I agree with parts of what you say, other parts not so much. She definitely gets mopey in parts of the book but, eh, so do the best of people. There are a lot of ways in which she does assert herself, like when she defies how her husband basically wants her to exclusively be among people/do things that are proper and good for his career. I also think she would have maybe tried again after Robert if she hadn't realized that Robert (and Arobin, and probably anyone else she would go with) wasn't basically going to have the same I-lead-you-follow mentality as her husband.
On the other hand, I do agree that Edna definitely doesn't recognize that her "awakening" is, in part, sponsored by her privilege and her husband's money (at one point she gleefully says that she's giving her husband the tab for the "I'm opening up my own house!" party). The whole fact that she has a choice between love vs. art ignores the fact that many -- like her servants and the quadroon nurse and the women of other races she interacts with on a daily basis but doesn't really see as full persons -- wouldn't have that option. And I feel like while that would be realistic for the time period, it reflects some casual racism of the author.
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Date: 2009-04-23 09:20 pm (UTC)On the other hand, I do agree that Edna definitely doesn't recognize that her "awakening" is, in part, sponsored by her privilege and her husband's money (at one point she gleefully says that she's giving her husband the tab for the "I'm opening up my own house!" party). The whole fact that she has a choice between love vs. art ignores the fact that many -- like her servants and the quadroon nurse and the women of other races she interacts with on a daily basis but doesn't really see as full persons -- wouldn't have that option. And I feel like while that would be realistic for the time period, it reflects some casual racism of the author.