People interpret morality differently depending on their social realities and cultural backgrounds. The concept of evil and good can vary from one person to the other. For instance, to a married woman, falling in love with another man who is not her husband is a grave sin. However, someone else may question whether her husband treated her respectfully or if the man seduced her before passing their judgment to her actions. Edna Pontellier is a woman embroiled in a similar situation in the novel “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin, which shrouds her character all through the novel. Therefore, this essay discusses some of the reasons why Edna is viewed as morally ambiguous as well as the significance of her moral ambiguity to the success of the novel.
Specifically, The Awakening emphasizes the essence of being true to oneself, regardless of other people’s opinions or the societal perspectives about morality. As the novel begins, Edna is contented in her marriage with Leone and she does not recognize that she has ambitions and needs. Edna has always been romantic and in love with a man who was just visiting their neighbourhood from a very young age. However, she thought that getting married would smother her romance dreams and transform her into a very responsible person, but that did not happen. Edna is not the type of woman that the society would describe as pleasing or attractive (Fairclough 54). In fact, the author insinuates that she is “handsome,” which is a term employed in describing men. The description is ambiguous because the author portrays her as an individual that has both female and male characteristics.
As much as the society did not look at her as an attractive woman, Edna made a personal decision of appreciating herself and devoting more time to herself. Indeed, the self-acceptance made many men find her attractive. Nonetheless, she never devoted herself to any of the men arguing that she did not need a man’s approval to be complete. She also looked at her decision to be devoted to one of the men as self-sacrifice, and she was not ready to sacrifice herself. Many people can judge Edna’s actions at this point as progressive, but many others would also look at them as selfish; hence, keeping Edna’s character in the grey.
It is evident that Edna forgets the behaviour that the society expects of her, and is concerned with her freedom, sexual satisfaction, and the passion for music that she is not capable of keeping inside any longer. Edna makes some decisions and actions that project her as a wise person while others would condemn her actions (Fairclough 63). For instance, Edna does not think twice about taking her children to her mother’s place so that she can live her life freely without worrying about the children. Specifically, Edna takes this action because she looks at the world around her with a fresh perspective ignoring the convectional practices and stereotypes. Some people would think of Edna as a selfish individual because she chose to stay away from her children; however, others believe that she is responsible for protecting her children from her questionable lifestyle, which presents an ambiguity in the novel. Therefore, the choices that Edna makes play a big role in building the themes and plot of the novel.
Conclusively, Edna Pontellier does not only acknowledge her sexual desires but also gains the courage to actualize them. She ignores the identity that the society ascribes to her as well as the expectations that her children and husband have in her to discover her identity. Most of Edna’s characters cannot be judged precisely as moral or immoral, which presents an ambiguity throughout the book. Therefore, Edna’s character helps the reader to understand not only the society but also the novel’s impact.
Works Cited
Fairclough, Norman. Language and Power. New York: Longman, 1989.Print.
