Chopin was one of the first to introduce into public literary discussion the issue of women’s choice of a purpose other than the role of wife and mother, showed a certain variety of female roles. In the novel ‘The Awakening’ we see a strongly developed character who isn’t afraid to break the role selected to her by society Edna Pontellier. With great interest and growing empathy readers observe the “awake” from the character, she has a “thirst for life”, the growing desire to know her self, only in order to meet the tragic result of this “awakening”. Sometimes I thought that I was reading a certain version of “Anna Karenina”. Both women are quite young, both are happily married, both are mothers and they both fell in love, and because of these feelings discovered themselves. Only, in my opinion, Tolstoy’s created a great presentation of the psychological struggle of his character, which led to a sad end. But Chopin does not leave a hint to the reader, and only on the last page, we understand what happened.

Reading this story, I understand perfectly why it had a shocking effect on readers. The morality of that time did not allow the idea of a young, married woman with children who decided to live and die for this love. Naturally, all moralizers immediately pounced on this work and considered it immoral. That explains why society treats Edna as a selfish character, but in today’s world, we have a right to choose our way. No one wants to become part of society where everything obeyed the only possible course.

There is no absolute answer to this question. If we focus on her awakening to herself, she is not selfish because she constantly advances on her way to discovering her true identity that is to try to be independent of her husband and children. Besides that, I think she might be selfish to some extent.

In short, Mrs. Pontellier was not a mother-woman. The mother-women seemed to prevail that summer at Grand Isle…They were women who idolized their children, worshiped their husbands, and esteemed it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels.

(p. 9)

Here her image has been clearly pointed out that she is not a mother-woman (normal woman), which means that what she did is out of keeping with the social standards of the time. After the experience on Grand Isle, her desire and passion for art, freedom, sexual satisfaction and so on has been awakened. So she begins to have varied fantasies and continuously chase them, but she almost never consider the consequence of her actions and needs of others. Marital infidelity thus becomes a solution to her desire not to become her husband’s possession. And she does not hesitate to leave the child to the nanny for her own needs. All these decisions  represent her way of being independent are selfish.

She began to do as she liked and to feel as she liked. She completely abandoned her Tuesdays at home, and did not return the visits of those who called upon her…so far as she was able, lending herself to any passing caprice.

(p. 67)

This passage also directly demonstrates her impractical behavior for her own desire. Likewise, abandoning housework becomes a way to become independent. Doing whatever she wants has also become her current motivation. Regardless of the feelings of others and the constraints of social moral standards, do everything you think is interesting and right. Perhaps this is literally a selfish explanation.

Anyway, in her pathway of looking for her identity, most her behaviors reveal this selfishness. Perhaps suicide is the best relief for herself, but is it not a selfish act to end her life in this way?

Is Edna Pontellier selfish?

In Kate Chopin’s Novel, The Awakening, Edna Pontellier is beginning to discover her meaning as a person, as well as her position in the universe (pg. 15). The way women are treated is more like objects rather than people. Husbands see their wives as their property. “‘you are burnt beyond recognition’ he added, looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of property” (pg. 2). From Enda’s perspective, getting out of the marraige was not selfish. She was doing what she had to for herself as she realized her worth.

Her actions also affects how Mr. Pontellier raises his children. At the beginning of the novel, Mr Pontellier says it is the mothers job to take care of their kids (pg. 6). This was after he had already been gone all night leaving Mrs. Pontellier to feed the kids and get them to bed. Without her being there, will force him to take more responsibility.

The only part about Mrs. Pontellier that is selfish, is the way she does things. She was having an affair with Robert while still being married to her husband. There isn’t enough communication between them for a healthy loving relationship. However, the lack of communication was on both parts, Leonce often leaves to the bar and not tell her when he would be back or if he would be needing dinner upon return (pg 3). This caused extra strain on Mrs. Pontellier.

Other than the poor method choices, Mrs. Pontellier was not selfish, she is just practicing self growth.

It is arguable that Edna Pontellier is very selfish and that is the reason she does not want to oblige to her family, however that would only be a reflection of her emotional immaturity. In the time setting of the novel, there were countless obligations that were socially expected of a woman. Caring for their family, their household, and doing endless tasks for their children and husbands. However, Edna does not do any of these things. In chapter 3, Mr. Pontellier is sure that one of their sons has a fever and insists Edna should check on him. Edna insists the child has no fever as he fell asleep perfectly fine. However, after much prodding from her husband she goes to check on the child. Her initial neglect of her ailing child is a reflection of her selfishness as well as a lack of desire to be the motherly figure that is expected of her. Although she does not seem to be interested in being  mother or a wife, I do not believe that is her being selfish but simply going against social standards of women in her time. It would be overwhelming having so many obligations and not being able to socially express yourself and I believe that is why Edna is perceived as selfish.

A question always discussed when mentioning Kate Chopin’s iconic novel The Awakening would be whether the protagonist, Edna Pontellier, is selfish. Though there would never be a definite answer to this question, I would still try to look in the text for some evidence and reach a conclusion.

Many consider Edna selfish from her acts contradicting the common image of a mother in a patriarchal society. This argument is quite true, considering how Chopin describes her in parts of the novel:

“She was fond of her children in an uneven, impulsive way. She would sometimes gather them passionately to her heart; she would sometimes forget them.” (p. 21)

Within Edna’s character, she has chronic neglect towards her children, often unconsciously choosing to unsee them. This act is a grave indication of her selfishness, or rather, irresponsibility. And this is not only the role of a mother but a father too. As a parent, the act of unseeing their children must be criticized. At this point, Edna’s character gives an impression of ‘selfish.’ Later in the novel, an argument breaks out between Adele and Edna, one representing the ideal mother and wife in such a society, and the other an ‘awakened’ women unwilling to tend to the rules of patriarchy:

“ I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children; but I wouldn’t give myself” (p. 56)

This statement, for me, redeems Edna. This statement is ‘The Awakening’ for me. She would give anything for her child, likewise for any parent, but she would not sacrifice her individuality and rights to pursuit her own happiness. To this point, I believe Edna is irresponsible, but not selfish. Selfish, is when one sacrifices others in pursuit of personal gain and pleasure, but Edna pursuits her basic rights as an individual.

From this on, I search through the novel not for when Edna acts ‘selfish’, but for justification that her rights are oppressed by this patriarchal society. Many can be found instantly, such as how the ‘perfect husband’ Mr. Pontellier habitually views Edna not as a human being, but merely as a piece of furniture:

“You are burnt beyond recognition,” he added, looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage.” (p. 2)

This was Edna to Mr. Pontellier, a piece of furniture. An expensive and valuable piece of furniture, but still furniture nonetheless. The list drags on how the patriarchal society of 1899 mistreats women like Edna, forcing upon them responsibilities and roles while stripping them of their individuality. Under this circumstance, should an individual fighting for her own rights as a free human be criticized as merely ‘selfish’? I think not.

Kate Chopin’s The awakening is all about Edna Pontellier discovering her new identity. This made her act out of the social convention, surprising the other character. This is why we ask ourselves is she really is selfish. Is it selfish to act upon what you believe?  Or, to what extent can someone do what they really want with interfering with others.  I think that this passage of the book is really interesting since we see how she acts as she believes she should.

I suppose this is what you would call unwomanly; but I have got into a habit of expressing myself. It doesn’t matter to me, and you may think me unwomanly if you like.

In this part, she makes Robert uncomfortable, which I found really interesting because at the time (in the 1800s) it was wrong or uncommon to have women behaving as Edna did. After all of this, I concluded that she in fact was somewhat selfish.

The children appeared before her like little antagonists who had overcome her; who had overpowered and sought to drag her into soul’s slavery for the rest of her days. But she knew a way to elude them.

She understood that her decision had affected his sons, but also knew that if she does what is best for them, she will be giving up on herself. I think it was okay for her to go out of the social standards, but she did so only thinking of herself. And prioritized her identity over everything else.

Edna Pontellier can be perceived as selfish when she refuses to go to her sisters wedding. “Edna and her father had a warm, and almost violent dispute upon the subject of her refusal to attend her sister’s wedding” [83]. Here, Edna is only thinking about herself and not her sister who, I would imagine, would like edna attend to her wedding. If Edna was not selfish, she would attend her sisters wedding. Later, when she meets a man at the horse races, she realizes something about her marriage. “her husband seem to her now like a person whom she had married without love as an excuse” [91]. Edna realizes that she has married her husband not because of love but because of his wealth. This is selfish as Edna was only thinking of herself in the marriage not her partner as well. From these two examples we can clearly see that Edna is Selfish and thinks only of herself.

The book “The Awakening” takes place in 1899, that was the year when the feminist movement was beginning, yet it was still obliterated by the society. During that time women were expected to take care of their children and husband as if it was their only task in life, so when we read the novel it is expected to think that Edna Pontellier is being selfish for not taking care of her  children specially when she is being compared to other women who were more idealized as to what she should have been, for example in chapter IV when it is being said that her children would not go to her if they fell it says

“In short Mrs. Pontellier was not a mother-woman. The mother-woman seemed to prevail that summer at Grand Isle” (Ch. IV, P. 9).

The other mother-woman who are mentioned are described like this, 

“They were women who idolized her children, worshiped their husbands and esteemed it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels” (Ch. IV, P. 9).

As we read the book we see that Edna is nothing like this, I think that she is not selfish, I believe she was very oppressed by her husband and society and because of that she wanted to experience something different, it is true that she was somehow rude to her family to just neglect them but for me it is understandable. The author wanted for women to feel independent Edna started to become just that in the book, in chapter XVI, Edna and Adele argue about what a mother owes to her children and Edna says

“ I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children; but I wouldn’t give myself” (Ch. XVI, P. 59)

and I believe that this can sound selfish but we don’t think as how she was being controlled for most of her life without thinking of her own wishes and what she wanted to do with her life.

Since the beginning of the book, we can clearly see how Edna’s only purpose is to fulfill her biggest ambition of pleasing no one but herself.  “I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children, but I wouldn’t give myself. I can´t make it more clear; it’s only something which I am beginning  to comprehend, which is revealing itself to me.” (XVI, 56). It is clear how she does put herself before her children, and despite it being extremely rebellious at those times, it still would be nowadays.

Closer to the end, Edna rids herself of any responsibilities and duties within her daily life and her household. “She began to do as she liked and to feel as she liked. She completely abandoned her Tuesdays at home and did not return the visits of those who called upon her. She made no ineffectual efforts to conduct her household en bonne menagerie, going and coming as it suited her fancy, and, so far as she was able, lending to any passing caprice.” (XIX, 67) Not only she became careless but she also kept treating herself whenever she had the chance to.

The fact alone that she sees her own children as a burden and blames them for her condition is not only selfish but immoral. Afterward to leave her children and husband alone.

In “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin we see how the main character Edna Pontellier can seem selfish for her actions throughout the story. But is she selfish or is she just self -centered?  I think that she is not selfish, all Edna wants is independence, and she realizes that she is not maternal or the perfect wife, thanks to his husband’s actions, she comes to this realization right at the end of the book. But  Edna’s personality might be confused with her being selfish because she just wants to find herself and she has a lot to face because in one side, she starts experiencing a lot of passion for the first time in her life, but also a lot of pain, so all she really wants is to be alone. An example of this is when she says

“I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children; but I wouldn’t give myself. I can’t make it clearer; it’s only something which I am beginning to comprehend, which is revealing itself to me.” (P. 56)

I think it’s also because of how her husband sees her, his character can be perceived as a little bit misogynist because of how women were seen at that time, he expects her to be the perfect wife, but she realizes that she is not maternal at all. For example, when he says,

“if it was not a mother’s place to look after children, who’s on earth was it?” (P. 6)

I think Edna is struggling with finding her identity because she is being labeled by society on her having to be the perfect mother or the perfect wife. I think that this also has to do with the title of the book, she is not selfish she is just experiencing the awakening of her real identity and true self.

 How does Edna’s actions in the “awakening” at the start, contribute to how we foresee her. When I was reading other posts about Edna, I saw that lots of people giving the same examples, yet telling both sides of the story. In my opinion, I can not see how others find her unselfish. She focuses solely upon liberating herself from boundaries that constrain her and she achieves almost all that she desires. Her affair, treatment of others, and suicide were completely uncalled for and singleminded. Although Edna consistently acted selfishly, she was never denied support from anyone who she was acquainted with. 

Edna has two young boys who yes, she does love, yet she does not feel attached to them. Raoul, age four, and Etienne, age five, were treated in the opposite manner, “if one of the little Pontellier boys took a tumble whilst at play, he was not apt to rush crying to his mother’s arms for comfort; he would more likely pick himself up, wipe the water out of his eyes and the sand out of his mouth, and go on playing” [7]. This shows that Edna was disconnected from her children and it is further emphasized when Chopin wrote, “in short, Mrs. Pontellier was not a mother-woman” (8). This further emphasizes how Edna is not a woman who has motherly qualities, as further demonstrated by this excerpt:

“She was fond of her children in an uneven, impulsive way. She would sometimes gather them passionately to her heart; she would sometimes forget them. The year before they had spent part of the summer with their grandmother Pontellier in Iberville. Feeling secure regarding their happiness and welfare, she did not miss them except with an occasional intense longing. Their absence was a sort of relief, though she did not admit this, even to herself. It seemed to free her of a responsibility which she had blindly assumed and for which Fate had not fitted her.” 

In the book, even Mr. Pontellier’s mother is worried about the Pontellier children. As Mr. Pontellier travels frequently,  Edna is left to care for the children Edna should not have had children if she knew she was not able or willing to take care of them. Edna herself acts in a very childish and improper way, as she simply gives her children to their nurse if she is not in a caring mood. 

Edna again acted more selfishly when she and Robert LeBrun were deeply in love with one another and having an affair. This was made clear throughout the book, especially when Mademoiselle Reisz is having a conversation with Edna regarding Robert’s letters. Mademoiselle Reisz says to Edna, “It’s because he loves you, poor fool” (80), and she questions her, “are you in love with Robert” (81)? She simply replies, “yes” (81). However, as Robert and Mr. Pontellier are gone, Edna discovers another person for whom she can share her passions with, Alcée Arobin. This relationship demonstrates how weak and selfish Edna really is. She is not in love with Arobin, as she still loves Robert, but she still cheats on Robert until he returns home. At their first encounter when he returns, she remains with Arobin, as Robert is not willing to say whether he loves her or not. However, as soon as Robert says that he loves her, Arobin completely disappears from Edna’s life. She is a married woman who cheats on all of her lovers because she is self-centred.

Toward’s the end of the novel, Edna’s actions prove her selfishness even further. Her suicide and dismissal of her own children, husband, and lovers show how she is far too self-centred to have any long term relationship. Right before committing suicide, Edna thought about her husband, Raoul, and Etienne: “They were a part of her life. But they need not have thought that they could posses her, body and soul” (116). She has little concern over their wellbeing but rather discovers a reason to commit suicide. Her final thought was about Robert, “He did not know; he did not understand. He would never understand” (116). She has not considered breaking her dear lover’s heart, but rather how he had never understood her. Edna had abandoned every person who she had cared for and relied upon, without much thought. With all this in mind, Edna, in my opinion, is a very selfish person. Having a relationship while still in a marriage, committing suicide without any thought, and others are the reasons why I think Edna is selfish. However, a theory that I have is that Edna never put any thought into her life at the start or was scared of what was going to happen. When she met Leonce, she jumped to the idea of what she thought she wanted, as that seems to be the just of what others at the time thought of him. As stated at the start of the book, “ Mr. Pontellier was a great favourite, and ladies, men, children, even nurses, were always on hand to say goodbye to him” [8], Edna could have seen that other liked and wanted a man like Mr. Pontllier, and as she was described as good looking, ended up with him very easily and never truly had figured out what type of person she wanted to be with. But, regardless of that, I can not get over what Edna has done and therefore, I will say she is a very selfish person. 

Is Edna really being selfish for choosing herself over others? The answer varies. With the setting being in the 19th century, women’s main priority should be to take care of their children. On the other hand, Edna is described as not a “mother-woman”. During an exchange of argument about what a mother owes to her children, Edna proclaims that her individuality is more important than motherhood,

“I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children, but I wouldn’t give myself” (p. 57).

Edna’s adolescence pushes her to strive for self-discovery, resulting in her neglecting responsibilities such as maternity. 

Edna betrays the trust of Leonce Pontellier, whom she’s married to when she confesses her feelings towards Robert. Mademoiselle Reisz questions Edna,

“Are you in love with Robert” (p. 81)?

As Edna replies with a simple,

“yes” (p. 81).

Although, while both her husband and Robert are gone, she finds another person to share her passion with, Alcee Arobin. This demonstrates her selfish ways as she is not in love with Arobin, nevertheless, she still keeps him around for her own desires of affection. However, soon as Robert professes his love for Edna, she abandons Arobin. Edna’s way of cheating, both on her husband and Robert, reveals to us that she is egotistic. 

Approaching the end of the novel, Edna shares her final thought about Robert before she commits suicide,

“he did not know; he did not understand. He would never understand” (p. 116).

Instead of contemplating how she would break her dearest companion’s heart with her final act, she only reflects on how he had never understood her. Edna deserts everyone who had cared for her and who she had relied upon, without much consideration. 

Edna’s actions can be justified with social standards today. However, She did them all in aiming to fill the void in her miserable life, where she had no control over anything without the approval of a man. Edna sees more to her life, potentials, and dreams, although she never had the chance to proceed as she could not handle the consequences it came with. As a mother and as a lover, Edna is selfish. As an individual, her choice of putting herself first in any circumstances and to control her own destiny makes her almost admirable.

In the book The Awakening, we see two sides of the story which leads me to be undecided. Edna’s naiveness and reliance on her husband’s income had made me conclude her selfish. And yet she chose her family before love interest and herself which shows a side of she’s not selfish.

“The acme of bliss, which would have been a marriage with the trage-
dian, was not for her in this world. As the devoted wife of a man who worshiped her, she felt she would take her place with a certain dignity in the world of reality, closing the portals forever behind her upon the realm of romance and dreams.” (Act7, 22)

Society in 1899 holds traditional values such as women catering the child and men go to work. Due to these values, women are expected to be responsible for house chores and tend their husbands. Women are being scolded by men when they voice their own opinion.

“You ought to feel that such things are not flattering to say to a fellow.”… “Should our whole intercourse consist of an exchange of compliments? Ma foi!”…“It isn’t pleasant to have a woman tell you—” (Act8, p24-25)

We could understand why Edna would be perceived to be selfish as she is irresponsible as a mother.

“She was fond of her children in an uneven, impulsive way. She would sometimes gather them passionately to her heart; she would sometimes forget them” (Act7,p23)

Although it is rude to neglect her own children to live in her own terms, society in 1899 would not allow women to be in charge of their own life. It is understandable that she wants to change her fate. It is debatable if she is selfish or not because she is a woman who wants to take control of her life, but she has established a family already which makes it difficult for her to be free without having complications and consequences.

Selfishness is the opposite of altruism, meaning being concerned excessively or exclusively, for oneself or one’s own advantage, pleasure, or welfare, regardless of others (from Wikipedia). In Kate Chopin’s book “The Awakening”, she tells the story of Edna Pontellier, a young, married lady with two children, who’s life views change completely throughout the summer vacation. The book shows the process character development, spicing it with the obstacles that Edna has to get windward of, arguing the position of women in the society, criticizing established norms towards women and questioning love, and the institute of marriage as a whole. However, to answer the question “is Edna Pontellier selfish?”, we have to look closer, from different angles and perspectives.

My observation starts right on the first pages of the book, where Edna Pontellier is introduced as a happy, married woman. She is at her cottage, talking to a young man called Robert Lebrun, after bathing. The picture of an ideal life where nothing happens is drawn. Yet, one thing in this almost utopian chapter gives away the alarming set of actions that await for the reader:

“You are burnt beyond recognition,” he added, looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage.
(Chapter I, pg. 2)

This unhidden message left by the author sets the first concerning thought about the plot. Kate Chopin describes the way Edna’s husband looks at her as if Edna was nothing more than a valuable object, property of Mr. Pontellier, however, Edna does not show any reaction to that. She continues to laugh and enjoy her chat with Robert. Edna is happy and joyful, at least so it seems, despite the way her husband treats her.

However, this illusion is harshly and quickly broken, when Mr. Pontellier repeats this type of behavior straight after, at the start of Chapter 2:

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?… [Mr. Pontellier falls asleep]… She began to cry a little, and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her peignoir… She could not have told why she was crying. Such experiences as the foregoing were not uncommon in her married life… An indescribable oppression, which seemed to generate in some unfamiliar part of her consciousness, filled her whole being with a vague anguish…
(Chapter III, pg. 6-7)

In this part, Kate Chopin shows what is “behind the scenes” of what at first sight looks like a happy life. Edna is unhappy, even though her husband cares her with kindness and money, he also depresses her with allegations about her suggested carelessness towards children and housekeeping to the point where she cries. Here, there are two ways of looking at the situation. One might say that Edna is being oppressed by her husband, that she does not deserve this kind of treatment and she must stand up for herself, making her the victim. However, someone might also settle with Mr. Pontellier’s position, claiming that while he brings all the money home and pays for all expenses, Edna is weak and irresponsible in the ways of housekeeping, making her the cause of the problem. In my opinion, both sides of the argument are right but need to be combined to achieve the answer. While Edna is affected by the way her husband treats her, she did accept him and marry him, therefore as a responsible human being, should have forethought. However, Edna Pontellier is not responsible at all:

Her marriage to Leonce Pontellier was purely an accident… He fell in love, as men are in the habit of doing, and pressed his suit with an earnestness and an ardor which left nothing to be desired. He pleased her; his absolute devotion flattered her.
(Chapter VII, pg. 21)

As with the children, Robert and all changes she makes, Edna does not think things through, her thoughts are full of emotions, much like a teenager who is trying to sort out their life not knowing what knob and where to tweak. So when Robert shows up, Edna gets a grasp of intoxicating freedom which throws her mind around in her own head. Therefore Edna is the one responsible for the consequences of her actions.

As the story progresses, Edna Pontellier starts building and developing her character, partially thanks to Madame Ratignolle who is portraying a person opposite to Edna and helping her out with life advice and emotional guidance, and Robert Lebrun, who shows her that what Leonce Pontellier has to offer is not everything and she does not have to be a housewife. He caresses her with sweet words and respect, and in the end, she does give up to it. Edna opens up and starts to realize that she is not satisfied with her life, that she is not her husband’s dog to control, and starts making changes. She picks up painting, confronts her husband, and makes some changes around the house. These changes seem to be for the better, she looks to be happier than before:

“How handsome Mrs. Pontellier looked!” said Madame Lebrun to her son.
“Ravishing!” he admitted. “The city atmosphere has improved her. Some way she doesn’t seem like the same woman.”
(Chapter XX, pg. 72)

However, while she is doing so, she forgets about everything else. She moves into a different house, she gives away the children to their grandmother and hosts a big evening for her friends, while her husband pays the bills. So again Edna is in a difficult position in the question of selfishness. She tries to improve her life, but that comes at the expense of her family and relatives. Previously I made a point that Edna is selfish because she acts irresponsibly while being responsible for the consequences of her actions. That point can be applied here as well. Whatever Edna is doing, for the sake of her own happiness or not, her past actions have resulted in a family, children, relationships, and she should forethink what her actions will cost her, as any of them will have an effect on others (including her children), and for any of them, she may be held responsible. However, in the end, she cheats – by killing herself. This is a very sensitive subject that involves more questions that are subjective to each person, such as what is the value of human life? My view on it is that Edna, high on the intoxicating freedom of choice and feelings forgets about all other lives she affects, such as her own children (in the book Edna does admit she would not sacrifice herself for her children though) and makes critical actions.

At this point, some might expect me to conclude calling Edna selfish. Howbeit, I have to acknowledge that Edna’s character is fictional, it has been created and developed by the author to prove a point, which is not to show that Edna is selfish. So the answer to the question really depends on the prism through which we shed the light of this story. If we inspect Edna’s character, her inability to evaluate her own past and forethink her own actions does mean she is selfish. However, if we are ready to let this skip for the sake of authors point, then no, Edna is not selfish.

In the passage of “At the ‘Cadian Ball'”, because of Alcee‘s rejection, Calixta accepts Bobinot’s love directly and promises to marry Bobinot, which makes Bobinot feel overjoyed. Obviously, emotions dictate Calixta’s decision at that time. In contrast to Calixta’s attraction to Alcee, Alcee truly loves Clarisee. Because Clarisee gradually begins to like Alcee, plus Alcee’s final cajoling of Clarisee,  which makes them finally together.

For The Storm”, Calixa and Alcee  are not really happy in their respective marriages. If Calixa is truly happy in her marriage, she will not have sex with Alicee. Likewise, Alcee is able to experience new pleasures while having sex with Calixta, a sign that his love life with his wife is not full. We can say that the various limitations of marriage deprive Calixa and Alicee  of their sexual pleasure in their respective marriages, so that they will have extramarital affairs in the context of storms. In the passage, such disloyalty on the part of both of them in the storm makes everyone happy in the end. Furthermore, author even reflects that sexual satisfaction outside of marriage is not negative and can increase the strength and happiness of the relationship between two people (As far as I am concerned, I cannot accept such behavior).

When I was reading “at the Cadian Ball”, it took me a while to understand who was who with all the characters. I was confused a lot because I thought that the name “Alcée” was a girls name. I was really confused because it said his or him but  then I finally realized it was because it was a he. I was a bit disappointed with the chapter/story because Calixta was into Alcée and they ended up not together and then later on, when they were both married, being unfaithful to their spouses. I think that Calixta is happy in her marriage but that she had passion for Alcée that she doesn’t have with Bobinot. I think that she likes him and who he represents and that she would like someone like him to be the father to her kid. However, I think that she is attracted to Alcée in a romantic way that she does not find in Bobinot.

“When he touvhed her breasts they gave themselves up in quivering extacy, inviting his lips. Her mouth was a fountain of delight. And when he possessed her, they seemed to swoon together at the very borderland of life’s myserty”[270]

I think that she does not regret being with Alcée but that she also loves Bobinot. I think that the two of them are what she wants as she does not find the one person she wants to be with. I think that what she did was morally wrong and I really disliked that part, but I do think that she does deserve what she wants, which is an entirely different man altogether.

I think Calixta marries Bobinot because she knows that he is in love with her. I think that Alcee marries Clarisse because she told him that she loves him. I think that both Calixta and Alcee are unhappy in their marriages because if they were happy, then they wouldn’t have been unfaithful. There wasn’t any consequence to their unfaithfulness because they weren’t caught, but if they had been caught they would have been divorced. The Storm raises questions about marriage and moral values when Clarisse receives Alcee’s letter. Clarisse doesn’t seem to be happy with her marriage, but she feels that she must always be loyal to her husband, even though he isn’t being loyal to her.

Kate Chopin has many works that sparked controversy. This includes At The Cadian Ball and The Storm. These works can be considered as a part 1 and 2 of the same story and they both have a similar theme. The difference between love vs attraction. In At The Cadian Ball, from the very beginning we can see that Bobinot may have a hard time deciphering these alike terms.

Why could he not love Ozenia? Who would marry him tomorrow; or Fronie, or any of a dozen others, rather than that little Spanish vixen? Calixta… (179)

This supports the claim that Bobinot may not be faithful and he is looking more  for attraction rather than love. In The Storm we see something similar happening. Neither Calixta or Alcee are happy in their marriages and end up sleeping with each other. However, this is not love, this is attraction. Love lasts much longer than 1 night with each other, attraction does not. That is why  it was easy for Calixta to go back to Bobinot. I found both of these works to be quite interesting and they raised a lot of interesting questions that I would like to look into deeper in the future.

These two short stories by Kate Chopin follow two couples. Bobinot marries Calixta, and Alèes marries Clarisse.  However Calixta and Alèes are attracted to each other. Some of the questions raised are whether Calixta and Alèes are happy in their marriages. I think that really depends on what part of the marriage you look at. I don’t think either of them truly love their spouses, but I don’t think they are happy in the marriage. I also don’t think that Calixta and Alèes love each other, Alèes seems to be attracted to Calixtas body during the storm.

He pushed her hair back

from her face that was warm and steaming.

Her lips were as red and moist as

pomegranate seed. Her white neck and a

glimpse of her full, firm bosom disturbed

him powerfully (II)

She was frightened by the storm yet he was focused on how she looked. I didn’t really see an honest connection between them. I do think they are both happy where they are in life though. Caixta has her family and was worried about them getting out of the storm and staying safe which means she does care about them, and Alèes sent a loving letter to his wife at the end of the story checking is and making sure she was okay.

Also in The Storm I noticed that “their” was spelt “the:r” and im not sure if that is just a typo or if it means anything.

Calixta felt him to see if he

were dry, and seemed to express nothing but

satisfaction at the:r safe return.

One topic that I noticed was brought up in both at the Cadian ball and the storm was about marriage. In the Cadian ball story this is shown through the relationship between Bobinot and Calixta, he is in love with her, but she does not feel the same way about him. This left me questioning why she would marry him she didn’t really love him and does he know she docent really love him. The other relationship in this story was between Alcée and Clarisse. At the ball it is shown that Alcée is in love with Clarisse and with Calixta but in the end he ends up marrying Clarisse. This made me question what the reasoning was for him choosing to marry Clarisse. After reading The Storm I was mainly left with questions about the idea of people actually loving the people they are married to and why they are not loyal to them. In the example of Calixta not being loyal to her husband I think it is because although she agreed to marry him she was not truly happy in her relationship with him and she did not truly love him.

I believe that the reason Calixta married Bobinot is because he actually cared about her, and made sure she was happy and comfortable. Alcee marries Clarisse because she told him she loved him. I think that Callixta is happy in her marriage, because Bobinot trears her well. I also think that Alcee is happy in his marriage, because he loves Clarisse and she loves him. when Calixta and Alcee are unfaithful to their spouses, there are no consequences, because they never tell anybody what happened and go on with their lives normally. The Storm raises questions about marriage and controversial moral values because of the infidelity that takes place. I do not believe that if people do cheat on their spouses, they should try to keep it from the other person, because if the other person eventually finds out from someone else, it will be a lot worse than if they just tell them as soon as it happens. It is not good to cheat on your husband or wife, but  it is better to tell the truth if you do.

Clarisse, without a word without a glance back at the girl. He had forgotten he was leaving her there. But Carisse whispered something to him, and he turned back to say “Good-night, Calixta”. And offer his hand to press through the railing. She pretended not to see it.

Kate Chopin, The Awakening and selected stories, page 187

Bobinot’s explanations and apoligues which he had been composing all along the way, died on his lips as Calixta felt him to see if he were dry, and seemed to express nothing but satisfaction at their safe return.

Kate Chopin, “The Storm”, end of part III”

All of the past plays we read in English Literature have the same theme that the author tried to express, the possibility of a woman. A major idea of Kate Chopin’s is how women feeling unhappy and subjugate in marriage. In the short story called At the “Cadian Ball”, Calixtra doesn’t have proper manners for a lady during this time. She doesn’t have any limits on her physical and verbal activities.  She is also taking care of her home, she is super obsessed with keeping the house clean. As soon as her husband returns home from the storm, he hopes that  Calixta wouldn’t be mad about the mess. These actions show that he cares what his wife thinks, he wants to please her and he clearly loves her. The storm is a  setting of the story and a very important symbol. I have noticed that Chopin is using French phrases, which has a big impact on us, as we learn about another theme of the story which is culture. The similarities between this short story and “Pygamion” is how upper-class people treat the ones who are lower them. Alcee won’t marry Calixtra because she is from the lower class. The authors tell us about the character and what classes they belong to by showing the manners of their speaking. In my opinion, the main accent of the short story is on women making decisions, Calixtra is suffering because she is silent, on the other hand, Clarisse takes what she wants as she “haunts” her wants.

In “At the cadian ball” by Kate Chopin, it is clear how both love and attraction are two different things. Attraction is mistaken for love in this story. The story’s plot is about the lives of two men and two woman who have different stories, yet they all meet at a certain point. The first couple that the story introduces the readers with is Bobinot and Calixta, he is in love with her, but she her feelings for him are not the same. This is clear when in page 187, he asks to kiss her and she replies, “I don’t want to kiss you, Bobinot”. So, one of the main questions raised after reading this is why does Calixta marry Bobinot if she did not love him? Then the author introduces us with the second man, Alcée, who was attending to the ball that Bobinot did not wanted to attend, so Bobinot becomes worried that Alicée can try to flirt with Calixta. But Alcée is in love with the second women called Clarisse. At the ball something happens between Alcée and Calixta, but the both end up returning to the ones they are supposed to be in love with. And Alcée ends up marrying Clarisse, and Calixta ends up marrying Bobinot. But then another question is raised, are they both happy in their marriages? And I think Calixta is not because she does not love Bobinot, but I do think that Alicée is, even though he had a thing for Calixta, he did love Clarisse too.

Then in “The storm”, the sequel to “At the cadian ball” the author shows us a different side to the previous story. Calixta and her husband were in the middle of a storm their son Bibi was playing outside, so while Bobinot went to find him, Calixta reencountered with Alicée and she offered him shelter, but it was something more than shelter, and while his husband was out in the storm, she was happily having an affair and being unfaithful to her husband. She had no consequences for her infidelity because as her husband returns, Alicée disappears, and she stays quiet, as if nothing had happened. I think that in these stories marriage does not mean love and loyalty, Calixta does not Bobinot, and she is not compromised to him, so why is she married to him? I also noticed that as they both cheated to their partners and acted as nothing happened, they seemed kinder to their families, how Alicée writes a love letter to his wife and how Calixta has a family dinner. The lies seem to make their marriage stronger instead of destroying it.

While Bobinot and Bibi are stuck in a shop because of a storm, Calixta is home being infidel to her husband. What bothered me the most about these short stories is how in the first one, The ‘Cadian Ball appears to have a happy ending.  However in The Storm, there is a happy ending as well, but this is because there were no consequences to Calixta’s and Alcée’s actions. In these stories, I am annoyed about two things.  Spanish people are pictured as indecent you could say. The second thing is that Calixta is bold enough to sit at the table with her husband and child as if nothing happened. She won’t suffer any consequences. I do not understand the meaning of these texts, but if I had a guess it would be that marriage is meaningless, or that sex is extremely glorified. Maybe it is seen as something very important and it shouldn’t be. Anyway, I disliked the ending.

I found it interesting that in “The Storm” Bobinot’s name did not have an accent on it, but in “The ‘Cadian Ball” it was spelled “Bobinôt”. I especially liked the vivid imagery.

When reading a book or watching a movie, I always hope the people that are in love get to be together. So in “At The Cadian Ball” I was a bit disappointed that Calixta and Alcee did not end up together. After reading “The Storm”, my disappointment did fade away a bit because although the 2 lovers did not end up together, they are still happy in their marriages

It is interesting that so long ago, people would host soirees for Cajun people to find the people we would marry. Now, that would seem odd to go to a soiree and find your person in that crowd of people.