The Awakening, Ch. 15-19

In this section of The Awakening, Edna is starting to go through the process of change more and more. Robert leaves for Mexico and doesn’t care to tell Edna. This upsets her, particularly when he wrote to his mother and not her.

Back at their home in New Orleans Edna doesn’t do very much, she just draws and paints and sings all day long. She isn’t doing her duties as a wife and is trying to show her husband he doesn’t control her. His opinion of this is he feels she isn’t acting like her self, but what she is really doing is discovering her real self. Edna is tired of her life and is trying to make a new one. Edna is at her breaking point.

I don’t see this as Edna being crazy, she is just trying to get away from life. Edna doesn’t really know where she is going or a plan; she is just aware that is tired of what she has. Edna is still in the process of awakening compared to where she was before.

Also in this section, Edna discuses the relationship she holds with her children. She talks to Adele about never scarifying herself for her children. Edna states she would give up the “unessential’s” for her children, like money or her life, but not her self. This is really interesting to read as it signifies Edna awakening. I mean, before she had children she never had to give up her passions, such as the act of painting.

Edna now realizes that it’s wrong she changed herself and stopped painting after having kids. She is making realizations about her life and she wants to pass on things that make her, her. This shows a great progression of Edna and she is finally able to come to terms with who she is.