Ednas Infatuation in The Awakening Essay - 1376 Words

What is the difference between infatuation and love? This has been a topic of conversation for years, and yet we still have never figured out the exact answer to the question. By Webster’s Online Dictionary the definition of love is â€Å"affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests†(Webster’s). This is precisely how Edna Pontellier believes she feels about Robert Lebrun in â€Å"The Awakening† by Kate Chopin. Although on the contrary the definition of infatuation is â€Å"to cause to be foolish : deprive of sound judgment†(Webster’s), and this is more so the truth for Edna. Her need for freedom is so strong that she finds herself turning to other men just to satisfy that need. Her actions are completely opposing to her thought†¦show more content†¦It would have been unacceptable and annoying†(541). While still completely sane, she admits that her feelings for Robert are nothing more than a friendship but changes her mind once she decides she no longer wants to be tied down to anyone. She becomes extremely flustered when she finds out about Robert leaving for Mexico she states â€Å"The idea of Robert starting of in such a ridiculously sudden and dramatic way!†(568). This is where â€Å"she recognized anew the symptoms of infatuation†(569), basically admitting that she had no serious thoughts about him, just an infatuation which she blows way out of proportion while he is away, so much so as to think she is actually in love with him when he returns. Possibly though, a big reason as to why she begins to feel that way is because she envies his ability to just pack up and leave on a moment’s notice. She already has begun to long for a change in her life, and something like that would not only be adventurous to her, but also fulfill her longing for something different than the life she is stuck in. She tells a story to her husband and the Doctor while dining one night â€Å"of a woman who paddled away with her lover one night in a pirogue and never came back†(589), how so then, would this be any different. She only wants something new, andShow MoreRelated The Importance of the Sea in The Awakening Essay830 Words   |  4 Pagesof the Sea in The Awakening      Ã‚   Throughout her novel, The Awakening, Kate Chopin uses symbolism and imagery to portray the main characters emergence into a state of spiritual awareness. The image that appears the most throughout the novel is that of the sea. â€Å"Chopin uses the sea to symbolize freedom, freedom from others and freedom to be ones self† (Martin 58). 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