It's Just The Awakening

I have just started reading The Awakening, written by Kate Chopin, and after examining the first few pages, I safely concluded that this story will definitely touch various feminist topics, as well as an introduction to life in the 1880´s. 

Edna Pontellier, the wife of Mr. Leonce Pontellier, seems to be the stereotypical devoted house wife: passive, bored, unspoken and a bit reserved with her husband and his life. She is expected to listen, but not to be heard, and to do as she is told. Though, she shows an inner frustration when she bursts out crying alone in the porch after a long, solitary day.

Mr. Pontellier, on the other side, appears to be the typical dominant male in those times, desperate to leave his family whenever possible. He absolutely ignores his wife thoughts, wishes or needs: "You are burnt beyond recognition, he added, looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage." (p.15). I was surprised when he was described as the "the best husband in the world"(p. 24), since he was never eager to be around, and preferred to go to play billiards or amuse himself when he was not at his brokerage business. He, instead, would send gifts, which almost seems to be the only reminder of his presence in his wife and children's life.

This routine-like characteristic, as well as other marital or personal issues are definitely concerning Edna, though Mr. Pontellier seems completely indifferent to these burdens. Her only companion is Robert Lebrun, a young and charming character, that is still pretty mysterious at this point of the book. But, what is his role in Edna´s life?

All this time, I have wondered why he is so amused by her. They seem to be very interested towards one another and spend a lot of time together chatting incessantly about everything that happens around them. Has anything more happened between them? Will it happen? At one point, he described his earlier devotions to other woman and that they were "flames" (p. 30), and "sleepless nights"(p. 30), which made me think that he might be hinting further interests towards Mrs. Pontellier. She, on the contrary, seems quite scared about his true colors and whenever he is too close to her, she "repulses"(p. 31) him. However, at the end of the reading, he invited her for a swim and she does not decline, but states that she followed "two contradictory impulses which impelled her" (p. 34). These impulses might hint that she is probably thinking about Robert in a different way? Why would she think that the correct thing to do was to reject his offer if she did not think something un-proper would happen later on if she did go with him? 

Impel: erge or force an action