Introduction
Human beings are bound by the rules of society and must lead their lives in accordance with those rules. Kate Chopin’s novel, The Awakening,” brings forth the struggle of a married woman caught between her own desires and societal norms. The protagonist, Edna Pontellier, finds happiness in an extramarital affair. Her wealthy husband, Leonce Pontellier, is unable to understand her feelings as he is too occupied with his business. Edna falls for a bachelor named Robert who also loves her but hesitates to express it and ultimately decides to leave her so they can forget each other.
However, Edna cannot forget Robert and his thoughts make it impossible for her to live happily with her husband. She seeks comfort by having an affair with Alcee Arobin, a town seducer. At this point, she starts leading an independent life by removing herself from the world of her husband.
When she meets Robert again, she tells him that she is now an independent woman ready to lead her life with him. Although Robert openly expresses his love for Edna, he hesitates to spend his life with her.
Robert’s hesitation and fear of society are so intense that he leaves Edna. He is not prepared to face the disapproval of society by having an adulterous relationship with a married woman. In the novel The Awakening,” three Creole men are depicted, each differing from the others in various aspects. All three men love Edna, but they express their love for her differently, revealing their character and thinking through their behavior and actions. Although all three belong to Creole society, their opinions regarding its beliefs and rules contrast with each other. This paper will compare and contrast these male Creole characters in relation to Edna Pontellier.
Leonce Pontellier.
Leonce Pontellier is the type of individual who prioritizes his business over his wife and children. In pursuit of success, he neglects his wife’s emotional needs. He embodies the typical Creole man who expects his wife to conform to his desires and needs. He believes that providing a luxurious lifestyle will make her happy. Despite loving his wife, he attempts to please her by showering her with expensive gifts, even when away on business trips.
A few days later a box arrived for Mrs. Pontellier from New Orleans. It was from her husband. It was filled with friandises, luscious and toothsome bits – the finest fruits, pates, rare bottles of syrup, and an abundance of bonbons.” (Chopin 9). Other Creole women viewed Mr. Pontellier as the best husband in the world based on these lavish gifts; however, Edna knew better about her husband’s true nature.
Although Mr. Pontellier loves his wife, his feelings lack the care and concern that a wife expects from her husband. He desires Edna to behave in a manner that pleases him and aids him in becoming a successful businessman. If Edna fails to meet Mr. Pontellier’s expectations, he rebukes her, disapproving of any changes in her physical appearance as well.
For instance, when Edna’s skin is affected by sunburn while they are spending time on the beach, Mr. Pontellier expresses his discontent: You are burnt beyond recognition,” he adds while looking at his wife as one would look at valuable personal property that has suffered damage (Chopin 5). Mr. Pontellier is more concerned about the scarring of Edna’s skin than her pain and discomfort.
As Martin observes, “Even Edna’s physical being is subjected to his scrutiny and approval” (19). This lack of care and concern makes Edna feel trapped in a loveless marriage where her emotional needs are not understood or fulfilled despite having financial security.
Edna’s married life with Mr. Pontellier is far different from what she had dreamt about because Mr. Pontellier regards their matrimony as based on a quasi-commercial contract that entitles him to treat Edna as one of his material possessions (Holz 3). For him, she is nothing but personal property owned by him.
Mr. Pontellier prioritizes his business over his wife, judging Edna’s actions based on their impact on his business. If he perceives her behavior as detrimental, he reprimands her. He desires a submissive and supportive wife, becoming angry when Edna fails to meet his expectations. As a shrewd businessman, he becomes agitated whenever he believes Edna’s actions devalue the considerable investment he has made in her. He is courteous as long as she remains acquiescent (Berman 51). Mr. Pontellier advises Edna to please those who could benefit his business and scolds her when she neglects them, such as with Mrs. Belthrop (Chopin 46).
However, Mr. Pontellier fails to recognize that Edna is an individual with her own desires and wishes beyond being a wife and mother; he expects her to fulfill traditional roles without consideration for what pleases her (Praver 26). Despite providing luxuries for Edna, Mr. Pontellier lacks concern for her emotional well-being.
Mr. Pontellier’s beliefs about marriage and the role of a wife are shaped by the society in which he lives. He is a conservative husband who sees Edna only as his wife and the mother of their children. He fails to realize that Edna may have wishes and desires that differ from his own. Mr. Pontellier desires a typical Creole wife who obeys her husband’s commands and lives her life in a way that pleases him. He also wants his wife to behave respectably so that he can become a respected member of society.
His love for his business is so intense that he fails to notice when his wife needs care, love, and affection. Other women view him as the perfect husband, but Edna feels she has lost her individuality due to her marriage with Mr. Pontellier, who is unable to provide her with the love, affection, and freedom she yearns for.
As a conventional husband, Leonce regards Edna as merely a homemaker whose only concern should be caring for him and their children; whenever she fails in this duty, he reproaches her: “He reproached his wife with her inattention, her habitual neglect of the children. If it was not a mother’s place to look after children, whose on earth was it?” (Chopin 7).
Leonce treats Edna more like property than like an equal human being; because of this inequality, Edna feels that marriage has curtailed her individual freedom.
Robert Leburn.
Robert Leburn is the one who leads Edna to her awakening, causing her to pursue her own desires without concern for society’s reaction. Within his society, Robert is known as a man who flirts with married women and shifts his attention to a new woman every year. Since the age of fifteen, which was eleven years before, Robert each summer at Grand Isle had constituted himself the devoted attendant of some fair dame or damsel. Sometimes it was a young girl; other times it was a widow. But more often than not, it was an interesting married woman” (Chopin 11). As a handsome young man, Robert always succeeded in catching the attention of women he chose to flirt with. He knew how to please them and as a result, he became popular among them.
When Edna arrived at Grand Isle, Robert Leburn devoted his attention to her. Initially, Robert and Edna shared a friendly relationship. However, as they spent more time together, their relationship developed into a love affair. Robert taught swimming to Edna and it was through swimming that she discovered her true self and realized that she was in love with him. According to Toth (210), The resort owner’s young son, Robert Leburn, attached himself to Edna as a self-appointed friendly cavalier, but a real romance brewed between them after he taught her to swim, and she felt power and sensuality in her body.” Although both of them were aware of their feelings for each other, they refrained from expressing their love openly. Robert succeeded in fulfilling the emotional needs of Edna by providing her with the love and care which she had been yearning for.
Robert loves Edna and enjoys spending time with her, but at the same time, he realizes that he is going against society’s rules by having a romantic relationship with a married woman. The fear of disapproval from society regarding his relationship with Edna makes him leave Grand Isle abruptly. Fearing that their love affair would lead to consummation, Robert decides to go to Mexico. Even Edna is unaware of his decision until she hears about it in the dining room: As she seated herself and was about to begin to eat her soup, which had been served… He had been with her, reading to her all morning and had never even mentioned such a place as Mexico” (Chopin 37). Robert fears that society would condemn him for his relationship with Edna; therefore, he decides to end their relationship by leaving for Mexico.
Although Robert is staying in Mexico, he is unable to forget Edna and his love for her. So, he returns to New Orleans and reveals his feelings to Edna. There in Mexico, I was thinking of you all the time and longing for you” (Chopin 93). Edna also expresses her love for Robert openly and promises to spend her life with him. However, once again, Robert is overpowered by his fear of society. He leaves a note for Edna and exits from her life: “Robert was not waiting for her in the little parlor. He was nowhere at hand. The house was empty. But he had scrawled on a piece of paper that lay in the lamplight: ‘I love you. Goodbye—because I love you'” (Chopin 97). The thought that Edna is Mr. Pontellier’s wife prevents Robert from accepting Edna’s suggestion of living together.
Robert fails to garner courage to take Edna with him even after she had told him that she has removed herself from Mr.Pontellier’s world: “I am no longer one of Mr.Pontellier’s possessions to dispose of or not.I give myself where I choose” (Chopin 93). Although Edna defies society by expressing her desire to lead her life with Robert, he deserts her as he is not courageous enough to fight society for the sake of their love.
Robert realizes that if he lived with Edna, it would ruin her reputation in society; as he loves her, he desires to save her from ignominy by leaving: “But she is called away to be with Adele during delivery when she returns; Robert has left because he loves too much destroy standing in society” (Paris 223).
Although Robert is a flirtatious man, he respects the rules of his society and aims to behave accordingly.
Robert Leburn played a crucial role in Edna’s awakening. According to Burnett (132), he acted as the sole catalyst for her remarkable transformation. Upon realizing her deep love, Edna shrugged off her social responsibilities and enjoyed newfound social and sexual freedom, with Robert’s help in discovering her true feelings and position in the universe.
However, when Robert deserted Edna due to society’s disapproval of their relationship, she was disappointed to such an extent that she decided to end her life. Similar to Leonce Pontellier, Robert respected society’s rules and aimed to lead his life following those rules. The major difference between them was how they expressed their love for Edna: Leonce presented expensive gifts while Robert cared for her feelings and aided in discovering herself.
Edna yearned for passion that was lacking in her husband’s behavior: Although kind, he does not exhibit any passion” (Applegate 70). It was Robert who aroused Edna’s passion and desire for freedom from the social roles enforced upon by both husband and society.
Alcee Arobin.
Alcee Arobin is a seducer who completely disregards the rules of society and lives his life in a manner that pleases him. After Robert’s departure from Grand Isle, Edna finds it difficult to continue with her life. Even after returning to New Orleans, she is troubled by memories of Robert. It is during this period that Edna meets Alcee Arobin at the race course.
Alcee Arobin has a pleasing personality. There was a perpetual smile in his eyes, which seldom failed to awaken…He possessed a good figure, a pleasing face, not overburdened with depth of thought or feeling; and his dress was that of the conventional man of fashion” (Chopin 65). When Alcee converses with Edna, he becomes attracted to her. As they keep meeting each other, they become close friends. “They became intimate and friendly by imperceptible degrees and then by leaps…in a way that pleased her at last, appealing to the animalism that stirred impatiently within her” (Chopin 68).
Edna eventually yields to Alcee’s advances and has a sexual relationship with him but she never harbors any feelings for him. “Edna knows that she does not love Arobin but cannot help feeling attracted to him and eventually succumbs to his entreaties” (Rippon 76). Her relationship with Alcee lacks love.
Although Alcee succeeds in seducing Edna, she never falls in love with him and refrains from emotional involvement. Alcee Arobin’s adulterous relationship with Edna indicates his disregard for societal rules, fulfilling his sexual desires without considering the consequences. In contrast, Leonce and Robert respect societal norms in their lives. Although Robert loved Edna intensely, he never attempted a sexual relationship with her out of respect for these norms. Alcee’s love for Edna is superficial; he is more interested in satisfying his sexual desires. Leonce and Robert represent men who honor society’s rules and restrain themselves from breaking them for personal pleasure. Meanwhile, Alcee breaks these rules without hesitation.
The three Creole men have influenced Edna’s life in various ways. Leonce Pontellier, being a conservative husband, represses Edna’s individual feelings and expects her to lead her life according to his needs and desires. His devotion to his business exceeds his love for his wife. Although he loves Edna, Mr. Pontellier fails to impress her with the way he expresses his love.
Robert Leburn brings an astonishing change in Edna by aiding her in discovering her power. He loves Edna in a way she always dreamt of, which helps her gain back the independence she lost. However, Robert ends their relationship because he thinks society would disapprove of their relation and condemn them for flouting society’s rules.
Alcee Arobin enters Edna’s life when she is longing for Robert’s return and seduces her into having a sexual relationship with him. The traits of Leonce Pontellier, Robert Leburn, and Alcee Arobin differ from each other in various aspects.
Each man brings forth a distinct set of beliefs and thoughts that shape their actions and behavior regarding the beliefs and rules of society they are living in. Mr. Pontellier and Robert emphasize following society’s rules through their behavior while Alcee Arobin breaks them for fulfilling his sexual desires as a womanizer.
Conclusion.
The novel The Awakening” depicts the married life of the protagonist, Edna Pontellier. Her husband, Leonce Pontellier, behaves like a typical businessman and conservative husband. He expects his wife to be subservient and support him in developing his business. He is pleased with her as long as she behaves according to his wishes but becomes angry and scolds her when she defies his commands. Mr. Pontellier regards Edna as his personal property.
Robert Leburn provides Edna with the love and care that was lacking in her relationship with Mr. Pontellier. However, Robert ends their relationship due to fear of society’s rules; he believes that by being involved with Edna, he is breaking those rules.
Robert honors society’s rules and aims to obey them while leading his life within it; he represents those Creole men who wish to lead a respected life like Mr. Pontellier.
On the other hand, Alcee Arobin shows complete disregard for society’s rules through his illicit relationship with Edna. Unlike Mr. Pontellier and Robert Leburn who respect these rules, Alcee pursues fulfillment of his pleasures rather than honor and respect.
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