The Awakening by Kate Chopin: Prose Analysis 1 of 2

A passage from p.21; Line 6


        Her marriage to Leonce Pontellier was purely an accident, in this respect resembling many other marriages which masquerade as the decrees of Fate. It was in the midst of her secret great passion that she met him. He fell in love, as men are in the habit of doing, and pressed  his suit with an earnestness and an ardor which left nothing to be desired. He pleased her; his absolute devotion flattered her. She fancied there was a sympathy of thought and taste between them, in which fancy she was mistaken. Add to this the violent opposition of her father and her need to seek no further for the motives which led her to accept Monsieur Pontellier for her husband.
        The acme of bliss, which would have been a marriage with the tragedian, was not for her in this world. As the devoted wife of a man who worshiped her, she felt she would take her place with a certain dignity in the world of reality, closing the portals forever behind her upon the realm of romance and dreams.



Analysis:


        I seem to gain so much from this passage in the book, deemed that Kate Chopin uses the accurate adjectives in accordance with her overall diction. For example in the first sentence of the first paragraph here, where she writes, "Her marriage to Leonce Pontellier was purely an accident..." When I took some time to think about how the word "purely" plays a part in that sentence in connection to the awakening in the novel, I saw that this pure accident is what helps shape Edna's position and point of view/emotions in this position. Also, from Chopin's adjectives, I find such a delicate touch in her lines. While reading this passage I found a sense of corruption, and perhaps the root of her corruption; that being her marriage. That's when I thought, how can I feel corruption from a passage, but move along knowing that it left a mark of a feminine grace in my memory. 
        From this passage, I was also able to discover Leonce's position in Edna's life-from Edna's perspective, which really benefited me. In other words, this passage revealed to me the picture I had anxiously been awaiting. "It was in the midst of her great passion that she met him. He fell in love, as men are in the habit of doing, and pressed his suit with an earnestness and an ardor which left nothing to be desired." I quickly looked up these words, and once again, Chopin has a way with her adjectives-just as other authors- but yet again with this delicate aura. Earnestness is equal to having a non-humorous and serious state of mind. Ardor is somewhat an intensity of sexual desire. Look here! Leonce is a total man! Chopin helps me question the situation of Mr. and Mrs. Pontellier. Have they gotten married for the wrong reason? Which one of them has the problem? Does Mrs. Pontellier need to move on? Does she want to? Oh, so many endearing questions! I thank Kate Chopin for her use of adjectives this way for it surely fills me with clues to the characters and directs me to enlightenment of their human nature. With this, comes CONFLICT! And this conflict, all the more sparks my INTEREST! This is the magic of reading, and with her diction, Chopin truly grasps my imagination, opening up my eyes for this awakening.