Throughout history, women have faced different types of oppression and often struggle to be truly understood. In The Awakening, a novel, it is clear that multiple male characters exert control over the protagonist, Edna. Unfortunately, they fail to acknowledge Edna's desire for strength and independence. When interacting with Robin, Edna confronts manipulation as he tries to convince her that she needs him. On the other hand, Robert desires Edna as his wife but lacks a genuine understanding of her. Meanwhile, Dean's father and husband believe that Edna should conform to societal norms and forcefully try to shape her into someone she isn't.
Edna's sole desire is freedom, but the men in her life hinder her from achieving it. In The Awakening, Edna yearns for liberation, yet she is oppressed by multiple male characters who prevent her fr
...om attaining it. Among these characters, Alice Robin plays a crucial role in oppressing and trapping Edna. He seeks to exploit women, making Edna the perfect target for his manipulative tactics.
Robin endeavors to possess Edna by constantly seeking her company and being in close proximity to her. This is evident in the following statement, "He promptly asserted his claim by visiting her residence with his charming innocence. And nearly every day thereafter she encountered him or was reminded of him." This approach simultaneously restricts her freedom as he compels her to be with him and instills in her the belief that she relies on him. Additionally, Edna is subjected to strict discipline by Colonel, Dean's father, due to his rigid mindset.
This is preventing her from obtaining the freedom that she desires. The quote "Edna heard he
father's voice and her sister Margarita's" exemplifies the challenges she faced with her father. Edna's father consistently attempted to manipulate and dominate her, even trying to make Mr.. Pointillist more authoritative over Edna, further restricting her control. The Colonel insists, "Muff are too lenient, too lenient by far, Leonie. Authority, coercion are what is needed. Put your foot down good and hard; the only way to manage a wife. Take my word for it."
When the colonel visits, Edna pretends to be a proper woman to please her father. She fears his disapproval if he discovers her true self. Edna refuses any help from servants or children and prefers to do everything by herself. This shows how deeply her father's control affects her, forcing her to adopt a persona she doesn't want. Robert Labeler is responsible for taking away Edna's freedom.
The main reason for this is that he desires a traditional wife who fulfills the typical responsibilities of a housewife. However, he realizes that Edna does not aspire to be his wife, so they can never have a relationship. Robert hopes that Edna will leave Leonie and choose to be with him, but he doesn't realize that she wants to leave Leonie because she rejects being controlled and seeks personal freedom and self-expression. Therefore, being with Robert would offer no difference to Edna compared to being with Leonie.
Robert realizes how he oppressed her into being with him and backs away. Dean feels her freedom being threatened by Robert's desire to be with her, so she tries to fend him off. Eventually, Leonie Pointillist, Dean's husband, emerges as one of the most oppressive men
in the novel. He views women solely as means of supporting their families' needs. "He reproached his wife for her inattention and habitual neglect of the children. If it wasn't a mother's responsibility to care for the children, then whose was it? He already had his hands full with his brokerage business."
This quote suggests that Leonie believes it is Dean's duty, not her own, to care for their children. The societal expectations of the time influenced this mindset regarding a wife's behavior. Mr. Pointillist selfishly insists that Dean's role should be confined to domestic work, while he focuses on his business. He never seeks his wife's opinion or even shows interest in her day. On page 5, it is mentioned that Mr. Pointillist finds it disheartening that his wife, who is the sole purpose of his existence, shows little interest in his concerns and values his conversation so little. Mr. Pointillist expects his wife to be amazed by him and his words, but frequently disregards her existence. Moreover, he fears that if the people in their town perceive his wife as unruly like he believes, they will scorn him and his business will suffer. This is another reason why he feels the need to compel her to conform to society's expectations of a respectable lady. Dean's negligence towards her children, peculiar hobbies like painting, and her desire for freedom pose a threat to Lance's reputation; hence, Mr. Pointillist attempts to suppress Edna.
The text discusses the oppression faced by Edna Pointillist in the novel The Awakening. Throughout the story, almost every male character she encounters plays a role in her oppression. As Edna nears
her suicide, Chopin highlights her feeling of being trapped and restrained through the following quote: "She heard the barking of an old dog that was chained to the sycamore tree." This quote symbolizes Edna comparing herself to a chained dog, a creature longing for freedom but constrained by its circumstances. Since men fail to comprehend her, Edna believes that taking her own life is the only way to truly express herself and achieve complete freedom.
