In your commment, please indicate whether you feel Edna's final decision in the novel is a "cop out" or an heroic act? Did she have other options she could have explored?
Personally, I feel that Edna "copped out." There was nothing truly heroic about her actions, she was merely trying to escape the mess called life. Although through suicide she was able to free herself entirely from the grasp of her life, it was not heroic. In all honesty, I think it was selfish of her because she left her husband, children, and Robert for that matter without an explanation. Robert will probably think his breaking off of their affair was the reason she committed suicide. Also, she is leaving her children without a mother. For what? An escape? If her ultimate act was committing suicide, why not do it when she realized she needed to be free. Why put everyone around her through what she did before doing so. I considered myself to be one of the people who understood what she was going through and found reason in all of her actions, but her final decision disappointed me greatly. To me, I felt like she couldn't really handle her new liberated self. Even under the pressures of the Creole society, she was able to accomplish many personal acts; artistically and mentally. If she was able to move into a new home and begin her life over in a mental way, what makes her think that there is not more to be done? Although, she died at peace with herself, I felt that her realization of Robert, life, and the world around her could have been used in a more positive and productive way, not through death. There are not many options available considering her society, but she could have probably thought of something on a whim. Each day would be a surprise for her, which actually seemed to be what she wanted in the first place. A life that isn't so structured and planned out. Also, if she was going to commit suicide and leave everything behind, why not just run away? She could begin a new life, where no one knew her and she could just be herself. In the end, the advice given to her to think of the children left her mind almost as quickly as she left the world.
Personally, I think Edna’s action at the end was a heroic action. As much as I dislike Edna’s character, I believe that she is a strong woman. At the end of the novel, Edna awakens to live for “herself”. I think that the only way she could live for “herself” is by what she had done. Before she died, “she felt like some new-born creature, opening its eyes in a familiar world that it had never known”(175). This conveys that Edna had awakened to her senses and came to realize that she could never fully be liberated unless she is alone. The only way she would be alone is by dying. That is why her action was heroic.
If she were to continue living with Leonce, she would be the same ‘unsatisfied Edna’ who hates looking after her children. If she were to live with Robert, she would still be considered as a possession to him because he lives in the same creole society. If she were to leave everyone and fulfill her ambition of becoming a painter, that would be a “cop out” because she is just running away from her problems. Right before Edna goes into the ocean, “She thought of Leonce and the children. They were part of her life. But they need not have thought that they could possess her, body and soul. How Mademoiselle Reisz would have laughed, perhaps sneered , if she knew!...The artist must possess the courageous soul that dares and defies” (176). This illustrates that she was courageous enough to kill herself and it also depicts her as a strong heroic woman.
I believe that Edna’s suicide move was a cop out, but it must be understood that she didn’t have any other choice. She hated her life, and she would always have her children, the one thing that would always be there to hold her back from experiencing true happiness.
In no way was her suicide heroic. It would have been heroic if she had actually stayed with Leonce and her children. By doing that, she would be sacrificing herself for others, which is more similar to the definition of a hero rather than someone who commits suicide. She had told Madame Ratignolle that she “would never sacrifice herself for her children” (175), and if she had stayed with them, that that is exactly what she would have been doing. Rather than for her to do this, she killed herself, thereby, copping out.
Although, I do not believe that Edna was “copping out” because, what else was there for her to do? She was miserable. She didn’t want kids, nor to be married, and if she didn’t kill herself, that is all that she would return to. I believe that Edna’s suicide was her last resort as there was no other way for her to live with happiness. The one person who she wanted in her life, Robert, had left her. He is the person who helped her start to find her own happiness in solitude. When he had officially left her, the person whom she believed to be the love of her life, she realized that there was no other way for her to be happy. She would always have her children, and her husband, Leonce, holding her back from her true happiness which she received from living in solitude.
Edna decided to cop out rather than to stand by and endure a lifetime of unhappiness, which would have been so much worse because she actually knew what being happy felt like, and knew it had been within her reach once before. Edna copped out, but honestly, I don’t blame her, and I actually have sympathy for her.
Edna’s suicide was heroic and in no way shape or form did she “cop” out. Edna’s life was not worth living considering that everything she had, she was not happy with. She was not happy with her husband ,her children, or her wealth. Even Edna’s herself said that her marriage to Léonce “purely an accident” (62) and she would never sacrifice herself for her children (175). When a person lives, they must live for themselves first. Edna never had that opportunity to do so. She was unhappy with herself and her current situation. Edna was purely a woman ahead of the time period. Women were required to get married and have children however she did not want that. She didn’t want to follow the society of her time. I don’t think that Edna would choose to feel this way. If she was completely happy with her role as mother and wife, she would not be confused. When her children went to the country with her mother-in-law, Edna didn’t miss them for long. She had forgotten about them. It would be much easier if she liked her life and if she weren’t such a complicated person. I doubt that Edna really wanted to commit suicide unless there was no way out of her situation. Edna was not being selfish. It is true that she did leave her children motherless. However with Edna alive, it would have been the same as if she weren’t there. Edna was never “there”. Her mind was always in another world. Edna couldn’t have the love she wanted. She was in love with Robert yet she and he both knew they could not pursue any type of relationship especially at the turn of the 20th century. She didn’t love her husband, her life, or her children. She wanted and lived for a freedom that was impossible. Edna had no way to be free except in death.
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ReplyDeletePersonally, I feel that Edna "copped out." There was nothing truly heroic about her actions, she was merely trying to escape the mess called life. Although through suicide she was able to free herself entirely from the grasp of her life, it was not heroic. In all honesty, I think it was selfish of her because she left her husband, children, and Robert for that matter without an explanation. Robert will probably think his breaking off of their affair was the reason she committed suicide. Also, she is leaving her children without a mother. For what? An escape? If her ultimate act was committing suicide, why not do it when she realized she needed to be free. Why put everyone around her through what she did before doing so. I considered myself to be one of the people who understood what she was going through and found reason in all of her actions, but her final decision disappointed me greatly. To me, I felt like she couldn't really handle her new liberated self. Even under the pressures of the Creole society, she was able to accomplish many personal acts; artistically and mentally. If she was able to move into a new home and begin her life over in a mental way, what makes her think that there is not more to be done? Although, she died at peace with herself, I felt that her realization of Robert, life, and the world around her could have been used in a more positive and productive way, not through death.
ReplyDeleteThere are not many options available considering her society, but she could have probably thought of something on a whim. Each day would be a surprise for her, which actually seemed to be what she wanted in the first place. A life that isn't so structured and planned out. Also, if she was going to commit suicide and leave everything behind, why not just run away? She could begin a new life, where no one knew her and she could just be herself. In the end, the advice given to her to think of the children left her mind almost as quickly as she left the world.
Personally, I think Edna’s action at the end was a heroic action. As much as I dislike Edna’s character, I believe that she is a strong woman. At the end of the novel, Edna awakens to live for “herself”. I think that the only way she could live for “herself” is by what she had done. Before she died, “she felt like some new-born creature, opening its eyes in a familiar world that it had never known”(175). This conveys that Edna had awakened to her senses and came to realize that she could never fully be liberated unless she is alone. The only way she would be alone is by dying. That is why her action was heroic.
ReplyDeleteIf she were to continue living with Leonce, she would be the same ‘unsatisfied Edna’ who hates looking after her children. If she were to live with Robert, she would still be considered as a possession to him because he lives in the same creole society. If she were to leave everyone and fulfill her ambition of becoming a painter, that would be a “cop out” because she is just running away from her problems. Right before Edna goes into the ocean, “She thought of Leonce and the children. They were part of her life. But they need not have thought that they could possess her, body and soul. How Mademoiselle Reisz would have laughed, perhaps sneered , if she knew!...The artist must possess the courageous soul that dares and defies” (176). This illustrates that she was courageous enough to kill herself and it also depicts her as a strong heroic woman.
I believe that Edna’s suicide move was a cop out, but it must be understood that she didn’t have any other choice. She hated her life, and she would always have her children, the one thing that would always be there to hold her back from experiencing true happiness.
ReplyDeleteIn no way was her suicide heroic. It would have been heroic if she had actually stayed with Leonce and her children. By doing that, she would be sacrificing herself for others, which is more similar to the definition of a hero rather than someone who commits suicide. She had told Madame Ratignolle that she “would never sacrifice herself for her children” (175), and if she had stayed with them, that that is exactly what she would have been doing. Rather than for her to do this, she killed herself, thereby, copping out.
Although, I do not believe that Edna was “copping out” because, what else was there for her to do? She was miserable. She didn’t want kids, nor to be married, and if she didn’t kill herself, that is all that she would return to. I believe that Edna’s suicide was her last resort as there was no other way for her to live with happiness. The one person who she wanted in her life, Robert, had left her. He is the person who helped her start to find her own happiness in solitude. When he had officially left her, the person whom she believed to be the love of her life, she realized that there was no other way for her to be happy. She would always have her children, and her husband, Leonce, holding her back from her true happiness which she received from living in solitude.
Edna decided to cop out rather than to stand by and endure a lifetime of unhappiness, which would have been so much worse because she actually knew what being happy felt like, and knew it had been within her reach once before. Edna copped out, but honestly, I don’t blame her, and I actually have sympathy for her.
Edna’s suicide was heroic and in no way shape or form did she “cop” out. Edna’s life was not worth living considering that everything she had, she was not happy with. She was not happy with her husband ,her children, or her wealth. Even Edna’s herself said that her marriage to Léonce “purely an accident” (62) and she would never sacrifice herself for her children (175).
ReplyDeleteWhen a person lives, they must live for themselves first. Edna never had that opportunity to do so. She was unhappy with herself and her current situation. Edna was purely a woman ahead of the time period. Women were required to get married and have children however she did not want that. She didn’t want to follow the society of her time. I don’t think that Edna would choose to feel this way. If she was completely happy with her role as mother and wife, she would not be confused. When her children went to the country with her mother-in-law, Edna didn’t miss them for long. She had forgotten about them. It would be much easier if she liked her life and if she weren’t such a complicated person. I doubt that Edna really wanted to commit suicide unless there was no way out of her situation. Edna was not being selfish. It is true that she did leave her children motherless. However with Edna alive, it would have been the same as if she weren’t there. Edna was never “there”. Her mind was always in another world.
Edna couldn’t have the love she wanted. She was in love with Robert yet she and he both knew they could not pursue any type of relationship especially at the turn of the 20th century. She didn’t love her husband, her life, or her children. She wanted and lived for a freedom that was impossible. Edna had no way to be free except in death.