With the summer vacation over, the Pontellier family returns to their home in New
Orleans, but with a new Edna. She no longer follows her usual routine; she isolates herself and
ignores her social and motherhood responsibilities, and gradually starts to pursue her own
happiness through painting. Worried about her unusual actions, Mr. Léonce seeks the help of
an old family friend, Dr. Mandelet who advises him to leave her alone and she will most likely
be fine. Mr. Léonce follows the doctor’s advice and leaves Edna alone at home for a business
trip while their two children go to visit their grandmother in the country. Edna enjoys her new
freedom by being alone for the first time. She paints, visits her friends, goes to race horse and
starts to spend time with AlcéeArobin, an attractive young man with a reputation of being a
seducer. Even though she was never emotionally attached to Alcée, Edna pursues an affair with
him to satisfy her sexual needs.
Later Edna decides to move out of her house into a small house down the street, while
her husband still absent, to announce her independency. While visiting her old friend
Mademoiselle Reisz, Edna reads Robert’s letters that he sends her, and admits for the first time
that she is in love with him. Reisz encourages Edna to act upon her feelings. Eventually, Robert
returns to New Orleans after being unable to stay away from Edna. He finally expresses his
feelings to Edna and confesses his love. He also admits that his trip was an excuse to escape
from a relationship he thoughts would never work. Yet, he reminds her about all the obstacles
that block their relationship: she can’t be for him because she is a wife of another man and a
mother of two children. However, Edna tries to convince him that she has established a new
independence from her husband and he no longer has any rights over her. She explained how
happily they can live together ignoring the world around them.
When Madame Adèlegoes through a difficult and dangerous childbirth, Edna had to be
next to her. So she leaves Robert after he promises her to wait for her return and go to see
Adèle. Right before leaving, Adèle reminds Edna to think about her children. Dr. Mandelet,
while walking Edna home, asks her to come see him to help her find a solution for her unusual
feelings and actions.Edna returns home to find Robert gone with a good bye letter left in his
place. Robert’s fail to confront the social barriers arouses Edna’s most shocking awakening.
The novel ends with Edna returning to Grand Isle, where she first met Robert and
experienced her first emotional and intellectual awakening and self-discovery. Devastated, she
walks naked down to the beach and starts swimming. As she swims she thinks proudly about
her freedom from her husband and children who had possessed her body and soul, as well as
Robert who disappointed her with his inability to understand her, and Mademoiselle Reisz’s
courage and independence. Finally flashes of childhood memories start to emerge as she slowly
starts to drown.
