The Awakening | Summary, Analysis, & Facts - Britannica

Plot summary

The Awakening opens on an island in Grand Isle, Louisiana, where 28-year-old Edna Pontellier is vacationing with her Creole husband, Léonce, and their two children, Etienne and Raoul. Léonce works during the week, leaving Edna to look after the children. Edna, however, spends most of her time with Madame Adèle Ratignolle, a fellow vacationer on the island. Charming, elegant, and subservient, Madame Ratignolle is the ideal “mother-woman.” Her identity is almost entirely subsumed by her familial role: she exists as if only to meet the needs and wants of her family. Ironically, it is Madame Ratignolle who catalyzes Edna’s “awakening.” Unlike Edna, Madame Ratignolle grew up around Creole women, who taught her to discuss and express her emotions freely. Her openness emboldens Edna, ultimately inspiring her to let go of her reservations.

Edna’s process of “awakening” is accelerated by Robert Lebrun, an attractive, charismatic young man whom Edna befriends on the island. At first, their relationship is innocent. They bathe and lounge together, exchanging jokes and stories (often in the company of Madame Ratignolle). The more time Edna spends with Robert, the more she resents the idea of the “mother-woman.” Through Robert, she begins to develop a sense of self apart from her social and domestic roles. As she recovers her independence, desires from her youth return. She starts painting again and recalls her past loves and infatuations. During this time, Edna is powerfully affected by music. When Mademoiselle Reisz—another vacationer on the island—plays the piano for her, she is moved to tears. That night, after weeks of unsuccessful attempts, Edna learns to swim.

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By summer’s end, Edna and her husband have grown apart. Edna and Robert, on the other hand, have developed a romantic attachment. To avoid consummating their relationship, Robert decides to remove himself from the island and go to Mexico. He promises to write Edna, but she is nonetheless devastated by his departure. Not long after, the Pontelliers return to their home in New Orleans, where Edna, relinquishing her duties as a housewife, continues to develop her painting skills. She maintains her friendships with Madame Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz, visiting the latter especially often. Mademoiselle Reisz sometimes receives letters from Robert, which she allows Edna to read. Mademoiselle Reisz suggests that Robert is in love with Edna; she observes that many of his letters are about her. While Mademoiselle Reisz encourages Edna to admit and perhaps even act upon her feelings for Robert, Edna’s worried husband seeks the help of Dr. Mandelet, a longtime family friend. Dr. Mandelet suspects Edna’s transformation is the result of an affair, but he does not voice his concern to Léonce. Instead, he tells him to let Edna’s behaviour run its course.

Léonce heeds the doctor’s orders. When he leaves for an extended business trip, his mother collects Etienne and Raoul, leaving Edna at home alone. Edna finds peace in the absence of her husband and children. Shortly after they leave, she decides to move out of their family home and into a nearby rental house, which she endearingly calls the “pigeon house.” Seeking financial independence, she begins selling her paintings. She also initiates an affair with the town womanizer, Alcée Arobin. Although she is sexually attracted to him, Edna has no romantic feelings for Arobin. She seems to use him as a stand-in for Robert, who, as far as she knows, is still in Mexico.

One afternoon, while waiting for Mademoiselle Reisz to return home, Edna encounters Robert. The meeting is awkward, and Edna wonders aloud why Robert did not seek her out upon his return. The tension between them is sustained until Robert visits the “pigeon house.” As Edna observes, “all the softness came back.” The tension is renewed after Robert takes his leave. The next time Robert visits the pigeon house, Edna, at last, kisses him, and he responds in kind. Although he admits he loves her, Robert insists he cannot be with Edna because she is a married woman and, as such, belongs to Léonce. Edna protests, arguing that she is not her husband’s property. Before Robert can respond, they are interrupted by Madame Ratignolle’s servant, who informs them that Madame Ratignolle “has taken sick.” As she leaves to tend to her friend, Edna asks Robert to wait for her.

When Edna comes home, Robert is gone. In his place is a note that reads, “I love you. Good-by—because I love you.” Edna does not sleep that night. Instead, she stays awake thinking about her children and her relationships. She realizes:

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There was no one thing in the world that she desired. There was no human being whom she wanted near her except Robert; and she even realized that the day would come when he, too, and the thought of him would melt out of her existence, leaving her alone.

Shortly thereafter, Edna returns to Grand Isle. After greeting Robert’s brother, she goes to the beach, where she strips and wades, naked, into the water. Determined not to let anyone—including her children—possess her, Edna swims away from the shore. After a while, her limbs tire. Exhaustion overtakes her, and she drowns among the waves, finally and totally free.