course guidelines path one calendar class discussion path two calendar essay prompts reference pages


ornamental line

Alone Together

“People don’t do such things; we’ve got to observe les convenances if we
ever expect to get on and keep up with the procession” (51).

Points for Reflection

K. Chopin's The Awakening (1899), chps. 13-23

  1. does the narrator praise Edna’s appearance and strength?
  2. does Edna’s awakening allow space for spiritual reflection?
  3. why does Robert abruptly leave for Mexico?
  4. does Edna’s self-knowledge grow in any perceptible way in the second third of the novel?
  5. why is it so important to Léonce that Edna continue receiving lady visitors in the afternoons?  What factor does he repeatedly point to when explaining matters to his wife?
  6. how does Edna react to the alternative model of marriage provided by the Ratignolles?
  7. how does Edna’s awakening affect her old relationships and values?
  8. can we make sense of Edna’s claim that she would give her life for her kids, but would not give herself (47)?
  9. does Edna value the same things about Robert when he his absent as when he is present?
  10. does Edna’s quest for self-actualization back in New Orleans bring her more peace, happiness, and health than trouble and distress?
  11. could Edna be classed as a “blue stocking,” an intellectual or literary woman who finds her new identity through alliance with like-minded women?
  12. in what kind of mood is Edna when she sets out to find Mademoiselle Reisz’s place in the city, and why does this matter?
  13. does the new Edna seem more alive, or less so, to Madame Lebrun and Victor LeBrun when she visits them?
  14. does Dr. Mandelet share serious Léonce’s concern about Edna’s recent behavior?
  15. why is Edna so deeply moved by music?
  16. why does Edna begin to pursue drawing more seriously?
  17. do you agree with Mademoiselle’s Reisz description of what it takes to be a successful artist?
  18. does Edna’s father believe in her artistic ability?
  19. what types of tale are spun among friends in the Pontellier’s circle of acquaintance; what do their respective stories reveal about themselves?
  20. how does Edna’s own storytelling ability compare with that of others?
  21. does Edna like Mademoiselle Reisz, the pianist,  as much as the musician likes her?
  22. does the narrator reveal her/his own opinion of character situations?
  23. do the primary characters’ interactions with and descriptions of characters of color help distinguish our main characters from one another, or do they share an attitude towards people of color?


    a painting of a woman in a white gown with long sleeves walking beneath a tree in tall grasses and wildflowers. She is wearing a light blue sunhat and looking towards the ground.
    My Wife, Eveline, in a Garden (1890)
    Edmund Tarbell


Dr. Paul Marchbanks
pmarchba@calpoly.edu