or epic end to the story.
I don't think that Edna should stay in the marriage. If Robert comes back and they love eachother, and Edna is not happy with Mr. P, then she should get a divorce. I agree that it should be a last resort though.
92 comments:
WHY DOESN'T EDNA JUST STAND UP FOR HERSELF AND YELL AT HER HUSBAND AND TELL HIS HOW SHE FEELS????
Because she is scared because she just had an emotional affair
I think Edna hasn't truly expressed herself yet in front of her husband because she is so afraid of his reaction.
Going off of Brian's comment before fishbowl, what at this point do you think the main conflict is going to be, and how might this conflict be solved?
Erica-
I think that she probably is more of a lady than that. Maybe she is a strong woman or maybe she's not but either way, she doesn't want to be mean. However, she does still wants to be with Robert.
Jimmy, what is she scared of?
Let's discuss:
Why DOESN'T Enda just rebel and run away? She mentions wanting to run away many times.
i think she's afraid of his reaction, and i deffinatly agree with her. i see her husband as the type who would expolode and get really mad, as most men would
I think that she is not strong enough to stand up for herself.
I agree with Jimmy, she knows she did something wrong too, so the conversation could turn around and backfire on her.
Erika,
I think that's just one of the standards of society that is NOT crossed.
In our society, it is unacceptable to beat one's wife. However, back in Puritan times and what not, that was TYPICAL and not only that, but compeltely NORMAL.
Standards change, thank the Lord.
I think that she doesnt have the power to overcome the battles she is fighting in her head. She knows that there will be conflict with whatever she does and is battling over the right decision.
I think that she will eventually stand up for herself because she is already starting to do that by painting and not being a norman house wife.
But is it not obvious that Mr. P knows? I mean he even notices her changes and asks how she gets by without him here.
What does that say about his role to HER as a husband and what kind of husband he is actually!
I agree with Jordan I think Edna is too afraid of her husband, especially during this time period, women weren't exactly looked at as equals.
Chelsea,
if the conversation backfired would it be a bad thing?
She is scared of just human guilt, of not trying hard enough to make things work, of breaking the "normal" human reaction. Of what society will think and of realizing that she does love her husband and making a mistake.
Kylie, that is also very frustrating to me. If I was her, I feel like it would be such an easy decision to make and run away. I really don't get why she doesn't just follow through with everything she talks about.
His actions? I agree with Kylie, she could just run away. She has a car, she could go stay with her friends. She has everything she needs but what is holding her motivation?
I think she is too weak of a character to stand up to him. She will rebel his reign behind his back (like breaking the vase) but she is too afraid of the consequences to say it to his face. With Robert gone, she would have no one to turn to if she left him.
Dan-
At this point in the book, I think that the main conflict would be an affair with Robert and Edna. I'm not sure whether he will come back or not, but with the circumstances in the book right now, that is what I would see as the major conflict.
I think she is too exhausted with her emotional affair with Robert that she doesnt have time to fight with her husband. But if she really loved Robert, wouldn't she try and stand up for herself and leave her husband? She wants to be with Robert but she is too scared to break out of her comfort zone. I was just wondering why doesnt she stand up for herself, when she knows that she is unhappy? What would a feminist character do?
erika
that is basically the whole plot of the novel, is her getting to the point where she is comfortable enough with herself to do that. It is harder for her than it seems, becuase of the times she lives in.
I think she has just always just been too weak to stand up for herelf and she has been trampled over by her husband in her marriage. She can't stand up for herself because she has too much fear that she has yet to conquer.
IS LEONCE REALLY WHAT EDNA IS AFRAID OF?
She doesn't realize what she can do to change her situation yet, and she has to sort through her thoughts and actions before she reacts. She is starting to voice herself (with the wedding ring). I think the big idea is that Leonce and Edna do not really communicate and understand eachother, which makes it difficult when Edna wants to voice her opinion because Leonce won't take her seriously.
Dan-
I think the conflict is that Edna feels lost and in a rut in her life, and I think the conflict will be her trying to find a meaning for her life.
I think that she is just not used to standing up for herself. Obviously throughout the book she is showing signs of "rebelling" against her husband, like when she refused to come into the house. So I think it would be a huge step for her to stand up to her husband like that.
I agree with liz, she has so much inner turmoil she is not ready for a conflict in real life.
Jimmy, I really don't think that she's scared of guilt. She's guilty already.
dan-
I see the main conflict within Edna herself, and her battle to be true to herself. I think as they novel continues she will become stronger and the conflict will be resolved.
Nathan, I'm not sure, but I do think that Edna thinks it would be a bad thing. Almost as if she knows she wouldn't be able to hold her own and defend herself. Maybe that is ultimately her biggest fear.
Kylie-
I think that Edna is probably too weak to run away. Though she may be a strong woman, her life and friends are there and she doesn't want to leave though she may dislike her circumstances.
Kylie,
I think Edna and Mr. Pontellier are in a relationship that is far, far more like mother and son that husband and wife.
"Back in the day," so to speak, it was typical for a man to marry a woman who greatly resembled his mother because he wanted someone to cook and clean and care for him and not ask questions and not think...sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice.
I'm certainly not saying that ALWAYS OCCURED! There are always good men and smart women out in the world who do what they need instead of what others expect. But it cannot be denied that this did occur quite often.
I think that it isn't that she is scared or that she doesn't want to break societal standards, but more that she hasn't realized that standing up for herself, running away etc. is the best thing, she still has feelings for Mr. P as she says multiple times. I think she eventually will, but at this point in her development she hasn't discovered that solution.
I agree with Kyle, Edna doesn't seem to have many things she wants to accomplish in life.
Erika, she isn't afraid of Leonce himself, but more of his reaction and thoughts of her and how they can become scewed. She has a fear of the future ad is afraid of what actions he will take.
Erica- I don't she is intimidated by Leonce himself, rather the power that she thinks that he has. Does he truly have any power over her though?
I dont think she actually has sincere feelings for her husband i think that she is trying to fool herself into believing that she still is in love with him.
Erika-
I don't think that Edna is necessarily afraid of Leonce. Like I said in a comment to Kylie, her ties are to hwere she lives and she really doesn't want to leave there even though she may dislike her current situation.
If we do see an affair emerge between Edna and Robert how do you think that Mr. P will react? What about Adele?
kyle- i agree, i think that eventually she will realise that her realationship isnt working, and will have an "awakening". i think that she will eventually work up the courage to confront her husband
Erika - She shouldn't be afraid of him. It's obvious that he knows of her feelings for Robert...
page 79, "How do you get on without him, Edna?" he asked.
Later he asks her why she never goes out, but still, she stands up by saying she just wants to go out! And see the world!
Adding to Madison:
I think that the house on the outside is a facade for what is really happeing on the inside. A house can look great from the outside, but you never know what is happeining on the inside no matter how wonderful it looks.
Kylie~ I think that Edna won't run away because it is society's demand that the women stay by their families. I think that Edna isn't rebeling enough right now to make her think of leaving her family and her friends because she is not happy. I think she needs more of a conflict for her to remove herself from her current life.
She could be scared of more guilt. It would be like punching a bruise, it just hurts more when you add more.
erika
I don't think that Edna is afraid of Leonce at all. I see her being a more powerful character than him, which is hard to do becuase as of now i see her as really weak. I see Leonce as a weak husband. He does not seem to be there for is family and is even more absorbed in what others thin that Edna is. So I don't think she is afraid of him, nor does she have any reason to be. I think she is afraid of herself, and almost afraid to be who she is.
I think that Robert will come back. It seems like the whole plot in the book so far has been based on a possible affair between Robert and Edna. That is why I was so suprised when Robert decided to leave.
Kari-
I don't think that Leonce has the power. I think that rather Edna is powerless to everything and everyone. I think that she allows herself to be taken over by people that she doesn't know how to take control of herself.
Karib- I believe that Edna actually has more control over Leonce than Leonce has over Edna. I believe that Leonce WANTS to have control over Edna but that Edna has authority over leonce. :)
Zach- I agree with you, Edna seems to just walk around all day without much desire to do anything.
I feel that since Robert left her, her frustrations have escalated and she's starting to become so angry with everything that is going on in her life. She no longer seems to care what happens, if she's home for dinner, how her children are doing, and what her husband is up to.
Kylie, Chelsea, Shannon, and anyone who is speaking of the husband/wife relationship.
My parents got a divorce when I was in 7th grade.
To be honest, this divorce could have occured far earlier. There was a lot of pain and effort put in to save the marriage.
I mean, really: could YOU just leave the spouse you've spent years with, leave your children and your home and the lifestyle you know?
It's like cutting off your arm to lose someone like that; it was months before any of us remembered to set the table for just three at each house instead of four. I don't think that Edna should stay if she is truly unhappy and can do nothing to improve her situation, but I do think she should try everything to make her marriage work before she leaves it.
Matt-
I agree with what you said to Kyle. I think that she will eventually have an 'awakening' and realize what she is doing and fix what is going on. Whatever that may mean.
I agree with Connor, I don't see why the author would introduce Robert as such a big character in the book and then have him leave without coming back.
Going off the passage that Ms. Leclaire just read, do you think he sees her as a person as an object? I think he presents evidence to suggest both though.
But Jimmy! She already has guilt. Yes, she could add more, but I dont think that's bothering her. She breaks the vase and she doesnt mind. I think that she truly is afraid of something else.
I think that he makes his house perfect because he wants control over something in his life, and his house can not fight back like his wife can. He can make his house just how he wants it and can make every single aspect about it perfect.
I agree with Nathan. I think that Edna is just trying to tell herself that she loves him. I think she feels guilty for marrying him because she doesn't love him.
Erica~
I just dont think that Edna really cares about her husband anymore, and that he is really just there for convience, and so people won't jump to conclusions about her. She ahs no emotional relations for him, she used to ahve love, but now she has lust for Robert
Connor- but he has a history of summer romances that end at the end of the summer, how do we know that he is not just moving on past her and onto another woman.
What do you see as the main differences in Love and Lust in the story? What do you think the story says about each topic,and edna?
Shannon-
I agree with what you say about Edna not caring about her husband. But I am wondering what does she really care about? Only Robert?
Kari- Another question about power is who has more influence or "power" over Edna, Robert, or Leonce?
Zach, maybe his absence leads to her ultimate awakening and change in character. Maybe this leads to her freedom and convidence that she seems to be lacking.
I agree with Nate, I think she is trying to will herself to love him because she wants to have a marriage based on love and not convenience.
Meghan, I don't disagree with you at all, but I do think that since her thoughts of Robert and running away, etc. occur so often, her mind may be way too far gone for there to be any real chance of them being able to fix their relationship. I'm not trying to be a huge pessimist, I'm just saying there is a chance, from what I see, that it is already out of anyone's hands, and their marriage may be unfixable.
That is a good question. We don't have much background on Robert and his past relationships. I predict that he will come back, but I have no idea what will happen when he gets back.
I don't see any emotion in Leonce, I don't see him wanting to have control over her or really caring for her. He does not seem entirely upset with the way Robert and Edna were. I think he is also only in this relationship for the social accpetance. He seems like a very empty character that is almost hard to like or hard to dislike becuase of his lack of substance. Yes, he does yell at Edna and fuss over little things, but yet he has not made a big stand that would cause the reader to feel one way or the other about him.
Hannah- you say that she will have her "awakening." When I was reading I thought that she had her awakening on the night where she swam out in the water. Could it be possible that she still is going to have another "awakening"?
The odd farewell between Edna and Robert shows their different attitudes toward upholding the rules assigned by society and tradition. Robert never addresses Edna directly by her first name. He seems to think that Léonce already has the rights of possession over Edna, and Robert’s use of the words “my dear” is his only expression of his feelings for Edna. Edna, on the other hand, calls Robert directly by his first name, clinging to his hand as she asks him to write her. Robert, who has recognized the chemistry between himself and Edna, is able to overlook his feelings for her. How can he do this so easily and just leave?
Good call Kayla, could Robert leaving be what created the title "The Awakening?"
Chelsea,
That is a really good observation!
And if you don't WANT to fix what is broken, it is impossible to repair anything!
I don't think you're a pessimest, I think you are a wonderful, analytical girl!
Shannon, I think that love and lust so far are hard to differenciate, I think if we see an affair emerge it will be a show of lust, however, Edna's new found sense of sexuality may be a clue toward separting the two.
Shannon-
In this story, I see the love as a mutual respect and kindness toward each other, and Edna doesn't feel respected by her husband, which is why she does not truely love him.
Shannon- I think The Awakening shows love and lust as opposing forces. Lust is negative and love is positive, and they represent a dichotomy (sp?) between the ideas of things that are superficial vs. deep.
Shannon~ So far, I haven't seen a true depiction of love in the story, other than the "Lovers". The wives and husbands seem to be attracted to each other because of what is expected of them. Edna and Robert seems to only lust, and don't really have a true lovng relationship. I think we have to wait and see.
I think that she wants to have the perfect life but she also wants to have a more exciting life, full of adventure. I think that half of her wants to be a happy house wife but she also wants to explore her other callings. She wanted to have an affair because it is unexpected and risky.
Great comment Kjerstin- Does Edna really love Robert or is she just trying to cover up from a SECRET LOVE? Anyuone else? :)
Meghan~
I agree that marriages should be saved, and divorce is a last resort, but is something really worth saving when you know that it is wrong? How far is too far? Should you sacrifice your personality and your happiness for something that gives you neither? When would Edna let go, if not now?
jimmy-why would the author spend so much time and effort building up that character, jsut to throw him away? it would be a waste of the readers time. that, and he has been a HUGE part of the story thus far, taking him out would leave a big void to fill
Meghan, good point :) there is also a chance that maybe she has no desire to fix it, and we all know that if you don't have any motivation to do anything, then it most definitely most happen. And I just get the vibe that neither her nor Mr. P. care enough to put the time and effort into trying to fix it.
Jordan- to answer both your comments, He can get up and leave because he has a history of it in the past summers. Also we don't know if Enda ever did care about her children or what her husband was doing before Robert came.
Meghan, I see what you are saying, definitely. I think in the case of the Pontelliers, they have that mother-son relationship, I agree. Or is it father, daughter, kind of? Is there a difference in that?
The happiness, is where it's at. If the two of them are content, then yea, they shouldn't run away. But since Edna is at such a loss, she might want to make a change.
But it IS a story, so the more drama, the better. :]
Going off of the inner circle discussion, do you agree that very few people are truly not selfish? Do you think that it is a good thing to have some selfish traits, as long as they don't completely take over?
Matt-
I think that Chopin built up th character or Robert so that we would miss him too and so that the reader could feel what Edna is feeling too. It's like what we were talking about earlier, we WANT Robert to come back. We miss him too.
Jordan,
I think Robert loves her enough to leave her.
You know how sometimes, people fall in love and it cannot work out? A shining literary example here is Romeo and Juliet. They love each other, but they barely know each other, and even the stars conspire against them. Their love CANNOT currently work out, but they give it a shot.
As opposed to this, there is Robet and Edna, much like Abigail and John Proctor. It can't work, and he leaves her to fix his own life and keep from pulling her down into his "den of sin" laughlaugh.
Zach,
I think that there are many awakenings that occur in this book, literally and figuartively. I mean, she wakes up each morning. Her heart wakes up. Attraction flares...etc. Etc. Etc.
Matt-
Like you said, it seems like the author has been building a lot of things up, but has yet to do anything with these things, so it seems like eventually something will break, and there will be some crazy or epic end to the story.
I don't think that Edna should stay in the marriage. If Robert comes back and they love eachother, and Edna is not happy with Mr. P, then she should get a divorce. I agree that it should be a last resort though.
GREAT DISCUSSION EVERYONE SEE YA TOMORROW!!!! :)
Shannon,
No, I think it would be awful for Edna to sacrifice her personality and opinions for her marriage.
...but if she doesn't TRY to have both a marriage and an individual identity, there can only be regret and pain.
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