In the novel The Awakening by Kate Chopin, the main character Edna Pontellier must deal with the ultimate internal struggle- the never ending conflict between passion and responsibility.

Authors Avatar by carlyk1123 (student)

Lust Versus Logic: The Never-Ending Conflict

‘Why?’ asked her companion. ‘Why do you love him when you ought not to?’ (109)” In the novel The Awakening by Kate Chopin, the main character Edna Pontellier must deal with the ultimate internal struggle- the never ending conflict between passion and responsibility.  She must choose between her duties and responsibility towards her husband- a man she has never loved-and two young children, and her passionate and consuming love for Robert Lebrun. Although this conflict provides a great deal of turmoil for Edna and those around her, it also helps Edna to discover herself in ways she never before thought possible

        At the beginning of the novel, it seems that Edna is content with her life as a wife and mother. Although the narrator explains that Mrs. Pontellier has never been the ideal mother or wife, she loves her children and her marriage to her husband Leonce, though passionless, is one marked by respect and admiration. Her family is spending the summer at the Grand Isle, where she starts a playful friendship with one of the caretakers, Robert Lebrun. It is with Robert’s help the Edna begins her “awakening”  and her realization that the life she has established for herself is no longer bearable. Once Robert leaves for Mexico Edna is able to fully understand her love for him and, even more importantly, her desire to be loved by him, that the conflict between passion and responsibility swings into full gear.

Join now!

        During the eighteenth century, when this novel takes place, and especially within the Creole culture, fidelity was highly valued and extramarital affairs were almost unheard of.  By embracing the love she has for Robert, Edna is neglecting her basic wifely duties. The passion she feels for Robert creates another, even stronger passion- the need to escape from her life of societal and familial duties. Edna longs for the independence she never had. Once the summer is over and she must return to the city without Robert, it’s almost as if Edna gives up any pretense of being a devoted wife, ...

This is a preview of the whole essay