Edna Pontellier And Edwards Character Analysis

In society, from the 1800s to the 1950s to today, there frequently is the assumption that it is necessary to put the needs and importance of the community in front of one’s own. Though this may seem out of place in some situations, in others it is simply protocol in order for the society to function smoothly. But in the cases of Edna Pontellier and Ethan Edwards, two seemingly very different characters, they both share the same struggle between their own personal interests and those of society. Edna, a Kentucky native married to a New Orleans Creole, faces her own private conflict as she does not understand the culture of this traditional society. While she is expected to be a loving mother and a doting wife, she feels conflicted while loving another man and not following the ways of a mother-figure. In the case of Ethan, he is a wanderer in a society that relies heavily upon each other. When his niece goes missing, his drive and bravery leads him on the search for her, but also leads him into conflict with newfound urge for revenge. This contradiction of feelings for both characters is

The difference between the endings of the two was the difference between the characters’ ability to conform and disregard their own desires. Edna failed to fulfill the terms that society required in order to be successful, which ended in her tragic death in her inability to deal with the conflict between herself and society. Contrasting her result, Ethan was able to put aside his desires for the short period of time necessary to become a hero and return to his life as he wished it to be. Both of their stories demonstrate that through failure to conform to society and ignore one’s own ambitions, consequences are often imminent and difficult to