She questions her role as wife and mother and seeks freedom. Edna begins painting to achieve some independence and self-esteem. She begins to admire and form a friendship with Miss Reise because she sees how independent a woman can be. Another moment in the novel where she feels a sense of rebirth is when she swims alone in the ocean for the first time, which foreshadows her death. This shows that at that time it was almost rare for women to do things alone and for themselves. Gender roles are also illustrated by looking at the male characters in this novel. Léonce is a successful businessman and when he travels for work, Edna becomes in love with a young man named Robert, who devotes himself to her for the summer. He is very careful in the way he speaks to Edna, for example he calls her "my darling" because he acts as if Léonce has possession over her. Léonce even goes to the doctor to talk about his concerns for Edna when she expresses to him her “rights of a