Spinning Through New Orleans

After much effort and back and forth and crazy weddings and stressful jobs, I finally managed to read The Awakening by Kate Chopin as part of my Classic Club Spin #9 . It is a very thin book, more of a novella, than a novel, but there were to many happenings for me to sit down and read, but I am finally done and I am glad this is one book off my forever expanding checklist.

Now for the book –

The book is set in turn of the century, southern United States, New Orleans to be exact. The novel begins with the introduction of the Pontellier family, Léonce is a successful businessman, who is caring affectionate, if at times a trifle socially too aware of his position in society and the need for appearances. Edna is his wife, who devotes her time between her family and her sketches, but feels a need for something more to satisfy the sensitivity of her soul. They have two children – young boys Etienne and Raoul. The books opens with the Pontellier family vacationing on Grand Isles and residing at a homestay managed by Madame Leburn, who has two sons – Robert and Victor. As the novel unfolds, we discover an evolution in the character of Edna – she is great friends with Adèle Ratignolle, who epitomizes the very core of 19^th century womanhood, a great wife and a wonderful mother, she is constantly busy trying to make life more comfortable for her family. Though Edna really admires Adèle Ratignolle, she cannot herself believe that she can quite become like her friend. She tell her Madame Ratignolle that for her own children she “would give up the unessential; I would give up my money, I would give up my life for my children; but I wouldn’t give myself”.  Soon Edna and Robert Laburn develop a friendly relationship that transitions into love for each other. Robert realizing the dead end nature of their relationship flees to Mexico under pretext of better career opportunity. Edna returns to her New Orleans and though she continues in her role of a wife and a mother, there are subtle changes in her character; she isolates herself from her former social circle, she takes up her sketching more seriously and refuses to attend her own sister’s wedding. The only two companions she seeks are Madame Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz, an eccentric pianist whom Edna had met at Grand Isle and who had fathomed the true relation between her and Robert. After some month pass, Léonce, travels to New York for business and the boys are sent to their grandmother during this period and it is during this period, Edna discovers the joy of being on one’s own and do things by herself. She is soon involved in a dalliance with Alcée Arobin, a wild man about town.  It is at this point Robert returns to town and though initially he is cold with Edna, he finally confesses his deep passionate love for her. However when Edna is called away to assist in Adèle Ratignolle with a difficult childbirth, Robert leaves, leaving a note that he is leaving forever because he loves her. This action, forces Edna to take certain decisions and act in a way to change her life directions once and for all.

I am not a particular fan of this kind of literature….the woman/man seeking fulfillment out of marriage kinds. They always seem to have the same theme, especially the ones written about the woman. Unhappy and dissatisfied with their lot, they seek some kind of happiness outside wedding vows with disastrous results. These books make me feel morbid and depressed and question the whole point of getting married or being in a relationship and all that. This book I must say was no different.  I saw no reason for Edna Pontellier to be dissatisfied with her life – she had married of her own choosing; that too to a man who was kind, caring and successful enough to provide her with all kinds of material comforts. She had two healthy children and a host of good, kind friends. There seemed to be hint of lack of sensitivity and artistic fulfillment in her life – music, books, art that make life rich, but that did not seem to be the core of her repining. She seemed to me to just plain bored, who like the attentions of a younger man and later gave herself to sexual pleasure with another man. The only time I could relate to her is when her husband was in New York and her children with Madame Pontellier, and she discovers the joy of doing things for herself. True, there is something absolutely delicious in having some precious moments of “me time”- I am guessing they are even more precious in the stifling 19^th century society that demanded certain standards from a wife and a mother and therefore I could completely understand Edna’s joy in having her dinner dressed in a peignoir, reading Emerson till late etc. But outside of this one strain, I could not understand her at all. For no reason she wants to move into a smaller house all by herself – she gives no reason for her actions and gaily and cheerfully writes to her husband telling him of her decision. She seems to me completely utterly selfish through the book – under the cover of “being herself”, she does all manner of things without any regard for other’s feelings. She refuses to attend her sister’s wedding, because of she is missing Robert. While I understand the concept of loving and loosing someone, I cannot understand being absolutely blind to others who love you and to whom you matter. Her actions against Léonce I could not understand at all. Here is good kind man who tries everything in his power to make her happy and comfortable and she leaves his house without any regard to his position in the society or what he may feel. I am not even getting into her dalliance with Alcée Arobin – why she should choose infidelity towards her husband, that too with a man whom she cares nothing about, is nothing but an act of temporary irresponsible actions. Her final act of course was the final nail in the coffin – I understand, completely understand being abandoned, but you live on, because life is a gift and you have to live it; there are other people who love and care and for that love, one has the duty to not only live but flourish. This kind of sentimental namby-pamby a-la Madame Bovary is just nonsensical – as if that is the only road open to women after hysterical extra marital affairs!!!  I would any day lay my money on Hester Prynneis from The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, who is more of a heroine for living and living with courage, virtue and dignity, than deciding for sentimental and so called sensitive ending, that showcase some form of artistic freedom!

This book has been hailed as one of the first feminist novels, because the woman lives or tries to live her life on her own terms. I am not sure I am at all in agreement with this school of thought – true a woman should be able to live her life exactly the way she chooses, but not at the cost of being selfish or hurting other. Before we are men or woman, we are humans and as humans we have to be cognizant of fellow feelings and sentiments. Living your life on your own terms is a great power, but in the words of a great man, with great power comes great responsibility. You are responsible for your conduct, towards yourself and others.

The redeeming feature of the book is the language- Ms. Chopin did not focus on frills and got to the very heart of the matter. But her words are simply beautiful, picturesque and haunting; here’s a sample “The voice of the sea is seductive, never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander in abysses of solitude.” Or “But the beginning of things, of a world especially, is necessarily vague, chaotic, and exceedingly disturbing. How few of us ever emerge from such beginning! How many souls perish in its tumult! The voice of the sea is seductive; never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation. The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace.” Lovely, soul searing language and a vivid description of New Orleans and Grand Isles makes this novel so much more readable.

I am glad to have read it, but I am not sure I will ever re-read it again. To me the only thing that came out of this novel was that in this genre of literature, Hester Prynneis so much more a stronger heroine, simply because she chooses life even at its lowest ebb!