"The Pontelliers possessed a very charming home on Esplanade Street in New Orleans. It was a large, double cottage, with a broad front veranda, whose round, fluted columns supported the sloping roof. The house was painted a dazzling white; the outside shutters, or jalousies, were green. In the yard, which was kept scrupulously neat, were flowers and plants of every description which flourishes in South Louisiana. Within doors the appointments were perfect after the conventional type. The softest carpets and rugs covered the floors; rich and tasteful draperies hung at doors and windows. There were paintings, selected with judgment and discrimination, upon the walls. The cut glass, the silver, the heavy damask which daily appeared upon the table were the envy of many women whose husbands were less generous than Mr. Pontellier. Mr. Pontellier was very fond of walking about his house examining its various appointments and details, to see that nothing was amiss. He greatly valued his possessions, chiefly because they were his, and derived genuine pleasure from contemplating a painting, a statuette, a rare lace curtain—no matter what—after he had bought it and placed it among his household goods.”
Chapter 17 pg. 66 & 67
This passage is important to the theme of Edna’s awakening because it demonstrates what has driven Edna to crave such a different life and role. In the passage, all the talk is about is about possessions. It describes the house, the yard, the carpets, and other tangible possessions. The passage describes a possession-savvy society focused on the tangibles of life. It goes on to describe how Mr. Pontellier is very fond of his possessions for the sole reason that they were his. He is a possession driven man, greedy to have more. Mr. Pontellier carries this same mindset with Edna. He views her too, as a possession. This is evident all throughout the book going as far back to as when he scolds Edna for being out in the sun too long. He is driven by his possessions and wants them exactly his way. Edna has put up with this for too long and is ready to be an independent woman, not someone’s “possession.” This passage clearly illustrates Mr. Pontellier’s selfishness and greed and leads the reader to understand why Edna is anxious for her self-renaissance.
I selected this passage because it made me sympathize with Edna. Edna is stuck with a greedy man who views her as no more than another possession. Leonce is obsessed with his possessions and is very particular about how he wants them. He even views his own wife as a possession. I am not a big fan of people who crave useless possessions simply for the point of having what someone else doesn’t. I know a lot of people who do buy things just so they can be the first to have it and stand out amongst their peers. That type of monetary splurging simply to have more bothers me, so I feel for Edna and what she has to put up with. As Edna’s awakening evolves and she becomes more and more independent, she starts realizing much of what is wrong and starts to see herself as an individual—not as a possession.
Chapter 17 pg. 66 & 67
This passage is important to the theme of Edna’s awakening because it demonstrates what has driven Edna to crave such a different life and role. In the passage, all the talk is about is about possessions. It describes the house, the yard, the carpets, and other tangible possessions. The passage describes a possession-savvy society focused on the tangibles of life. It goes on to describe how Mr. Pontellier is very fond of his possessions for the sole reason that they were his. He is a possession driven man, greedy to have more. Mr. Pontellier carries this same mindset with Edna. He views her too, as a possession. This is evident all throughout the book going as far back to as when he scolds Edna for being out in the sun too long. He is driven by his possessions and wants them exactly his way. Edna has put up with this for too long and is ready to be an independent woman, not someone’s “possession.” This passage clearly illustrates Mr. Pontellier’s selfishness and greed and leads the reader to understand why Edna is anxious for her self-renaissance.
I selected this passage because it made me sympathize with Edna. Edna is stuck with a greedy man who views her as no more than another possession. Leonce is obsessed with his possessions and is very particular about how he wants them. He even views his own wife as a possession. I am not a big fan of people who crave useless possessions simply for the point of having what someone else doesn’t. I know a lot of people who do buy things just so they can be the first to have it and stand out amongst their peers. That type of monetary splurging simply to have more bothers me, so I feel for Edna and what she has to put up with. As Edna’s awakening evolves and she becomes more and more independent, she starts realizing much of what is wrong and starts to see herself as an individual—not as a possession.