Essay about Love in The Awakening - 866 Words

Perspectives on Love in The Awakeningnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp; Though Kate Chopin wrote her novel, The Awakening, in the late nineteenth century, her insight of such things as love, romance, and relationships is remarkably modern. Through Mr. Pontellier, Edna Pontellier, and Robert Lebrun, Chopin presents her opinions of love versus romantic love. Chopin uses the Pontelliers marriage to predict the modern view of love and the relationship between Edna and Robert to portray the concept of romantic love. These relationships are keen perceptions on Chopins part of the attitudes toward love and romance almost a century later. In the novel, Mr. Pontellier and Edna seem to have a very surface relationship. They†¦show more content†¦He treats her as an object and expects her to respond as a submissive housewife, void of her own personality. He does not appear to realize that Edna even has opinions, while concerning himself with societys opinions of their marriage too much. Though there may have once been some type of romance between them, there is certainly no romantic love between them anymore. The friendship between Edna and Robert blossoms into romantic love, or infatuation. They enjoy being together. They talk with each other rather than at each other, with Mr. Pontellier and Edna often doing the latter. Robert is young and fun, which is appealing to Edna. She needs someone who can relate to her,who will pay attention to her and her needs. Robert is openly affectionate and concerned about her. He is attracted to Edna because she is a mature, sensitive woman. They each need someone who is willing to listen to them. They find themselves increasingly depending on each other as they spend more time together thoughout the summer. Edna and Robert enjoy the excitement of their impossible relationship. The fact that Edna is married appeals to the couple as romantic because it adds the thrill of forbidden love to their predicament. They must be secretive about their feelings toward each other, which tends to enhance the true dimensions of their emotions. After RobertShow MoreRelatedAwakening of Love909 Words   |  4 Pagesholding it. He looked at me straight into my eyes. I noticed that today his eyes were a greenish-blue, which is the exact shade mine are. My voice quaked as I spoke. Why you staring at me? He flashed a hesitant grin before responding. Because Im in love. Without any further thought, his lips were on mine. I shut my eyes and he mirrored me. My one hand was placed on his cheek. My other hand slid out of his and I placed it on his chest, resting it against his heart. Beneath our kiss, he smiled andRead More Love and Self in Kate Chopins The Awakening Essay3484 Words   |  14 PagesLove and Self in The Awakening  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kate Chopins The Awakening is often said to triumph the exploration on the emotional and sexual needs of women, and the novel certainly is about that to a great extent, but even more importantly, it is a quest for individuality and the meaning of love. Through the protagonist, Edna Pontellier, Chopin describes in her novel one womans journey towards self-consciousness. Several stages of awakenings can be detected on the road, which are discussedRead MoreEssay on Theme of Self-discovery in The Awakening and A Dolls House1121 Words   |  5 PagesThe Theme of Self-discovery in The Awakening and A Doll House      Ã‚  Ã‚   In Chopins The Awakening and Ibsens A Doll House, the main characters each experience an awakening. 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