The aspect of the man in the family needing to be more "masculine" within the home, as Professor Messner mentioned, is seen in this novel. Mr. Pontellier is a broker--someone who is urbanized and is confined within an office and as a result, must show his masculinity at home. However, when he sees that his wife is not submissive to him, and is someone who has a mind of her own, he feels lost and insecure. He wants to be viewed as the perfect husband as he sends her extravagant gifts while he is away to Edna, but he does not see how unhappy she is because he thinks that by meeting the expectations of society will give him and his wife happiness--which it clearly does not.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I think given that this book was written in the late 1800's, a time when women had one defined job, to be a homemaker, it was very inappropriate reading material. In the novel, although she did care for her kids, Edna desired more freedom. She wanted to paint and swim when she wanted to. She did not need to be ruled by her husband, who was rarely home. Thus, Kate Chopin seems to be promoting the notion of female independence from the tiresome domestic life. Women were expected to "idolize," as Kate Chopin says in the beginning of the book, their kids and submit to every request of their husbands. No one was supposed to read about a wife's scandalous quasi-affair with another man and the freedom she found in it. Women all over the country could read this book and relate their mundane lives to that of Edna's. Many could want that same independence and use Edna as a justification to leave their own homes and seek happiness. I think people were afraid of a female rebellion of traditional values. These ideals were highly unsuitable for the late 19th century and thus there was little attention given to this book at the time it was written.
ReplyDeleteMy question now is: Why do you think that the ban on the Awakening was repealed?