Consider Edna Pontellier’s decision to pursue love and desire beyond her marriage in The Awakening. To what extent do you think the pressures of gender role expectations excuse, or fail to excuse, her affair with another man?

Consider Edna Pontellier’s decision to pursue love and desire beyond her marriage in The Awakening. To what extent do you think the pressures of gender role expectations excuse, or fail to excuse, her affair with another man?

Prompt Response: I think that this is a very complicated questions. I understand feeling trapped and wanting to get out of a relationship, but there are certain ways to do it. Her situation is a little bit different because she is being treated terribly and does not know how to get out of the situation. I believe that if she has no way to get out that even if it's wrong, should be excused from a person in this day and age. In my opinion people should not live their lives feeling trapped or in a cage. If the only way for her to feel happy is to have an affair with another man I think she had every right to do it. 

Summary: I was not in class today but reading this story really opened my eyes to how people can feel so alone and trapped in a situation.

Reflection: I believe that reading, "The Awakening" really helps people to understand that things are not always as they seem. The title being "awakening" makes it seem as though they are trying to awaken people to the fact that gender roles are not okay.