The Awakening XXVII Summary

Summary

Edna Pontellier is reclining before the fire, tired but unusually happy, when Alcée Arobin notices her mood and teases her. They sit close together; his hand touches her hair and face with casual familiarity. Edna, half playful and half serious, tells him she intends to think about what kind of woman she really is, admitting that by social codes she appears "devilishly wicked," yet cannot persuade herself she truly is so. Arobin offers to define her instead of letting her "bother thinking," and their conversation drifts between teasing flattery and references to other figures in Edna’s life.

Edna brings up Mademoiselle Reisz and recounts a striking image the pianist used when she felt Edna’s shoulder blades to see if her wings were strong—"The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings." Arobin dismisses Reisz as partly demented; Edna defends her as sane and profound. The talk fades into charged silence: Arobin grows physically nearer, his fingers lingering in her hair, then on her cheek; they gaze into one another’s eyes. When he kisses her, Edna eagerly holds his head and returns the kiss. The text highlights that this kiss is the first to which Edna’s nature has truly responded, and it ignites desire in her like a "flaming torch." The scene closes on this revelation of awakened feeling and sensual response.

Key events

1. Edna reclines by the fire, tired but in a happy mood.
2. Alcée Arobin teases Edna and touches her hair and face.
3. Edna expresses uncertainty about what kind of woman she is.
4. She recounts Mademoiselle Reisz's metaphor about wings and freedom.
5. Conversation turns intimate; Arobin and Edna gaze at each other.
6. Arobin kisses Edna; she responds passionately—her nature answers the kiss.

Analysis

This chapter crystallizes a pivotal emotional and erotic shift for Edna. The scene uses close physical intimacy and charged dialogue to reveal inner change: Edna’s playful philosophical questioning about her nature moves from abstract curiosity to embodied response. Mademoiselle Reisz’s wings metaphor functions as a thematic hinge—linking ideas of escape, autonomy, and the risks of "soaring" beyond social norms—to Edna’s developing self-awareness. Arobin’s role is as catalyst and foil: his lighthearted, sensual manner contrasts with Edna’s more serious, introspective yearning. Narrative technique is intimate and immediate—the third-person focalization stays close to Edna’s perceptions (her sensations, her surprise at the kiss), which makes the awakening feel interior and visceral.

Symbolically, the firelit setting and touch of hair and cheek evoke warmth, sensuality, and domestic proximity turned erotic; the "flaming torch" simile explicitly names the onset of desire as illuminating and transformative. Foreshadowing is subtle: Edna’s declaration that she will "determine what character of a woman I am" paired with the wing metaphor hints at future attempts to define herself and possible consequences. The chapter is compact but decisive structurally—it moves the plot from reflection to action by producing an experience (the kiss) that forces Edna to confront bodily desire as part of her emerging identity.

Important quotes

““One of these days,” she said, “I’m going to pull myself together for a while and think—try to determine what character of a woman I am; for, candidly, I don’t know.””

Edna PontellierEdna admits uncertainty about her identity and signals an intention to examine her nature, a central impulse in the novel.

““The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings. It is a sad spectacle to see the weaklings bruised, exhausted, fluttering back to earth.””

NarratorMademoiselle Reisz's metaphor, recounted by Edna, frames themes of freedom, risk, and the costs of breaking social conventions.

“It was the first kiss of her life to which her nature had really responded. It was a flaming torch that kindled desire.”

NarratorThis closing sentence marks a decisive, bodily awakening in Edna: desire becomes a transformative, illuminating force.

Characters in XXVII

• Edna Pontellier
• Alcée Arobin
• Mademoiselle Reisz