Sep 10 - Consider Edna Pontellier’s decision to pursue love and desire beyond her marriage in The Awakening. To what extent do you think the pressures of gender role expectations excuse, or fail to excuse, her affair with another man?

Response: I feel like the pressure and expectations of gender roles fails to excuse Edna Pontellier's affair. Obviously, nobody should cheat on their partner, whether you are a man or a woman. However, I think that society, especially when this was written, takes a harsher reaction to a woman cheating on her spouse than a man cheating on his spouse. Edna Pontellier is trying to free herself from this title of "wife" and be reborn into an actual human being. This realization comes to her by realizing the treatment she is receiving from her husband. I feel as if this story was about a man leaving his wife to discover who he is; the reaction from society might be different, like accepting or neutral. 

Summary: Today, we read a response essay to "Why I Want A Wife" called "I don't want a wife" and also a common lit assignment discussing and analyzing "The Awakening".

Reflection: The idea of gender roles and the expectations that we must uphold based on our sex can cause many unfair differences in our society, which many people have protested against in order to make things equal. I feel that studying these texts about gender expectations and trying to see all the different perspectives helps us get a better understanding of our modern-day society.

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