VLOG!!

Please read the comments!!

Vlog Prep?

Hi guys

Are we going to be doing anything that needs prep for our vlog? Was there any scenes people wanted to re-enact?

Divorcing in the late 1800's (investigator job)

In Edna's time, divorce was all but impossible. So Edna and Leonce could not have divorced (unfortuanetly). In the 1890's, the whole USA only had around 5000 divorces. I think that as women got more rights, they got to choose their husbands for love, not money and status. And if it didn't work out, then they could leave the marriage. Divorce was considered unholy. THere were groups that were dedicated to preventing people from getting out of their bad marriages.

¡No wonder Edna didn't divorce the lion!

Unsocial Awkward Edna

"Alcee Arobin wrote Edna an elaborate note of apology, palpitant with sincerity. It embarrassed her; for in a cooler, quieter moment it appeared to her absurd that she could have taken his action so seriously, so dramatically."

(Alcee is her second lover to replace Robert) it's so weird that they're like loves and then he sends her this formal apology, kind of like the lion saving appearances, they're so proper yet rude and stiff.

Confusing Quote

“I am not going to be forced into doing things. I don’t want to go abroad. I want to be let alone. Nobody has any right – except children perhaps – and even then, it seems to me – or it did seem” –Edna, 170-171

I was wondering what Edna means by this. Her speech gets a little mangled at the end, but she seems to be on to an interesting point. I think what she must have been trying to say is either "children are the only ones who have rights," because of all the men-women gender stereotypes (but even then, stereotypes were placed on children based on their gender, so...) Or maybe she is trying to say that "no one has any right to make me do anything, except children, but then again, maybe not." What do you guys make of this confusing quote?

Gender makes a difference in ednas time

I was editing my essay, and found myself wondering why does gender make such a huge impact on the lives of Chopin's characters. I mean, obviously, it's not like men are stronger in will than women (hem, hem, edna).

I think that it might be that the men are making a living for their families, and they feel that the women are clueless when it comes to jobs and supporting themselves.

Also, maybe it could be because waaaaaaaaaaaay back in the day, men would go and hunt animals and the women would take care of the kids, making it seem like the men were dominant and more powerful.

Thoughts anyone?

Saved Appearances & more on Edna-Rat relationship

On pg 144 Mr. Pontellier is "saving appearances" by having his house redone so his wife can quietly slip away to her "pigeon" house, their family is so sad and broken, Mr Pontellier is off working keeping social connections (we were showed this was important to him when he freaked over her being out on tuesday) while Edna is having affairs and committing suicide, and their children are staying off on a farm which bring us to

"In some way you seem to me like a child, Edna. You seem to act without a certain amount of reflection which is necessary in this life..." Their relationship has so many levels, they're friends, but they tell men not to go after the other, they admire the other's artistic work but they call each other's parenting skills incompetent, it very strange.

Picture

I found this picture that I thought kind of related to Edna. It seems to me like this woman is trying to break free or escape. She looks almost "done." Edna seems to be done with the expectations for her. I can't quite think of another word. What do you guys think of this?

Relating to Laurel's Post

This is relating to Laurel's Post below but it has some different questions so I thought I'd open up a new post. I found this link about banned books: http://www.abffe.org/bbw-classkc-chopin.htm


One woman is quoted saying "Quite frankly, the book is about sex." Do you guys agree? 


It seems like the book is about so much more than these random affairs that Edna's been having. I'd say a good 80% of the book is about the opposite. She is learning to be empowered and strong. She isn't becoming some loose woman. 


There is also this quote, "The voice of the sea is seductive...the sea whispers the strong and "delicious" word death." 


It also seems like this quote is not about physicality at all. I don't believe that we have read to this part in the book yet, but this seems much deeper and intense than any physical "seductiveness." Just because Chopin uses the word seductive does NOT mean that she means it any sensual way. What do you think about this whole controversy?

Banned Book

While spontaneously searching through google, I stumbled upon this:

http://www.inquisitr.com/145784/banned-books-week-celebrates-30th-anniversary/

and it was this week so I thought it was cool, The Awakening, as we've mentioned before was baned for sometime, and I thought it would be cool to resurface the discusion on why...

Edna Is Moving!

SPOILER ALERT!!!!! On the top of page 122, Edna is explaining to Miss. Reisz that she wants to move to the little house "just two steps away". She says that she is moving because she just wants to not have to deal with the confusion of servants and such. But Miss. Reisz sees right through her, and knows that her reason is actually because of her husband. Miss Reisz is an extremely insightful person. She is very empathetic and knows about Edna's problems without having been told them. I like Miss. Reisz.

Pop Culture Connections

I found this on youtube and thought it was kind of interesting. What do you guys think about the fact that people are STILL using these stereotypes against women in books and movies in the 21st century? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQyPNo3BSbo

It's a Hard Enough Life

I was looking at this website, http://www.womenwriters.net/domesticgoddess/sprinkle.htm and it mentioned how The Awakening was so disliked when it first was written and how critics hated it and how they said it was so out of character of Chopin because by then she had already been established as a writer and so i think for her it must have been discouraging for her, the next piece of literature she wrote, The Gentleman from New Orleans was her last as she died 5 years after the awakening, she had a really tragic life and in some of her writing you can really tell but in others you can't, it's very interesting. The title was inspired by a song in a musical I did...

Si Tu Savais

I googled "Si Tu Savais from The Awakening" and I found this... it is, if I may say myself, not very pleasant to listen to, and I do not think that Robert would have subjected Edna to listening to this on their first date (sorry, I'm being catty....), but I do like the lyrics. It seems to fit the book well. This is just an interpretation of what one artist thought it might sound like. There are many other songs titled "Si Tu Savais" since it means "If You Only Knew" which I'd imagine many musicians use as a song title, but this is specifically about the book. Anyway, here it is. Feel free not to listen to it, I think his accent might be worse than ours, but again, the lyrics are kind of interesting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z0YLiyGVt8. See you!

Secret Affairs...

For those of you who have read this week's reading, what do you think about Edna's feelings regarding her intimacy with Alcée? It was interesting to me to see that she no longer feels scared about Lion finding out as I remember she did at the Grand Isle when she was with Robert. She seems to feel more scared about Robert finding out. What do you all think was going on in her head about when she freaked out about Alcée kissing her hand? Why do you think she keeps flirting with him, even though she doesn't feel like she does/did with Robert? What's going to happen when Robert comes back? Sorry to throw all these questions at you, but I hope they make you think :). See you!

Mr. Pontellier's Object Obsession

In this weeks reading, I found a quote that brought the description of Mr. Pontellier to a new level:

"He greatly valued his possessions, chiefly because they were his, and derived genuine pleasure from contemplating a painting, a statuette, a rare lace curtain - no matter what - after he had bought it and placed it among his household gods."

I've seen this kind of "obsession with objects syndrome" come up in movies/writing before. For example, has anyone ever seen "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"? One of the supporting character's is named Cameron and his dad is obsessed with his Ferrari. Cameron's father "loves this car more than life itself", but he hates his wife. It's the same here, except not as extreme - Mr. Pontellier seems to love his inanimate objects more than his wife (who never really loved him either). Do you guys think there's a reason he is or has become so attached to objects instead of his own family? Do you think he ever really loved his wife?

Hey, in this weeks reading I found this quote that just showed how much Edna doesn't care about her children, "she would never sacrifice herself for her children," (72) Enda is telling Rat her opinion and Rat is telling her she's wrong which also exposes their rough relationship and enforces Rat's firm belief that Enda is a horrible mother, which she is, but you know... here's a painting thingy of the house, because in the section we read this week it described her room so i thought it was fitting, also her's the link to about the author http://www.katechopin.org/biography.shtml

More Gender Stereotypes

I know I already did a post about this, but I found another good quote, and another possible hint of a different gender stereotype.

Ok, so when Edna is defying her husband, she says (in her mind) that in her past "She would, through habit, have yielded to his desire; not with any sense of submission or obedience to his compelling wishes, but unthinkingly, as we walk, move, sit, stand, go through the daily treadmill of the life which has been portioned out to us."pg. 46 & 47. So this just goes to show how serious a wife's job was back in those days.

Also notice how the author uses says "portioned out to us" at the end to describe how the people back then were born into a mold that they had to fit. They didn't really create their lives back then, they already had them cut out for them.

One other thing I wanted to mention was that Edna doesn't even thank Robert after he waits for hours and hours for her to take a bath and then sleep and then eat some food. He's seems fine after waiting for her to do some mindless things she could have done back at her own house. I think she should have thanked him for waiting but she just assumes he doesn't mind. This is where I wanted to point out that he was probably following the typical gender stereotype of a man back then: 'always go easy on the ladies, they are way weaker than you.'

Kate Chopin Info

Kate Chopin (Or Catherine O’Flaherty was born in Missouri in 1850. She grew up speaking both French and English because her mother’s side of the family was French. When she was five years old her father was killed in a railroad accident and when she was 13 her grandmother died then her half brother died in the Civil War. She loved music and enjoyed mimickry. She was married at 20 years old to Oscar Chopin. She had five sons and one daughter. In 1882 her husband died of malaria leaving her a widow at the age 32, in the next two years she had an affair with a local planter. She then moved so her children could go to a nicer school, when she was 35 her mother died. Due to these set of extreme tragedies her long, brown, wavy hair greyed prematurely. What a horrible life.

Edna

I was thinking about the awakening, and I was wondering what triggered Edna to not be a "mother-woman". I was thinking that maybe her mother was not very mother-womanly, so it could be genetic. Or, Edna could have been forced into this marriage, and want out, but feels like she has to stay because of her kids, therefore being just a mother. What do you guys think??????

Reading

I finished this weeks reading so if you haven't don't read on, I don't want to spoil it.

So she goes to this church thing and then is tired and sleeps all day, then she has a chat with Robert then she's at this party and then goes back to her house with 'heart breaker' and rests in the hammock, then her husband comes home and tells her to come inside and she defies him

(YAY! :D) then she finally goes inside because she wants to and for no other reason. She obviously well, appreciates Robert, and doesn't really care for her husband which has been hinted all along but now it is very prominent that relationships are not as they should be and that she is finally breaking off from her husband (it's not really finally it just feels finally because it's so similar to tyw) and he finally just sits out side but it's defiantly not over (the conversation) and then she doesn't stay out in spite, she goes in when she wants to which i think is a really valuable thing.

An intresting quote...

(this quote is about the heart robber) "...Of late he had sometimes held away from her for an entire day, redoubling his devotion upon the next and the next, as though to make up for hours that had been lost..." pg. 40

Edna's Breakout

I think that in the last section we read, Edna seemed to break away from her relationship with her husband and start a new one with Robert.

It all seemed to start after the party, when everyone went for a "bath." Edna was really filled with "a feeling of exultation, as if some power of significant import had been given her to control the working of her body and soul." pg. 41. So somehow, maybe because of the spirit that haunts the Gulf on August 28, she is filled with this power that allows her to swim a long distance after being unable to swim all summer. Afterwards, she is really tired, so she goes back to her house with Robert.

And that is where the switch from Lion to Heart-Robber Robert happens: "No multitude of words could have been more significant than those moments of silence, or more pregnant with the first-felt throbbings of desire." pg. 46.

When Lion gets home, Edna no longer feels his control. She makes that crystal clear to him when she insists on lying in the hammock: "Léonce, go to bed," she said. "I mean to stay out here. I don't wish to go in, and I don't intend to. Don't speak to me like that again, I shall not answer you." pg. 47.

Then the next day, she boldly invites Robert to come with her to Chêniére Caminada without a second thought. Robert is obviously all for it, and suggests further excursions: "Let us go to Grande Terre to-morrow?. . . And the next day or the next we can sail to the Bayou Brulow. . . . We'll go wherever you like. . . . I'll take you some night in the pirogue when the moon shines." pg. 52. And Edna is thinking: "she would like to be alone there with Robert." pg. 52. So they have a great day together, even though they just go to church and then she ends up napping for the rest of it. However, at the end, the author suggests there may be a flaw in their relationship: "It did not occur to her to think he might have grown tired of being with her the livelong day."pg. 61.

Overall, Edna has gained a great amount of control in a short amount of time.

Mother-Women

I was reviewing our reading and I found something that showed a very excessive gender stereotype back then:

"It was easy to know them, fluttering about with extended, protecting wings when any harm, real or imaginary, threatened their precious brood. They were women who idolized their children, worshipped their husbands, and esteemed it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels." (pg 12)

The one thing that really struck me was that "efface" means to erase and "ministering" (in this case) means to serve to the needs of someone. So basically, that last sentence is saying these women thought it was a holy privilege to erase themselves and become ideal people who's only job is to serve you.

Also, the use of all the religious language makes me think that maybe religion influenced this gender stereotype.

Quote on Bottom of pg 11

"If one of the little Pontellier boys took a tumble whilst at play, he was not apt to rush crying to his mothers arms for comfort; he would more likely pick himself up, wipe the water out of his eyes and the sand out of his mouth, and go on playing."

That's such a sad relationship, it "toughens up" the kids but it would being strange growing up with little to none love and affection because she just doesn't really care. She's very wrapped up in her own little world.

Grand Isle Information

Grand Isle is a town in the Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. It is on an island called Grand Isle. It has a population of about 1500 but in the summer, it swells to over 12000. It has been repeatedly slammed by hurricanes, and when the awakening takes place, it had last been hit about 6 years ago. Grand Isle's only land connection is an automobile bridge. Grand Isle has been inhabited since the early 1700's and Chopin vacationed there every summer.

The Awakening's Setting

I was wondering where Grand Isle was (place where book takes place), so I found it on Google Maps:

This is a map of where Grand Isle is in relation to the rest of Louisiana.

The Pontellier's Relationship

I thought that this passage reminded me of the relationship between John and Jane in "The Yellow Wallpaper"

"Mrs. Pontellier was quite sure Raoul had no fever. He had gone to bed perfectly well, she said, and nothing had ailed him all day. Mr. Pontellier was too well acquainted with fever symptoms to be mistaken. ..... She soon came back and sat on the edge of the bed, leaning her head down on the pillow. She said nothing, and refused to answer her husband when he questioned her."

Then later, she starts crying all alone on the porch.

"She could not have told why she was crying. Such experiences as the foregoing were not uncommon in her married life. They seemed never before to have weighed much the abundance of her husband's kindness and a uniform devotion which had come to be tacit and self-understood."

I think this shows that Mrs. Pontellier does not feel like she has a good relationship with her husband. Maybe she feels like he doesn't understand her, and it's obvious they have had disagreements. However, she seems to be confused as to why minor disagreements are making her so upset.

The Awakening!

Let's stick with a blog software that makes sense... yeah...