"Looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of property which has suffered some damage" (Chopin 3).
In the beginning of the novel, this except characterizes the strained relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Pontellier. Catering to the beliefs of the time, Mr. Pontellier views his wife as an object to which he has control over. HE also comments on how his wife is no longer the picture of perfection having "suffered some damage", belittling her worth and status in society. Similarly, this excerpt parallels the worship that Mrs. Pontellier receives from her husband, making their relationship appear incomplete compared to others in the society.
"An indescribable oppression...filled her whole being with anguish" (Chopin 8).
Edna Pontellier describes how she feels as though her current life is hindering her true potential due to her many responsibilities and people to care for. This feeling adds to her discontent with her personal relationship with her husband, adding to her overall characterization as an oppressed woman being kept from her true purpose in life. This statement is controversial as it contradicts the beliefs and lifestyles that women were accustomed to in the society at this time.
"They were women who idealized their children, worshiped their husbands, and esteemed it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings... many of them were delicious in the role" (Chopin 10).
This except adds to the characterization of Mrs. Pontellier as she describes other women that she has encountered within the society. She comments on how these women, much different from her, live for the sole purpose of making a happy family and catering to their husbands. She then states that the women were playing the "role" beautifully, creating a sense that the women were faking this devotion and disregarding their oppression within the culture in order to fulfill the stereotypes of women's personalities during the time.
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