supercheesegirl

This was the first time I'd reread this book since college, when I spent a good portion of my sophomore year writing an honors thesis on it. I think I loved the language even more now, but found Edna less romantic than I did, and less comprehensible, although I think her dilemma moved me more now than it did. I feel like when I was in college, I tackled the book more from an academic, intellectual standpoint, while this time I just read the story and had a more emotional reaction. Mostly I feel sad: Edna's problem of being willing to sacrifice anything for her children but herself is much less of a issue for many women now than it was 120 years ago. Edna discovers this inner life she never realized she had, and because she can't go back to what she was before, she ultimately can't move forward either, can't reconcile the new Edna with the Edna who had a husband and children. Because of her time and her place in society, Edna can't live alone or be with the man she loves, can't live her life for herself - she would need to sacrifice that for her children's sake. For me as a woman today, I feel obligated to pursue my dreams and loves to be an example for my daughter. It's just interesting to me how, 14 years later, the book resonates for me in such a different way than it did when I first read it.