Character Analysis of Robert Lebrun Essay

Kate Chopins The Awakening examines the implications placed on women for self expression during the 1800s. Banned for several years by critics after its initial publication in 1899 because of its unsettling content, The Awakening later became a most cherished account of a womans transit towards self-discovery and abandonment of her conventional society. Kester-Shelton) Within that story is where we meet Robert LeBrun, A young, flirtatious and confident womanizer with a temper to match and it is within this paper, that we will analyze the influential character of Robert LeBrun who without control, falls in a forbid whap affair with the protagonist, Edna Pontellier. Robert, a younger man with immature tendencies, clean shaven governing body, yellowish-br proclaim hair, and affectionate bright eyes maintains a reputation for floating in between different older women all(prenominal) summer. Eventually his affectionate nature catches the attention of Mrs.Edna Pontellier, triggering her to go through a series of epiphanies or alleged(prenominal) enkindleings where she begins the struggle between the woman her society expects her to be and the independent, self-governing woman she craves. Robert, sifting his way in between dynamic and static characteristics, plays a earthshaking role in those epiphanies because what begins as an innocent companionship turns into a forbidden love affair where Robert shows Edna a kind of love she had never seen from any separate man, even in her own marriage to Mr. Pontellier.Even though Robert did possess such a reputation of being a womanizer he really does harbor true feelings of love for Edna. This is seen in the similarity of Roberts feelings for Edna versus her close friend, Madame Ratignolle. Meanwhile Robert, addressing Mrs. Pontellier, continued to tell ace of his onetime hopeless passion for Madame RatignolleHe never assumed the seriocomic tone when alone with Mrs. Pontellier,It was down the stairsstood that he h ad often spoken talking to of love to Madame Ratignolle, without any thought of being taken seriously.Mrs.Pontellier was glad he had non assumed a similar role towards herself. It would have been unacceptable and annoying. (Chopin, page 14-15) This really shows the affection he conceals for Edna because he frame consistent with his portrayal of his feelings rather than with both serious and comic aspects during discussions. Even though throughout his summers of court older married women, himself nor his intensions are ever taken seriously, even his relationship with Edna starts out innocent when she treats him as if he were a pet, dragging him along with her like a dog.According to Edna he was always under her feet like a troublesome dog. (Chopin, page 26) But as their summer progresses, she falls for Robert and realizes she has her own strength and the power to express herself without her husband and it was Robert that led her to that. Their affair turns into actual love and E dna, along with the readers, begins to mental picture Robert as physically attractive, charming, and charismatic and sees in him, all the things Edna cannot find in her husband.When Robert realizes his true feelings for Edna, he flees to Mexico in hopes of forgetting about her, and in a moment of weakness he decides that he is not brave tolerable to follow through on his new found love for Edna and it could never be real because Edna is a mother, and most importantly, a married woman. Robert feels that his leaving will only protect the both of them from acting upon his forbidden love, exactly this only heightens Ednas awakening. The shock of Roberts quick announcement of his departure to Mexico is seen when the news is illogical to Edna over a dinner table. As she seated herself and was about to begin to eat her soup, which had been served when she entered the room, several persons apprised her simultaneously that Robert was going to Mexico. She laid her spoon down and looked a bout her bewildered. He had been with her, reading to her all the morning, and had never even mentioned such a place as Mexico. She had not seen him during the afternoon she had heard someone heartt he was at the house, upstairs with his mother.This she had thought nothing of, though she was surprised when he did not join her later in the afternoon, when she went down to the beach. (Chopin, page 55) Even though Edna doesnt spell out her guide feelings, its here that you can feel the desperation that takes over her when she learns of Roberts plans to depart from New Orleans. The tenderness of Roberts character can be notwithstanding analyzed as Ednas awakening is beginning Roberts love for her soon brings him back to New Orleans, when he realizes he cannot live away from her.He is privateness in a hell of shyness when he returns which is unlike him, but he does in fact, go through with actually telling Edna that he does love her but cannot act on his love because of her marriag e. Robert is a practical man, knowing that it is not ethical to take Edna away from her family and husband, but practically takes the form of a masochist when proclaiming his love for her. without the novel, Robert is compared to Alcee Arobin, a character well known as the towns grownup boy who has had numerous sexual encounters with other women, married or not, a comparison that Robert is not sociable of.Wayne Batten of the Southern Literary Journal, critiques this comparison in saying, Edna, accordingly, could have learned that the fantasies she constructs with Robert Lebrun do not turn over his attraction fundamentally different from the unembellished lure of Arobin. (Batten) This is simply saying that Edna mistakenly thought of Arobins passion as the same as the love that Robert feels for her. Later in the story, a doctor by the name of Dr.Mandelet walks Edna home after becoming faint watching Madame Ratignolle go through her fourth fatten of childbirth, he suspects she ha s returned her attentions back to Alcee, but as the reader knows, she is about to consummate her long-incubating passion for Robert. (Batten)Robert rejects the idea as Edna quickly tries to explain why consummating their love is not wrong because she is, in fact, her own independent woman. Robert does not have the same passion for Edna and he cannot go through with his feelings for her although his love is so powerful. She buried her face in his neck and said good bye again. Her seductive voice, together with his deep love for her, had enchant his sense experiences, had deprived him of every impulse but the longing to hold her and keep her. (Chopin, page 147) This only further proves that although he has such a commanding desire to have Edna in every way, he stands unwavering in his decision, seeing the impossibility in the situation. As Edna is stuck in a daydream, Robert understands their reality. Robert stands firm in that reality, difficult to remain practical about the who le situation.Finally the last we see of Robert LeBrun is in his heartfelt but remorseful flee, only leaving behind a note for Edna that simply states, Goodbye because I love you. (Chopin, page 152) And like a moon that never shows its face, the words are not there, but his vestigial message contains his feelings for her and the reasons why he cannot act upon them. This shows a true irony as he says goodbye to her for good, a devastating farewell that sends Edna into the final stage of her awakening with her new found sense of freedom and self expression as she gives her body to the sea, committing suicide.Looking back over the storyline we see how significant Robert Lebrun and the way he tried to manage his desire and love for Edna had truly been to the development of both characters. Through the analysis of Robert we learn of his morals and his attempts to remain practical even though he does love Edna and it leads one to wonder if Robert had not loved Edna in the way he did, if she would have found that reckless sense of independence that eventually consumed her, or if Robert would have matured enough to recognize when to walk away from a forbidden love for the betterment of someone else.It goes to show further how one person can awaken your soul to a new perspective and change your life entirely, whether that may be good, bad, or bestow you indifferent and we see just that in the story of The Awakening as Edna reaches her final stages of reality and Robert brings her to that just by loving her and allowing her to be herself.