Comparison between Adele Ratignolle and Mademoiselle...

Comparison between Adele Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz In order to help to get a point or idea across it is not uncommon to provide two stark contrasts to assist in conveying the point. Writers commonly use this technique in their writing especially when dealing with a story that concerns the evolution of a character. An example of such writing can be found in Kate Chopins The Awakening. The novel deals with Edna Pontelliers quot;awakeningquot; from the slumber of the stereotypical southern woman, as she discovers her own identity independent of her husband and children. In order to illustrate the woman that Edna can become in The Awakening, Chopin creates two opposing forces Adele Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz for her best†¦show more content†¦Adele is comfortable and thoroughly happy with her simple, conformist existence. A foil for Adele Ratignolle, Mademoiselle Reisz serves as a living example of an entirely self-sufficient woman, who is ruled by her art and her passions, rather than by the expectations of society. A small homely woman, unmarried and childless, Mademoiselle Reisz is a talented pianist and somewhat of a recluse. She represents the anti-mother along independence and freedom. The first time she is introduced in the novel she is introduced as being â€Å"eccentric and quarrelsome†, from that we are able to infer that she is unlike the other women. Later as the novel continues to progress from her house and manner of expression we are again able to infer that she is unlike the other Creole women. For her home is an apartment above everyone, with a view, that is disagreeable and often cold. Mademoiselle Reisz is the woman that Edna could have become should she have remained independent of her husband and children and lived to old age. Adele Ratignolles effect on society is that she merely conforms to the Creole society in which she subsists. Adele has no problem that she has traded in her identity and independence for serenity and security. When it comes to folding laundry, preparing meals, and listening with honest interest to her husband’s dinner conversation Adele is truly content. It is in her husband, children and domestic duties that Adele finds pleasure. MeanwhileShow MoreRelatedThe Awakening : Comparison Of Main Characters Biblical Women1470 Words   |  6 PagesThe Awakening: Comparison Of Main Characters Verses Biblical Women Throughout history, there have been certain gender roles established for both males and females. For ages, many held the belief that women must fit a certain mold— good wife, housekeeper, caretaker, etc.,— solely based on the notion that that s what women are supposed to do. These societal standards that women are held to are prevalent in all kinds of literature, ranging from works from biblical times to the late nineteenth centuryRead MoreKate Chopin s The Awakening1553 Words   |  7 PagesPontellier and Adele Ratignolle to further embody the differing aspects of feminism. Adele Ratignolle represents the ideal woman of the time period, a mindless housewife working to serve her family, whereas Edna signifies an independent and daring woman who does not conform to society’s beliefs. These two women’s differing characteristics and personalities allow Chopin to further compare and contrast the portrayals of traditional feminine symbols. Edna Pontellier and Adele Ratignolle embody the contrastingRead MoreThe Awakening Study Guide9992 Words   |  40 Pagessuggest a warm, pleasant, carefree, summer day. 7. What indications are there that the Pontellier marriage is strained? Là ©once takes Edna for granted, seeing her as a part of his neat, orderly world. 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A reviewer from People Weekly calls it a tedious melodrama and sees it as Kelly McGilliss vanityRead MoreThroughout The Awakening, water the main motif serves as a catalyst to the metamorphosis of Edna.1200 Words   |  5 Pagesby water with the Gulf of Mexico to the South. Here the protagonist Edna and her family often stay for summer vacations. The Grand Isle separated by other landmasses by water represents the independence and solitude the body of water provides in comparison to the other settings of the story such as, New Orleans. It is here on the Isle that Edna begins to discover her independence. The waters around the Isle have seduce d Edna during her stay. â€Å"The Gulf, whose sonorous murmur reached her like a lovingRead More The Search for Language in The Awakening Essay2447 Words   |  10 Pagestwo sons.   Adele Ratignolle has a woman’s â€Å"paradise.†Ã‚   She has an adoring husband and a well-run household.   She also has a number of children and is constantly having more.   And Adele is content with this life.   Edna, however, is not.   There is another version of female happiness portrayed in the book; a woman with no formal ties to a man.   She is Mademoiselle Reisz, a spinster living alone and playing the piano beautifully.   While Edna likes the idea of freedom that Mademoiselle Reisz shows her