The Awakening
For my book club book, The Awakening , by Kate Chopin, the main character, Edna, faces societal expectations, and throughout the book, will slowly learn to branch away from them and understand herself independently. What I find so interesting about the story is Edna's husband, who truly is just the worst character in the story. While I understand that there were different standards back then on how a relationship should work and how the man and wife should act in their roles, I find it difficult to accept Mr. Pontellier as more than just a piece of trash. Not only is he obsessed with the way others view him, but he's quick to point out his wife's errors (which weren't really any mistakes but rather his own controlling mindset finding fault in everyone but himself). An example I'll use is literally in the second chapter of the story. Coming home intoxicated late at night, he wakes up his wife to tell him about his day, which is already a sign of disrespect; the