Goodbye Esplande Street

Revelations

Breaking Free

A Doctor's Observations

It's Too Early for me to be Awake on a Saturday

Response

I agree with Juliana Castro's It’s Just PMS (In Fancier Language), as a woman we take a personal stand when reading this book and are quite sympathetic towards Mrs. Pontellier and her present situation 

 Edna Pontellier is a woman trapped in a society that doesn't recognize her as an individual, and in a love-less marriage which gives her less recognition than the rest of society. she has had enough and wants her rights and individuality recognized, this is why she has been acting so disagreeable towards her husband. she begins to act upon this feelings of hers and the first thing that her husband thinks is that she is going "crazy"just because she acts differently from what is expected from the Creole women of society. This observation from her husband could also be understood as unobservant because this wasn't the first time that se began acting against him, she began this behavior at Grand Isle when she refused to go inside even when her husband tried to make her.

Consequently, Mr. Pontellier cannot be considered as a loving husband who is concerned for his wife's health because he is actually a self-centered man who can't believe that his wife is actually developing a mind of her own and instantly writes her of as crazy.

The Unaffectionate Mother

 Edna Pontellier is not as happy in her marriage as a woman should be. In chapter VII we are permitted a peak inside her mind and we find out that she is not the happiest woman around, and that she feels a little left out in the Creole's society. As said in my previous blog Not a Mother-Woman I said that Edna doesn't quite fit in to her husband's  society group because she doesn't fit the typical Creole woman behavior, "devoted their entire lives to caring for their children and husbands, putting themselves second and idolizing men". In this chapter we lear the reasons why.

Mrs. Pontellier was not accustomed to outward and spoken affections since it wasn't common in her family to be that way, "She and her younger sister, Janet, had quarreled a good deal"(Pg 256), like an normal pair of sisters they used to fight quite a lot but apparently their relationship wasn't good enough in order for them to be friends even though they fought, and, "Her older sister, Margaret, was matronly and dignified"(Pg266) her older sister took up their late mothers  role in the household, "Margaret was not effusive, she was practical"(Pg267) and having had to become such a sober person since such a young age made her little affectionate.

Consequently, Edna did have the occasional girl friend "they seemed to be all of one type--the self-contained"(Pg267) her friendships never actually required for her to become an affective person so she never learned it. Also, "Her most intimate friend at school had been one of rather exceptional intellectual gifts"(Pg267), the closest relationship she ever had with another person was based on intellect and that is one of the principal reasons why she is so awkward towards other peoples affections and she portrays this behavior towards raising her children

It's a Man's World

 Mr. Pontellier is a businessman, he has a beautiful wife and two adorable kids.  He is the man of the house and the least he can expect from his wife is to take care of their children and be aware of their well being at all times, this is why he is furious to get home and find his wife asleep when one on of the kids “has a fever”.  Chopin writes, “Mr. Pontellier was too well acquainted with fever symptoms to be mistaken”(Pg70 Kindle edition). Even though his wife assured him that their son was all right. Mr. Pontellier felt superior enough over her to doubt her observations of the children. He later reproaches,” he reproaches his wife with her inattention, her habitual neglect of the children”(Pg 70). Even though his wife is correct and the boy has no fever at all, he feels as though she doesn’t care enough about their kids and probably believes her a slacker because of it since it is her only function in the household. Also, Mr. Pontellier is of the opinion that “If it was not a mothers place to look after her children, whose on Earth was it?”(Pg 70) he believes that it his wife’s duty and no one else’s, including him, to care for the children because that is a woman’s only occupation. He makes his wife feel bad about the marriage, by making her cry, she feels as though she is being underestimated because of her ways to raise the children, and he treates her as though she didn’t care for them as much as she should even though she does it on her own way.

 Nevertheless he keeps up the appearances of a great husband, he is only reprimanding her on her personal duties, while he himself is doing his part in the marriage.  He leaves to work and sends baskets with gifts for her and the kids, but this just isn’t enough for her anymore. This is the beginning of the process through which she will begin to find her place in the world, as an individual not just as somebody’s wife.

Lost in a sea of women

Robert, a boy confused with what he wants in life, dedicates his summer to tail married women whom he finds interesting. His family was quite wealthy in the past, but economical difficulties forced them into converting their luxurious summer home into a summer lodgings for the visitors from the “Quartier Francais”

Robert is a dreamer, he dreams with travelling to Mexico and longs for the old days in which his family, but mostly, he dreams off having certain married women.  At the beginning it is clear that he wants Mrs. Pontellier by how he goes around with her all day, accompanying her to everyone single one of her activities, but further on in the book it is made clear that he is after a different woman every summer, “Since the age of fifteen Robert each summer at Grand Isle had constituted himself the devoted attendant of a fair dame or damsel”(PG 153).  Robert aches for the attentions of women, any woman, and his way of getting it is devoting himself to her completely.

This mans presence in the life of a character like Edna Pontellier will clearly be causing her mixed feelings and probably even problems in his married life.

Not a Mother-Woman

Edna Pontellier is a married woman, and like any married woman she is expected to raise her children and care for her home because that is what women are supposed to do.  But Edna has a different opinion and a different method, she was not a “mother-woman… they were women who idolized their children, worshiped their husbands, , and esteemed a privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels” (pg115- kindle edition). This type of woman was a perfect, well-raised and exemplary society member. They devoted their entire lives to caring for their children and husbands, putting themselves second and idolizing men. Edna was different, her children were raised to be independent,” If one of the Pontellier boys took a tumble whilst a play, he was not apt to rush crying into his mothers arms for comfort; he would more likely pick himself up, wipe the water from his eyes and the sand out of his mouth, and go on playing”. (Pg. 104 kindle version) Mrs. Pontellier was different, she even raised her children differently, and she wouldn’t feel bad about it even though she was looked down by those other women who classified themselves as mother-women.