I think that the clothing for this time period is a social expectation. What I mean by this is that depending on your social status or your gender you are expected to wear certain things, confining Edna to what the other women surrounding her are wearing like Madame Ratignolle. She has not yet expressed any poor feelings towards the clothes she wears (in chap. 1-5), however the other women seem to feel a lot more content in their surroundings something that Edna seems to not. I think that by her feeling uncomfortable in her surroundings, in society, she then feels uncomfortable in the clothes she wears in the ones that society has made women like her wear.
In chapters 1-5 we see clothing when Madame Ratignolle is sewing garments for her unborn child, and Edna is cutting out patterns. I think in that time period it was expected for women to be fully prepared and embracing motherhood at full force. Edna doesn't really feel the need to be making clothes at this time but she continues to do so anyways so she does not to seem mean and uninterested-she's doing what's expected of her. "Mrs. Pontellier's mind was at rest concerning the present material needs of her children, and she could not see the use of anticipating and making winter night garments the subject of her summer meditation." (p10), Edna, as we already talked about is not a "mother-women" and she would rather not be making clothing but rather enjoying her evening,
I don't see clothing as a very large symbol in this set of chaptors. Yes it is obviously used to portray how Edna isn't comfortable with her surroundings, but its not nearly as important as many other things. clothing is something your expected to wear. Back then that was what clothing looked like. I think that when we read on, when she leaves her family, we will see more attention go to how she dresses.
In chapter 11, Edna tells Mr. Pontellier that she'll be fine sitting out in the cold because she has her shawl. In this way, clothing is a form of protection. It's something familiar to everyone, and she's depending on it to shelter her. She has more faith in this protection than Mr. Pontellier does, though. In chapter 13, Edna sheds layers of her clothing after being overwhelmed in the church and needing to take a rest. She left the church, so I think this removal of the clothing is symbolic of the habits of society that she just released from herself. It wouldn't be proper during this period for her to take off these layers in public, but she's beginning a very internal awakening, so she doesn't really care. Finally, in chapter 15, Edna uses the clothes as protection again when she leaves the table after hearing that Robert was heading off to Mexico. She changes out of her formal clothing and then uses this as an excuse to eliminate herself from further social interaction. Though Ratignolle says this isn't a good excuse for leaving the gathering entirely (like Mr. Pontellier debunked the protection of the shawl earlier), Edna sticks to her belief in the protective element of clothing.
Edna wears the bathing suit and Mademoiselle Reisz, who we can understand as her id, "raved much over Edna's appearance in her bathing suit," (58). This can be seen as her id, or self-interested/animalistic side, rewarding her for letting go of societal expectations and independently seeking her freedom, the sea.
Later, Mr. Pontellier notices at dinner that "Mrs. Pontellier did not wear her usual Tuesday reception gown; she was in ordinary house dress," (59). When he protests, she says she just didn't want to take callers; she went out instead. He gets angry and storms out. She is upset but at the same time unmoved by his anger, because she has finally done what she wanted to do instead of what she was supposed to do. Her house dress, which is less elborate than her reception gown, symbolizes this change.
When Edna goes walking the day after the fight, she looks "handsome and distinguised in her street dress," (63). She is in public in a bigger sense than when she is recieving callers, and dresses as she should.
When she arrives at Ratignolle's home, Edna finds Ratignolle sorting clothes. Ratignolle dismisses it to a servant, saying that it is "really [the servant's] business," (64). Not just wearing the clothes, but interacting with them, is a societal constraint or barrier. Men never need to do the laundry. Servants and women, both below men in society, do.
The more physical fabric Edna is wearing, the more bound by society's expectations she is. When she wears her elaborate reception gown, she must sit in the house all day and greet callers. When she wears her bathing suit, she swims into the sea alone.
Following the expectations, however, is a choice that Edna makes. Just as she can choose what sort of clothing to wear and can choose a dress rather than a gown, she can choose to follow society's expectations or not.
Edna’s clothing wasn’t really mentioned during these chapters, but when her father came into town we notice that he wears cloths that is meant to show off certain parts of his form. “He was tall and thin, and wore his coats padded, which gave a fictitious breadth and depth to his shoulders and chest”(80). Her father, a man from Kentucky, lives in a society where you wear what is expected of you. He wears a coat that makes him look strong, powerful, a looming figure in the background always looking out for his daughters. Edna’s father cares for his daughters; he tries to persuade Edna into going to her sister’s wedding, he wants them to be happy.
We meet Doctor Mandelet in chapters 21-25, he is a wise man who understands that Edna needs room, and she needs to alone to be herself. He tells Mr. Pontellier to leave Edna alone for a few months so she can collect herself. He is old, wise, and understanding. His cloths are described as old-fashioned, “The doctor doubled his old-fashioned cloak across his breast as he strode home through the darkness”(83). Even though the cloak is old-fashioned, he doesn’t feel the need to buy the cloths the society expects him to, he is comfortable with himself, and his cloths show us that he lives life his way, and is at ease.
I think that in Chapter one, the most obvious thing that shows us Edna's clothing is not to do with clothing necessarily but with her appearance. When Edna comes back from the beach with Robert, Mr. Pontellier tells her, "You are burnt beyond recongition" (Chopin 2).
I think this is really important both the way it's described that he look at her, and specifically what he says.
In this section, we are getting pre-emptive looks at the way Mr. Pontellier treats his wife. He is looking at her as if she were a damaged piece of property basically, and by doing that and critiquing her appearance, he is in a way reasserting his authority over her. He's saying she is burnt and through saying that he is saying tha his property is burnt. When you think of these two things together, it's as if SHE, Edna, burnt his property. He's like blaming her for damaging her appearance because it is troubling for him.
Maybe I am looking too far into this, but this is my interpretation of this section after I have read a lot more of the book, so this point is further proven as the book goes along and Mr. Pontellier reacts to the way Edna acts. I think Chopin really just alludes to that in the section so we sort of get an uneasy feeling when we read it for the first time and then later, when we look back, we can make all these realizations as I am doing now.
Furthermore, I think it is really important that Mr. Pontellier says, "beyond RECOGNITION." It is implying that the way she looks is who she is, and that when she burnt herself and damaged her appearance she isn't the same person This is really against what I feel like about appearance, because I think of appearance as a small part of who you are, certainly the least important part of who pepole are... And when Leonce says he can't even recognize her, it frustrates me because even when she is sunburnt, she is still Edna INSIDE and he should love her inner self. But this is just another place where we learn that he is much more in love with the appearance, what she appears to be, how she looks, like a dainty, assimilated, perfect little lady, than the individual she actually is.
I'm not really sure how to do Clothing...but here I go.
In Ch. 26 when Edna goes to visit Mlle. Reisz "her clothes are dripping with moisture" (92) because it's a gloomy day. Yet when Mlle. Reisz sees Edna she says "Ah! Here comes the sunlight! Now it will be warm and bright enough; I can let the fire alone." (93) I took this as Mlle. Reisz saying Edna looks good no matter what she's wearing. Other than that there were mentions to gloves, overshoes, and a red scarf worn by Mlle. Reisz.
There's also a mention of the fake violets in Mlle. Reisz's hair starting to fall apart. Violets symbolism many things from modesty, virtue, affection, watchfulness, faithfulness and the attitude of 'lets take a chance on happiness'. I think the later fits Mlle. Reisz because she defies societies expectation and does her own thing.
And in Ch. 29 when Edna is helping cleaning and moving things from Mr. Pontellier's house to the 'pigeon house' Alcee pays a visit to find Edna with rolled up sleeves and "never [more] handsomeer than in the old blue gown, with a red silk handkerchief knotted at random around her head to protect her hair from the dust" (99) Just the fact that Edna didn't freak out over Alcee seeing her so under dressed shows that Edna is becoming more comfortable with herself. And once again that no matter what she wears people still find her handsome--if not more so when dressed simply and not how society expects.
In Ch. 30 Edna buys a replacement set of violets with black lace trimmings. And her dress is in stark contrast to what she last wore: "The golden shimmer of Edna's gown spread in rich folds on either side of her. There was a soft fall of lace encircling her shoulders. It was the color of her skin without the glow, the myriad living tints that one may sometimes discover in vibrant flesh. There was something in her attitude, her whole appearance when she leaned her head against the high-backed chair and spread her arms, which suggested the regal woman, the one who rules, who looks on, who stands alone." (105) The last three words describe exactly how Edna feels when dressed up as society expects. She feels nowhere near as free or happy as she did in that old blue gown from a few chapters. Instead she feels depressed and hopeless, almost as if there's no escape from society "which came upon her like an obsession..." (105).
These chapters mention clothing quite a bit, but how their meanings in the story aren't as obvious.
In chapter 11, Edna decided to keep to herself one evening, outside her home. It may have been a chilly night, but however cold or warm it was, Mr. Pontellier was highly concerned about this. He argued and reasoned with Edna, attempting to get her to come indoors. The first point he made was that it was cold outside. Edna responded in a mixed way. "It isn't cold; I have my shawl." [Chopin 33] She said that it wasn't cold, at least to her, but then she sort of contradicted herself by telling Pontellier that she had her shawl with her. As if to counteract a further argument by her husband, if he were to argue that it was. So her shawl was in more ways than one a defense; it would keep her husband from finding another way to lengthen his argument, but it would keep her shielded from the weather if it really -was- cold. I'm not sure how warm a shawl actually is, but having it with her satisfied Pontellier's worry about the temperature.
Then, in chapter 13, the group attended a mass, in an apparently stifling and unbearable church. Back in the late 19th century, even the everyday attire women were to wear was composed of several layers, high collars, and long skirts; already adding up to an uncomfortable outfit. Imagine what was expected of them for church attire! So during the middle of mass, Edna was starting to feel really tired and sick, so Robert helped her to Madame Antoine's cottage, where she rested. By the time she had settled on a bed, it seemed as though she had stripped down about half of her outfit's layers. "Edna, left alone in the little side room, loosened her clothes, removing the greater part of them." [Chopin 39] Combined with knowledge that Edna may not exactly be fond of church services (when she detailed the time she ran away from a mass, apparently conducted by her father), it seems that church stifles her in many ways, literally and figuratively. Church required her [as well as all women] to bundle up in many layers of concealing clothing, established by society; so church and society could be considered almost equal for Edna. She had to leave the church to regain herself, to overcome her dizziness, and took off the clothes that society/Church required of her. She was being defiant, in a sense, through the simple removal of clothes.
During the last chapters of the book Edna's clothing is a big part of her releasing her oppression and becoming free from the norms of society. Before gliding into the sea (to her death) she undresses to her bare skin. I think that by doing this Kate Chopin is showing us the readers just how far Edna has come throughout the book. She finally feels comfortable as herself she shed the layers of expectations of others and oppression of others. She has become awakened, and by this one simple move of the removal of all of her clothing we can see that. By her feeling the sea with her entire body she is soaking up her freedom that she is about to endure by escaping the world that surrounds her, by escaping her family, Robert, and all of society. She releases all her fears with a single clasp of a bathing suit.
I think the description in Chapter 30 of Edna's dress is very important, although it is not in this section it is certainly relevant. She is described as regal, the woman who owns something, looks on alone. It is also the color of her skin, which perhaps is a reference to the end of the novel, and just the freedom that nudity provides one with.
But, after the dinner party goes bad, the dress is described differently, Edna is "holding up the weight of her satin train with one hand." I think definitely using the word WEIGHT to describe her dress makes it become an oppressive force again, something forcing her to stay in the norms of society. Which is interesting that the same gown can use to represent her as regal and powerful, and then later become just a gown again.
Also, while she is walking with Alcee, note the, "She looked down, noticing the black line of his leg moving in and out so close to her against the yellow shimmer of her gown" (Chopin 108). I think this is foreshadowing to her sexual awakening that occurs later in the chapter. Chopin is very vague about the details, but if you think about sex, you think about no clothes. And this is just trying to show the way that Alcee awakens her to be free to make her own decisions and not be weighed down by society's expectations, represented as clothing.
Chapters 21-25 Edna's clothes are very rarely mentioned in these chapters if at all but a few other characters clothes are described in detail. The description of mademoiselle's clothes is "She still wore the shabby lace and the artificial bunch of violets on the side of her head." Mademoiselle is not wearing what is socially expected of her, her choice to not really give a damn is a reflection of her character. We also get a description of Edna's fathers clothes they portray him as a strinking man. We are introduced to the character Alcee in these chapters. The discription of his clothing is an important part of understanding his character. He wears what you would expect a young very fashionable man would wear.
(Make up ch 11-15) In Chapter 11 Edna is lying outside on a hammock with no blanket or shawl, just an evening dress, usually more revealing than a day dress. She is holding the shawl in her hand, perhaps a sign that she has yet to completely let go of her old habits. She says that she is keeping the shawl in case she gets cold, a safety line of sorts if she finds that she doesn't like her changing lifestyle. Her husband, upon seeing that she intends to stay outside, "slipped on an extra garment" (34). This could possibly symbolize how he is completely enveloped in society and has no wish to change, possibly a fear of it. Later, When Edna leaves the mass and falls asleep, she removes most of her clothing and is able to feel more comfortable and herself. She then falls asleep and has distant dreams of little importance. In the next chapter, when Edna hears of Robert's decision to leave, she quickly returns to her rented cottage and undresses, putting on what might be called comfort clothes, much like a woman of today putting on sweats and a tank top after a long day . She refuses to get dressed again and because her attire is insufficient, she does not go see Robert at the request of others.
I think that the clothing for this time period is a social expectation. What I mean by this is that depending on your social status or your gender you are expected to wear certain things, confining Edna to what the other women surrounding her are wearing like Madame Ratignolle. She has not yet expressed any poor feelings towards the clothes she wears (in chap. 1-5), however the other women seem to feel a lot more content in their surroundings something that Edna seems to not. I think that by her feeling uncomfortable in her surroundings, in society, she then feels uncomfortable in the clothes she wears in the ones that society has made women like her wear.
ReplyDeleteIn chapters 1-5 we see clothing when Madame Ratignolle is sewing garments for her unborn child, and Edna is cutting out patterns. I think in that time period it was expected for women to be fully prepared and embracing motherhood at full force. Edna doesn't really feel the need to be making clothes at this time but she continues to do so anyways so she does not to seem mean and uninterested-she's doing what's expected of her. "Mrs. Pontellier's mind was at rest concerning the present material needs of her children, and she could not see the use of anticipating and making winter night garments the subject of her summer meditation." (p10), Edna, as we already talked about is not a "mother-women" and she would rather not be making clothing but rather enjoying her evening,
ReplyDeleteI don't see clothing as a very large symbol in this set of chaptors. Yes it is obviously used to portray how Edna isn't comfortable with her surroundings, but its not nearly as important as many other things. clothing is something your expected to wear. Back then that was what clothing looked like. I think that when we read on, when she leaves her family, we will see more attention go to how she dresses.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 11, Edna tells Mr. Pontellier that she'll be fine sitting out in the cold because she has her shawl. In this way, clothing is a form of protection. It's something familiar to everyone, and she's depending on it to shelter her. She has more faith in this protection than Mr. Pontellier does, though.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 13, Edna sheds layers of her clothing after being overwhelmed in the church and needing to take a rest. She left the church, so I think this removal of the clothing is symbolic of the habits of society that she just released from herself. It wouldn't be proper during this period for her to take off these layers in public, but she's beginning a very internal awakening, so she doesn't really care.
Finally, in chapter 15, Edna uses the clothes as protection again when she leaves the table after hearing that Robert was heading off to Mexico. She changes out of her formal clothing and then uses this as an excuse to eliminate herself from further social interaction. Though Ratignolle says this isn't a good excuse for leaving the gathering entirely (like Mr. Pontellier debunked the protection of the shawl earlier), Edna sticks to her belief in the protective element of clothing.
Chapters 16-20
ReplyDeleteEdna wears the bathing suit and Mademoiselle Reisz, who we can understand as her id, "raved much over Edna's appearance in her bathing suit," (58). This can be seen as her id, or self-interested/animalistic side, rewarding her for letting go of societal expectations and independently seeking her freedom, the sea.
Later, Mr. Pontellier notices at dinner that "Mrs. Pontellier did not wear her usual Tuesday reception gown; she was in ordinary house dress," (59). When he protests, she says she just didn't want to take callers; she went out instead. He gets angry and storms out. She is upset but at the same time unmoved by his anger, because she has finally done what she wanted to do instead of what she was supposed to do. Her house dress, which is less elborate than her reception gown, symbolizes this change.
When Edna goes walking the day after the fight, she looks "handsome and distinguised in her street dress," (63). She is in public in a bigger sense than when she is recieving callers, and dresses as she should.
When she arrives at Ratignolle's home, Edna finds Ratignolle sorting clothes. Ratignolle dismisses it to a servant, saying that it is "really [the servant's] business," (64). Not just wearing the clothes, but interacting with them, is a societal constraint or barrier. Men never need to do the laundry. Servants and women, both below men in society, do.
The more physical fabric Edna is wearing, the more bound by society's expectations she is. When she wears her elaborate reception gown, she must sit in the house all day and greet callers. When she wears her bathing suit, she swims into the sea alone.
Following the expectations, however, is a choice that Edna makes. Just as she can choose what sort of clothing to wear and can choose a dress rather than a gown, she can choose to follow society's expectations or not.
Chapter 21-25
ReplyDeleteEdna’s clothing wasn’t really mentioned during these chapters, but when her father came into town we notice that he wears cloths that is meant to show off certain parts of his form. “He was tall and thin, and wore his coats padded, which gave a fictitious breadth and depth to his shoulders and chest”(80). Her father, a man from Kentucky, lives in a society where you wear what is expected of you. He wears a coat that makes him look strong, powerful, a looming figure in the background always looking out for his daughters. Edna’s father cares for his daughters; he tries to persuade Edna into going to her sister’s wedding, he wants them to be happy.
We meet Doctor Mandelet in chapters 21-25, he is a wise man who understands that Edna needs room, and she needs to alone to be herself. He tells Mr. Pontellier to leave Edna alone for a few months so she can collect herself. He is old, wise, and understanding. His cloths are described as old-fashioned, “The doctor doubled his old-fashioned cloak across his breast as he strode home through the darkness”(83). Even though the cloak is old-fashioned, he doesn’t feel the need to buy the cloths the society expects him to, he is comfortable with himself, and his cloths show us that he lives life his way, and is at ease.
~Tesnime Selmane
Chapters 1 - 5
ReplyDeleteI think that in Chapter one, the most obvious thing that shows us Edna's clothing is not to do with clothing necessarily but with her appearance. When Edna comes back from the beach with Robert, Mr. Pontellier tells her, "You are burnt beyond recongition" (Chopin 2).
I think this is really important both the way it's described that he look at her, and specifically what he says.
In this section, we are getting pre-emptive looks at the way Mr. Pontellier treats his wife. He is looking at her as if she were a damaged piece of property basically, and by doing that and critiquing her appearance, he is in a way reasserting his authority over her. He's saying she is burnt and through saying that he is saying tha his property is burnt. When you think of these two things together, it's as if SHE, Edna, burnt his property. He's like blaming her for damaging her appearance because it is troubling for him.
Maybe I am looking too far into this, but this is my interpretation of this section after I have read a lot more of the book, so this point is further proven as the book goes along and Mr. Pontellier reacts to the way Edna acts. I think Chopin really just alludes to that in the section so we sort of get an uneasy feeling when we read it for the first time and then later, when we look back, we can make all these realizations as I am doing now.
Furthermore, I think it is really important that Mr. Pontellier says, "beyond RECOGNITION." It is implying that the way she looks is who she is, and that when she burnt herself and damaged her appearance she isn't the same person This is really against what I feel like about appearance, because I think of appearance as a small part of who you are, certainly the least important part of who pepole are... And when Leonce says he can't even recognize her, it frustrates me because even when she is sunburnt, she is still Edna INSIDE and he should love her inner self. But this is just another place where we learn that he is much more in love with the appearance, what she appears to be, how she looks, like a dainty, assimilated, perfect little lady, than the individual she actually is.
Ch. 26 - 30
ReplyDeleteI'm not really sure how to do Clothing...but here I go.
In Ch. 26 when Edna goes to visit Mlle. Reisz "her clothes are dripping with moisture" (92) because it's a gloomy day. Yet when Mlle. Reisz sees Edna she says "Ah! Here comes the sunlight! Now it will be warm and bright enough; I can let the fire alone." (93) I took this as Mlle. Reisz saying Edna looks good no matter what she's wearing. Other than that there were mentions to gloves, overshoes, and a red scarf worn by Mlle. Reisz.
There's also a mention of the fake violets in Mlle. Reisz's hair starting to fall apart. Violets symbolism many things from modesty, virtue, affection, watchfulness, faithfulness and the attitude of 'lets take a chance on happiness'. I think the later fits Mlle. Reisz because she defies societies expectation and does her own thing.
And in Ch. 29 when Edna is helping cleaning and moving things from Mr. Pontellier's house to the 'pigeon house' Alcee pays a visit to find Edna with rolled up sleeves and "never [more] handsomeer than in the old blue gown, with a red silk handkerchief knotted at random around her head to protect her hair from the dust" (99) Just the fact that Edna didn't freak out over Alcee seeing her so under dressed shows that Edna is becoming more comfortable with herself. And once again that no matter what she wears people still find her handsome--if not more so when dressed simply and not how society expects.
In Ch. 30 Edna buys a replacement set of violets with black lace trimmings. And her dress is in stark contrast to what she last wore:
"The golden shimmer of Edna's gown spread in rich folds on either side of her. There was a soft fall of lace encircling her shoulders. It was the color of her skin without the glow, the myriad living tints that one may sometimes discover in vibrant flesh. There was something in her attitude, her whole appearance when she leaned her head against the high-backed chair and spread her arms, which suggested the regal woman, the one who rules, who looks on, who stands alone." (105)
The last three words describe exactly how Edna feels when dressed up as society expects. She feels nowhere near as free or happy as she did in that old blue gown from a few chapters. Instead she feels depressed and hopeless, almost as if there's no escape from society "which came upon her like an obsession..." (105).
Chapter 11-15
ReplyDeleteThese chapters mention clothing quite a bit, but how their meanings in the story aren't as obvious.
In chapter 11, Edna decided to keep to herself one evening, outside her home. It may have been a chilly night, but however cold or warm it was, Mr. Pontellier was highly concerned about this. He argued and reasoned with Edna, attempting to get her to come indoors. The first point he made was that it was cold outside. Edna responded in a mixed way. "It isn't cold; I have my shawl." [Chopin 33] She said that it wasn't cold, at least to her, but then she sort of contradicted herself by telling Pontellier that she had her shawl with her. As if to counteract a further argument by her husband, if he were to argue that it was. So her shawl was in more ways than one a defense; it would keep her husband from finding another way to lengthen his argument, but it would keep her shielded from the weather if it really -was- cold. I'm not sure how warm a shawl actually is, but having it with her satisfied Pontellier's worry about the temperature.
Then, in chapter 13, the group attended a mass, in an apparently stifling and unbearable church. Back in the late 19th century, even the everyday attire women were to wear was composed of several layers, high collars, and long skirts; already adding up to an uncomfortable outfit. Imagine what was expected of them for church attire! So during the middle of mass, Edna was starting to feel really tired and sick, so Robert helped her to Madame Antoine's cottage, where she rested. By the time she had settled on a bed, it seemed as though she had stripped down about half of her outfit's layers. "Edna, left alone in the little side room, loosened her clothes, removing the greater part of them." [Chopin 39] Combined with knowledge that Edna may not exactly be fond of church services (when she detailed the time she ran away from a mass, apparently conducted by her father), it seems that church stifles her in many ways, literally and figuratively. Church required her [as well as all women] to bundle up in many layers of concealing clothing, established by society; so church and society could be considered almost equal for Edna. She had to leave the church to regain herself, to overcome her dizziness, and took off the clothes that society/Church required of her. She was being defiant, in a sense, through the simple removal of clothes.
During the last chapters of the book Edna's clothing is a big part of her releasing her oppression and becoming free from the norms of society. Before gliding into the sea (to her death) she undresses to her bare skin. I think that by doing this Kate Chopin is showing us the readers just how far Edna has come throughout the book. She finally feels comfortable as herself she shed the layers of expectations of others and oppression of others. She has become awakened, and by this one simple move of the removal of all of her clothing we can see that. By her feeling the sea with her entire body she is soaking up her freedom that she is about to endure by escaping the world that surrounds her, by escaping her family, Robert, and all of society. She releases all her fears with a single clasp of a bathing suit.
ReplyDeleteChapter 31-34
ReplyDeleteI think the description in Chapter 30 of Edna's dress is very important, although it is not in this section it is certainly relevant. She is described as regal, the woman who owns something, looks on alone. It is also the color of her skin, which perhaps is a reference to the end of the novel, and just the freedom that nudity provides one with.
But, after the dinner party goes bad, the dress is described differently, Edna is "holding up the weight of her satin train with one hand." I think definitely using the word WEIGHT to describe her dress makes it become an oppressive force again, something forcing her to stay in the norms of society. Which is interesting that the same gown can use to represent her as regal and powerful, and then later become just a gown again.
Also, while she is walking with Alcee, note the, "She looked down, noticing the black line of his leg moving in and out so close to her against the yellow shimmer of her gown" (Chopin 108). I think this is foreshadowing to her sexual awakening that occurs later in the chapter. Chopin is very vague about the details, but if you think about sex, you think about no clothes. And this is just trying to show the way that Alcee awakens her to be free to make her own decisions and not be weighed down by society's expectations, represented as clothing.
Chapters 21-25
ReplyDeleteEdna's clothes are very rarely mentioned in these chapters if at all but a few other characters clothes are described in detail. The description of mademoiselle's clothes is "She still wore the shabby lace and the artificial bunch of violets on the side of her head." Mademoiselle is not wearing what is socially expected of her, her choice to not really give a damn is a reflection of her character. We also get a description of Edna's fathers clothes they portray him as a strinking man. We are introduced to the character Alcee in these chapters. The discription of his clothing is an important part of understanding his character. He wears what you would expect a young very fashionable man would wear.
(Make up ch 11-15)
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 11 Edna is lying outside on a hammock with no blanket or shawl, just an evening dress, usually more revealing than a day dress. She is holding the shawl in her hand, perhaps a sign that she has yet to completely let go of her old habits. She says that she is keeping the shawl in case she gets cold, a safety line of sorts if she finds that she doesn't like her changing lifestyle. Her husband, upon seeing that she intends to stay outside, "slipped on an extra garment" (34). This could possibly symbolize how he is completely enveloped in society and has no wish to change, possibly a fear of it. Later, When Edna leaves the mass and falls asleep, she removes most of her clothing and is able to feel more comfortable and herself. She then falls asleep and has distant dreams of little importance. In the next chapter, when Edna hears of Robert's decision to leave, she quickly returns to her rented cottage and undresses, putting on what might be called comfort clothes, much like a woman of today putting on sweats and a tank top after a long day . She refuses to get dressed again and because her attire is insufficient, she does not go see Robert at the request of others.