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She isolates herself from people and lives as she chooses, and her behavior represents an extreme that Edna is tending towards, though to a lesser extent. An unmarried woman who lives as an artist, Mademoiselle Reisz further disregards social convention by refusing to keep up a façade of politeness and amiability. Mademoiselle Reisz clearly chooses who she wants to be nice to and does not pretend to like people. The neighborhood grocery store owner calls her the most disagreeable woman that ever lived, which seems a bit strange considering how pleasant she is to Edna. This chapter emphasizes the position of social marginalization that Mademoiselle Reisz occupies. After she leaves, mother and son agree that Edna looks ravishing and much more beautiful than she did in the city. Edna remembers to ask for Mademoiselle Reisz's address, and Victor escorts her out the door.
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Robert writes about his business prospects and describes life in Mexico, but he encloses no special message for Edna, who becomes depressed about the fact. Victor recites the contents of two letters from Robert for Edna's benefit. Victor winks at Edna, who tries to appear grown-up and proper. He begins to tell a racy story about a flirtatious girl but is interrupted by his mother's entrance.įriendly and hospitable, Madame Lebrun complains a little about how boring it is in the city since everyone, even Victor, is always occupied with work. Victor informs her that he has been staying at the island and just came over yesterday on the pretense of doing business, but in reality just for a little fun. He violently scolds a black servant and tells her to fetch Madame Lebrun, and then the two friends sit out on the porch. When she rings the doorbell, Victor answers, looking very pleased to see her. She decides to ask Madame Lebrun and heads over to her house, which is very gated and prison-like. One day when she is feeling depressed, Edna decides to go visit Mademoiselle Reisz, but when she goes to her apartment, she finds new occupants there and is unable to discover from the neighbors where her friend has moved to. In short, painting allows her to redefine herself and her relations to others. Painting allows her to organize her time differently, to spend a lot of time in a distant part of the house, and to alter her relations with the people around her (by making them sit as models).
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In fact, she seems to have taken up painting because it is the only way she knows how to break free from the life she has been leading. She tells her husband that she is not a painter and that maybe one day she won't feel like painting any more. While she spends a lot of time painting, her attitude towards it seems casual, almost dilettantish. Instead, he seems to be such a peripheral figure in the household anyway that it seems to make little difference whether or not Edna speaks to him.Įdna does not seem to be painting because of any deep-seated artistic conviction. He is surprised to see Edna asserting herself, but he does not appear particularly threatened or resentful. While her husband is upset to see Edna neglect her domestic duties, he accepts her sudden change in behavior without much of a fight. In fact, she does what she wants simply because the moment seems right. However, this does not necessarily mean that Edna is becoming more reflective or self-aware. No longer does she need to express herself through adolescent rebellion instead she is realizing that she can quietly and maturely just do what she wants. In regretting the childish tantrum she threw in stomping on her wedding ring, Edna is growing in maturity. Edna has intense mood swings without knowing why: on some days she is ecstatic and her senses are heightened, while on others she is plunged into the depths of depression and feels like life is pointless. While she paints, she sings the song that Robert used to sing, "Ah! si tu savais!" and she feels transported back to the ocean and overwhelmed with desire for her friend. Pontellier does leave his wife alone, and she gets her two sons, the nurse, and the maid to all sit and model for her.
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In reality, however, Edna is just expressing her true self, free of the false social constraints that earlier made her be a dutiful, quiet wife. Edna brusquely says that she just wants to paint and that he shouldn't bother her her husband thinks his wife is becoming mentally unstable. Naturally, her husband becomes peevish and demands to know what is going on. She stops receiving guests on Tuesday, neglects the social obligations that her husband expects of her, and instead paints all the time in her atelier. Edna decides that it was silly of her to stamp on her wedding ring and break the glass vase and decides to do what she wants without apology.