A Reader's Response on AwakeningAwakening is a story that was written when women were not allowed to be independent . Kate Chopin was even criticized for the main character's conduct; "There is certainly throughout the story an undercurrent of sympathy towards Edna, and nowhere a single note of censure of her totally unjustifiable conduct" and another said: "the sense of history can hardly be described in language suitable for publication." But who can blame them. Edna was a daring woman. She was independent, kept male friends, felt passion, disrespected her husband and did not spend much time with her children. Edna was an independent woman when women were not allowed to be. She openly defied her husband. Remember at the lake when she decided she didn't want to go in when her husband told her and she wouldn't go to New York to be with her husband. After she left, she decided to use her own money and deliberately not using her things in her new loft was another example. She even made a big deal about him “paying for” her party. She wanted to express herself and become creative, which Chopin shows through her art. Edna also begins to associate with people in the artistic genre, musicians. I sometimes wonder why she started seeing the pianist when she clearly didn't like him during the summer. Was this a way for Edna to explore her artistic talents, or was it to get closer to Robert? Edna's husband seems to be the stereotypical husband of his time. He stayed away most of the time in the summer, visiting the beach cottage on weekends, but spending a lot of time with his male friends playing card games. He seems to love his family, but is extremely critical of Edna. He complains about the children, the maids and the food. I don't remember there being any pleasant, affectionate words between the two of them, there was emotion, but only at the moment he was leaving. MP never realizes that his wife might want to be her own person, have her own interests besides having visitors, making sure his dinner is good, and being his wife. When the Doctor tells him to be gentle with his wife and not argue with her, that things will pass, it gives him another reason to break free from a family he's already been emotionally distracted from anyway..