In the Critical Article "Kate Chopin's Motherless Heroine" Virginia Ross analyzes the lack of a relationship between the character of Edna Pontellier and her mother in The Awakening. Ross believes that Edna is driven by her sole desire for a mother, which in turn causes her to follow through with irrational tendencies leading up to her suicide. This yearning for a mother can be seen in Edna's relationships with the sea and Adele Ratignolle. Throughout the novel, Edna has a deep, personal connection to the sea. She learns to swim for the first time in the Gulf, and when she is upset, it acts as a comfort to her. She turns to it much like a child would turn to their mother when they are upset. Water is often viewed as a symbol for a maternal presence because of it's nourishing and comforting principles. Edna is drawn to it, and it is where she spends her final moments. This shows just how attracted she is to the idea of having a mother. Edna's connections to Mrs. Ratignolle also show her yearning for a mother. In the Creole society, Adele is seen as the perfect mother. She has many kids, and is pregnant while the novel is taking place. In many ways, she is the exact opposite of Edna, who is looked down upon by her Creole husband due to her parenting style. She is drawn to Mrs. Ratignolle because of this heavy maternal instinct, wishing that she could have had someone like that to look up to. She is there for her when she has her child, showing the amount of devotion she really has to Adele. Edna left Robert to go to her because of the attachment she has formed by seeing her as a motherly figure.
Edna Pontellier's wish for mothery guidance and love is a parallel to Kate Chopin's own life. When she was young, Chopin was always attached to her mother and had a very strong relationship with her. They continued to have a strong relationship until her mother's death. She had a very difficult time living without that relationship, wishing that she had a motherly presence still in her life. This showed through in Edna, while she searched for a mother's influence.
The argument that Edna was driven by her want for a mother by Virginia Ross was presented very thoroughly. Ross backed this argument with several different ways that this idea was presented in the novel, using direct quotations and outside information to interpret the text. I agree with Ross in that Edna acted upon her desire for a mother throughout the novel. A lot of actions that Edna carried out in the novel were better explained to me through this interpretation than my previous thoughts on her motives. Her regressive, irrational tendencies point toward Edna's desperate search for a motherly figure in her life.
