Conformity In Edna Pontellier's The Awakening

Consistently throughout history, women find themselves in a moral dilemma of what they believe is right and what is formally and widely accepted as right. A polished person, especially one who wants to remain in the good graces of society, would have to suppress these inner feelings or risk social suicide. This very conflict plagued the life of Edna Pontellier. Edna Pontellier, along with many other women of her generation, faced challenges that denied them of their individual rights and forced them to conform to society's standards. The tensions between outward conformity and inward questioning contribute to the meaning of The Awakening, and is shown through Edna's relationship with Robert, the artistic inspirational influence of Mademoiselle Reisz, and her quest for independence and self-fulfillment.
Edna fights against the societal and natural structures of her role as a women in the time of the late nineteenth century. Although Edna is married to Léonce Pontellier, a rich
Mademoiselle Reisz awakens a feeling of longing and desire in Edna, which is shown during Edna's reaction to her first song,“...perhaps the first time her being was tempered to take an impress of the abiding truth...very passions themselves were aroused within her soul”(31 Chopin). Outward conformity and inward questioning is further shown when Edna asks Mademoiselle Reisz if she has the ability to become an artist, Reisz replies, “...To succeed, the artist must possess the courage and soul...The brave soul. The soul that dares and defies”(74 Chopin). Mademoiselle Reisz instructs Edna that an artistic soul must question and rebel against society. Mademoiselle Reisz helps Edna to become more aware of herself as a woman who is capable of true art and true love and is responsible for Edna’s change in attitude towards