jueves, 15 de marzo de 2012

"Let Mrs.Pontellier Alone"!!


The conversation held bewteen Madame Ratignolle and Robert in chapter 8 is a key element Chopin uses to depict the hypocrisy and corrupt values in the Creole society. Right before this conversation took place, Madame Ratignolle and Mrs.Pontellier were having a deep, heart-to-heart conversation in which Madame Ratignolle hend her hand to demonstrate support and understanding. But as soon as Edna left, Madame Ratignolle orders Robert to stay away from her:

She is not one of us; she is not like us. She might make the unfortunate blunder of taking you seriously" (pg 46)

Even though Madame Ratignolle's intentions might seem those of a concerned friend who is trying to keep harm away from Edna, in reality she is somehow jealous from the attention Edna receives from Robert. This is clear when Ratignolle bursts and tells Robert that he should end the fantasy before he is looked down by society and kept away from daughters and wives.

Robert is clearly persistant about his intentions with Edna, therefore he becomes annoyed by Ratignolle's reproach: "You Creoles.! I have no patience with you!" (pg 46). Soon after this, Robert realizes that it was not smart for him to explode in such way and asks Madame Ratignolle for forgiveness, hoping to continue in her liking.

The way Robert and  Madame Ratignolle speak of Mrs.Pontellier, by granting themselves the authority and liberty to basically decide what is best for her, give the reader that impression that these characters consider her as as some sort of inferior being who has no right of opinion or decision.

0 comentarios:

Publicar un comentario