In The Awakening by Kate Chopin, the setting is in the late 1800s on Grand Isle in Louisiana. The main character of the story is Edna Pontellier who is not a Creole. Other important characters are Adele Ratignolle, Mr. Ratgnolle, Robert Lebrun, and Leonce Pontellier who are all Creole's. In the Creole society the men are dominant. Seldom do the Creole's accept outsiders to their social circle, and women are expected to provide well-kept homes and have many children. Edna and Adele are friends who are very different because of their the way they were brought up and they way they treat their husbands. Adele is a loyal wife who always obeys her husband's commands. Edna is a woman who str ...view middle of the document...
Creole women devoted their whole lives to their husbands where Enda was carefree and did as she pleased. She was carefree because she would go out onto the beach with only a sundress and a little hat on when she was suppose to be all covered up so she would not become sun burnt. Leonce was not pleased to see a sun burn on her body because he does not want his possession looking like a lower class. Adele who is very different from Edna acted different towards her children and her husband.Adele was a Creole woman who was devoted to her husband. Adele and her husband "...understood each other perfectly." If ever the fusion of two human beings into one has been accomplished on this there it was surely in their union"(93). Adele was a "mother-woman" because she wanted children every two years. She had already had three children and the forth was on its way. All Adele would think about all day long would be her children. If any of her children were to have hurt themselves, they would come crying to her and she would make them all better. Adele would always be sewing clothes for her children and talking about them. Sometimes she would wonder if she should leave the children behind and go somewhere with Edna. Adele was Creole so she fit in with the society and was not a prude. She wo...