Journal 24: Chopin's gender roles

Quote:
“’There were a good many.’ replied Edna, who was eating her soup with evident satisfaction. “I found them when I got home; I was out”/ “Out!” exclaimed her husband, with something like genuine consternation in his voice…” (Chopin 574)

Summary:
This quote from The Awakening of Kate Chopin, takes place after Edna returns to the city. During dinner she tells her husband that she went out when she was supposed to stay at home and attend guest, like every other Tuesday.

Response:

I think the use of language in this passage is really symbolic to understand the subtle meaning of this conversation between Edna and her husband. In the first place, I noticed that Edna is not called Mrs. Pontellier anymore, which means something has changed. Chopin calls her by her first name to show the change in Edna, since now she is aware of her individuality and she is no longer just Mr. Pontellier’s wife.

Also, Edna eats her soup with evident satisfaction, even though the soup is not good according to her husband. It is like she is enjoying the moment, she enjoying the fact that she didn’t stayed home on a Tuesday, when she is supposed to stay and attend guest. She is enjoying that her husband is surprised and “concerned” about that. In other words, she is satisfied with her act of rebellion, because it paid off like she expected to.

On the other hand, he husband reaction is “something like genuine consternation”, which means he is concerned not because of Edna being out all day, but because she was out and the guest where important people, who might think she was rude, and by means he was rude too. He is more concerned about his own relations with the guests than with Edna’s happiness, he needs her to stay at home and be like a nice lady or doll to all the guests that come by. Basically, she is one extra tool to maintain good relationships with his business partners.

Therefore, I think this passage is very important to understand one of Edna’s awakenings, here she is rebelling to her husband, and tastes the ground to her independence, she is no longer a puppet or a doll he can control.