emotions she feels flow naturally from heart to hand and brush. Edna steps outside her role as a wife within this context because she satisfies her own wants, rather than living to fulfill the needs of her children and husband. Edna fails in attempting to paint a likeness of Madame Ratignolle, the epitome of the role of a perfect wife. She becomes frustrated with herself and smudges the painting. Motivated in much the same way as Hugh when he crushes all of his sculptures, Edna finds herself unable to link her need for passionate fulfillment with the portrait of a woman she considers an ideal wife. Hugh, frustrated by his failure accurately to express his hunger for beauty because he is thwarted by the hellish iron mills, crushes his works as well. Both Edna and Hugh find that their medium for expression, be it korl or canvas, fails to fulfill their needs.
             Each character seeks to represent an object of feeling that transcends his or her social role. Hugh sought beauty in his art and Edna sought passions and sensuality in her painting. Yet, the c
             ...