Edna Pontellier is going insane! At least that’s what her husband is concluding from her sudden irrational behavior. At first it started with a small defiance. She just didn’t feel like doing her reception duties one Tuesday. That’s all right. One day isn’t anything worth worrying about. However, Edna’s disobedience quickly starts growing, and soon she cancels all her receptions and dedicates herself to painting. All household chores are forgotten and the entire staff is involved in her sudden artisitic outburst.
This, in Mr. Pontellier’s opinion, is an absolute disgrace. All through their marriage he had been a very courteous man “so long as he met a certain tacit submissiveness in his wife” (110). But Edna’s blatant insolence has gone way beyond his tolerance. What happened to Edna that has led her to this unacceptable conduct?
The reason behind it could be her obvious unhappiness with her marriage. One night, after receiving the reprimands of her discontented husband, she went into a hysterical frenzy, which included vase breaking and wedding ring stomping. What could be a clearer sign of her hate towards her marriage? However, it’s not a hate towards her marriage specifically, but to all marriages. It seems Edna was not built for married life. After spending and afternoon with the Ratignolles, which happen to be the perfect “fusion of two human beings into one” (108), she realized she didn’t envy their relationship. She didn’t feel the slightest appeal towards the “domestic harmony” (109) the Ratignolles enjoyed, and she even felt pity for Madame Ratignolle's “colorless existence….and blind contentment…in which she would never have the taste of life’s delirium” (109). It seems that the thing Edna’s heart desires is to feel adventure, or experience a romance that breaks the borders of mundane life and colorless marriage. Her spirit isn't meant to be chained to the position of submissive wife, and somehow she has to find a way to free herself from those restrains.
No comments:
Post a Comment