Seeking Exercise towards Autonomy in a Patriarchal Society in Daisy Miller by Henry James, and Edna Pontellier in the Awakening by Kate Chopin
Mankind will never be satisfied. Satisfaction for mankind can only be attained when there is harmony between the self and the relationship with others, including society and their role within society; even when mankind achieves autonomy, mankind will achieve full happiness due to their inner conflict, however microscopic, between their role in society and society itself. However, the majority of people never even reach self-actualization, especially women Women within the Victorian era rebel against society for the reason of seeking to exercise their autonomy Daisy Miller, heroine from Realist author Henry James’ Daisy Miller, and Edna Pontellier, tragic figure from Victorian author Kate Chopin’s. The Awakening, are two prime examples of women who never reach autonomy before their death Daisy and Edna reject their society with the result of their being displaced due to their defiant behavior, ignorance of cultural wisdom, and their hostile environment.
Daisy Miller and Edna Pontellier reject their patriarchal society as exhibited by their defiant behaviori Edna and Daisy both demonstrate defiant behavior by breaking societal expectations due to their innocence as a woman not made aware of societal boundaries in which they had been placed, Creole and European respectively. Edna does not realize that within the Creole society, men latch upon women and flirt without pushing the boundaries in which they live; similarly, Daisy admits to being “a fearful, frightful flirt” (James ) within Europe‘s strict society where “a young man was not at liberty to speak to a young unmarried lady except under certain rarely occurring conditions” which Daisy immediately flouts. Due to Daisy being an extreme flirt from America within Europe’s morally stoic environment results in her becoming alienated by all except a select few until her death.
Edna also rebels against society to the point of her destruction once she begins to self-actualize and act upon her selfish instincts; Edna begins her awakening to her dissatisfaction of the role she had been placed within when Leonce Pontellier, her husband, arrives home drunk and chastises Edna for her lack of maternal instincts. Edna Pontellier and Daisy Miller also reject their strict societal boundaries placed by the Victorian era as exemplified by their ignorance to cultural wisdom. Despite the consistent advice given by respected women within the society, Daisy remains ignorant and revels in her joy of life and innocence; James demonstrates Daisy’s refusal to accept advice from Mrs. Walker during her time in Rome, Italy: ”That girl must not do this sort of thing. She must not walk here with you two men.
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Fifty people must have noticed her”. Byjuxtaposing Mrs, Walker’s protective instinct to help Daisy with Daisy‘s desire to walk around the Pincian Gardens with Giovanelli, James details Daisy following her instincts over the conventions society has thrust upon hert Edna rejects her societal role through conventional marriage by distancing herself from her husband, Leonce, and refusing to receive and visit guests, eventually moving from her home to gain her freedom Edna does not reject advice that was given to her as much as she deters from the examples provided by her peers on the Grand Isle.
For example, Edna rejects her role of motherhood to seek her own autonomy while Adele has accepted her conventions of motherhood, yet has not self-actualized, Edna Pontellier and Daisy Miller suffer from being situated in an environment that is perceived as hostile for the reason that their society is extremely cautioust Edna perceives her environment as hostile due to the flirtatious Creole society and its expectation of Edna to mimic the behavior of Madame Reisz, her model matriarcht Edna’s failure to transcend to her environment ultimately results in Edna’s decision to commit suicide to escape the confines of her role within society Daisy becomes affected by her strict society due to their cautious approach toward behavior.
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Seeking Exercise towards Autonomy in a Patriarchal Society in Daisy Miller by Henry James, and Edna Pontellier in the Awakening by Kate Chopin. (2023, Apr 24). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/seeking-exercise-towards-autonomy-in-a-patriarchal-society-in-daisy-miller-by-henry-james-and-edna-pontellier-in-the-awakening-by-kate-chopin/
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