Edna’s halfhearted awakening

In Japan, we are more familiar with『A Doll’s House』by Henrik Ibsen [1828〜1906] than『Awakening』by Kate Chopin[1850-1904], both deal with the independence of women. But the latter concentrates the sexual impulse of women, therefore accepted harsh criticism including the ban on to read when the book was published in 1899, I learned.

This time at my second reading ( my first reading, in Japanese version, was about 10 yeas ago), I carefully read the story as a scale, measuring my degree of feminism. I’m afraid myself to be called "sexist" as same as the men of 100 year ago if I denounce Mrs.Edna Pontellier. So I, a contemporary man, who got baptized by the second and third-wave feminism, can admit Mrs. Potellier’s desire of self-fulfilment, or, at least, must admit for.

But problem is whether Mrs. Potellier was really awakened or not. In my opinion her awakening is fully doubtful.

The story suggests that her awakening began when Edna loves Robert