In Kate Chopin's, The Awakening, a young women sets out to become free in a world with set values and expectations. The Awakening puts women in the 19th century in to context for those who are reading the novel in today's society. In chapter twenty-four of this novel the relationships between the main character Edna and her children, her father, her husband and her relationship with herself are displayed. Through close analytical reading of chapter twenty-four one can see by descriptive words and examples that the relationship Edna has with the people closest to her, says a lot about her.
             Edna Pontellier is a highly regarded woman who tries to break through the mold society has set for her, being that she is a woman, and define herself independently, separately from her husband and children. In the late 1800's women in society were thought of as objects with their only life objective being to serve their husband and raise their children. In chapter twenty-four Edna's relationship with her father is displayed. Edna's father was a former confederate colonel in the civil war. It is plain to see that he believes that husbands should manage their wives, like objects, with power and oppression. You can see this in chapter twenty-four when the colonel says to Leonce, Edna's husband:
             "You are too lenient, too lenient by far, Leonce. Authority, coercion are what is needed. Put your foot down good and
             hard; the only way to manage a wife. Take my word for it" (Chopin 424).
             One would think according to this chapter that Edna and her father didn't get along very well. Chopin narrates:
             Edna was glad to be rid of her father when he finally took himself off with his wedding garments and his bridal gifts, with his padded shoulders, his Bible reading, his 'toddies'
             Reading a passage like this would help the reader in assuming the relationship between the two was not very close, but...