Characters
Characters: Leonce and Robert (foils)
Leonce: 40 years old, knows he's better, more secure, thinks of Edna as property, indifferent about Edna's relationship on the island with Robert
note: back then, men in their 20s were encouraged to find themselves, travel, get educated, set up a business, at 30 they were then eligible for marriage
Robert Lebrun: son of Mrs. Lebrun, when his father dies, their finances go down so her friends pay her to live on Grand Isle for the summer so she can maintain their wealthy lifestyle, Edna doesn't see him as a love interest until later, slightly annoying and bothersome due to being egotistic, somewhat of a player which is normal for age, 26 years old
Characters: Edna and Adele
Edna: reserved, shy, no motherly feel
Adele: outgoing, speaks her mind, child-bearing look, mother-woman, Creole-chastity
Mother-woman: (expectation of Creole society) motherhood defines them: their child are or become their identity
character: Mariequita
Mariequita: Robert saved her the past summer from his brother Victor, who was about to rape her; no right, no status, could only be Robert's mistress, flirt, hangs out with Victor, works for Mrs. Lebrun
Characters: Adele and Mademoiselle Reisz (foils)
Adele: cares about appearances, rarely leaves house, has a large house with light and children, doesn't want to deal with real life
Mademoiselle Reisz: alone, all about individual expression, lives in an apartment which is dusty, dark and not for entertaining, forces Edna to talk about hard things, wears the same clothes, doesn't really dress up
Characters (men): Leonce, Robert, Edna's father, Alcee Arobin
Leonce: sees Edna as property (Edna temporarily accepts this position)
Robert: lover, Edna loves him
Edna's father: Edna and him aren't close but get along, very oppressive of women
Alcee Arobin: Edna doesn't like him, sexually attracted to him, shallow, does not intrigue Edna, she does not love him, fling, "fake love"
Characters (Damage Control): father, Adele, Madame Lebrun, Leonce, Doctor Mandelet
Father: tells Leonce to "reign her in"
Adele: tells her to get away from Alcee Arobin, doesn't like Edna living alone, worried about Edna's safety and security
Madame Lebrun: sent Robert away to Mexico and made it look like his choice
Leonce: buys her diamonds, plans a summer trip and puts it in the paper, renovations to the big house
Doctor Mandelet: not understand and most sympathetic of Edna, suspects Edna is "stepping out" on Leonce
Characters (not interested in Damage Control): Alcee Arobin, Mademoiselle Reisz
Alcee: benefiting from it
Mademoiselle Reisz: tells Edna to have strong wings, have to stand up to societal judgment
Characters (women and types of women): Adele, Mademoiselle Reisz, Mrs. Highcamp, Madame Lebrun, Mariequita, the lovers, the lady in black, the quadroon
Adele: mother-woman
Mademoiselle Reisz: independent, social outcast but accepted, not a wife, artist
Mrs. Highcamp: married, flirty, independent, still dependent on Creole society
Madame Lebrun: widow, gives her a little more freedom
Mariequita: Mexican, lower class, can flirt and have relationships, be a mistress to Robert or Victor
the Lovers: young, excused for being passionate
the Lady in black: widow, mourns, pious, religious
the Quadroon: nannie, black, unmarried
All of these women contrast with Edna and their situations do not work for Edna. She could not accept being in their place.
Motifs
the Ocean: individuality and solitude, self-awareness, never ending, connection to childhood, enlightenment, freedom, death and fear, learning to swim=recognition of individuality, assertion of self, escape,
the Birds (owl, parrot, mockingbird): Edna and her feelings about her situation, caged (the pigeon house), inability to speak her mind, ability of women to communicate, flight=awakening and individuality
Sleep: escape (but not ultimate-she has to wake up) from reality or the prison of her life, provides refuge and revitalization, repairs tattered emotions, peace, alludes Edna sometimes, she feigns sleep-first desire for Robert (night like a dream in the hammock), allow her to awaken
Clothing: civilizing and restrictive force of society, Edna removes it-naked in front of ocean, her growing awakening and assertion of self, white=chastity, virginity, purity, ect, also the color of summer, some women such as the lady in black do not change appearances
Art: connection to freedom, music, sketching and drawing, Robert sings a song and Edna sings it later in the book, self-expression and assertion, must have strong wings and the courageous and brave soul to be an artist, failure
the Moon: turning points, sleep (ocean, owl, sleep), revealing, sexual awakening, "white light", "strips of moonlight", romance and desire, "the first-felt throbbings of desire",
"new moon" means a new cycle and life, when the moon is absent Edna realizes that she can't have what she wants, sexual and romantic love
