The Awakening in Overdue Podcast

Aug 16, 2012 tysephine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, classics

My thoughts on this book are very mixed. Edna Pontellier, the main character, has a "sensual awakening" when she finds herself attracted to young Robert Lebrun. The problem with that is that Edna is married to Leonce Pontellier and has two children by him. Cue angst and introspection about being stuck in a loveless marriage with children she doesn't particularly connect with.

Throughout these 116 pages, Edna comes to terms with her need to be free of her husband to do what she likes - she takes My thoughts on this book are very mixed. Edna Pontellier, the main character, has a "sensual awakening" when she finds herself attracted to young Robert Lebrun. The problem with that is that Edna is married to Leonce Pontellier and has two children by him. Cue angst and introspection about being stuck in a loveless marriage with children she doesn't particularly connect with.

Throughout these 116 pages, Edna comes to terms with her need to be free of her husband to do what she likes - she takes back up drawing and painting, for example. While her husband is in New York on business, she moves out of their house into a smaller house like she's a single woman. She has fancy parties and goes on long walks all because she decided she wants to do these things and no one can say she cannot.

Now let's come to the reason I cannot decide whether I agree with her decision to give into her desires. Her husband, Leonce, is affectionate at all and often criticizes her over her abilities as a mother and homemaker. He is a very practical man who thinks mainly of what their social circle thinks of them. He very often doesn't even eat dinner at home; he goes out to his club every night. Taking all this into consideration, I understand why Edna feels trapped in her marriage. I also understand that she feels trapped by her children.

On the other hand, there is a part of me that thinks if a woman has made the choice to get into a marriage and have these children that she should attempt to make herself happy within these constrictions. Barring domestic abuse, she should try to make it work, especially since this was written in 1899. Good for her that she understands that she should be able to make her own decisions independent of anyone else, but it would be irresponsible to just throw away the life she has created, especially since there is children involved.

My predicament is that I cannot tell if she is a liberated woman or just plain selfish. I teetered back and forth between the two the entire time I read the book. I kept waiting for the ending to make it all come together so that I could decide, but that never came to be. It was a very unsatisfying ending. I will not spoil it here though.

Really, you just have to read this novel for yourself and see if you can decide. ...more

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Feb 27, 2017 Camille24 (camilleisreading) rated it really liked it

Read this in high school and then again in college. Liked it wayyy more the second time around. Beautiful prose, vivid setting, and the water imagery is lovely and haunting.

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