The Awakening XXXIII Summary

Summary

Edna goes to Mademoiselle Reisz’s shabby apartment for refuge and to talk about Robert, but finds the musician absent and the key hidden as usual. Her morning has been full of interruptions: Madame Ratignolle visited with gossip and concern about Edna living alone, warning her about Alcée Arobin’s reputation; later Mrs. Merriman and Mrs. Highcamp call to invite her to a card evening. Tired of social formalities, Edna returns to Mademoiselle Reisz’s room to rest, picking geranium leaves and idly playing bars of music on the piano. She expects to wait, and after a young black girl brings in laundry, a second knock reveals Robert Lebrun, who has recently returned from Mexico.

Their meeting is charged. Edna is at once agitated and composed—she cannot rise without betraying feeling—and they sit ten feet apart while Robert fumbles with conversation and music. He explains his return in practical terms (business and unprofitable foreignness), which disappoints Edna because she had imagined he would come immediately for her. Observing him now, she notices familiar physical traits and recognizes in his look the same tender, awakening caress she has felt before. Their talk drifts from why he returned to trivialities—the Pontellier house, Mademoiselle Reisz’s letters, and a photograph of Alcée Arobin found among Edna’s things. When Edna impulsively invites Robert to dinner, he hesitates but then, moved by seeing her, decides to stay; she prepares the small house and sends Celestine to set an extra place. The chapter ends with Robert and Edna sharing a silent, emotionally charged moment before old Celestine announces dinner.

Key events

1. Edna finds Mademoiselle Reisz absent and waits in her apartment.
2. Madame Ratignolle visits earlier, warning Edna about living alone and Alcée Arobin.
3. Mrs. Merriman and Mrs. Highcamp call and invite Edna to a card evening.
4. Robert Lebrun unexpectedly appears at Mademoiselle Reisz’s door.
5. Edna and Robert talk; he explains his return and they reminisce.
6. Edna invites Robert to dine; he stays after seeing her distress.
7. They prepare dinner together and share a charged, intimate silence.

Analysis

This chapter deepens the emotional center of the novel by bringing Robert physically back into Edna’s immediate life and setting up a private intimacy away from social eyes. The small, shabby apartment of Mademoiselle Reisz functions as a refuge and a liminal space where Edna can express interior longing outside the conventions of her household. The narrative juxtaposes social chatter (Madame Ratignolle’s advice, the formal calls of Mrs. Merriman and Mrs. Highcamp) with a quietly intense personal encounter, highlighting Edna’s growing estrangement from societal expectations and her deeper yearning for authentic connection.

Symbolically, the geranium leaves, the piano, and the hidden key underscore themes of maintenance, music-as-communion, and access to private life. Robert’s practical reasons for returning (business, boredom abroad) momentarily frustrate Edna’s romantic expectations, yet his glance rekindles the emotional awakening she experiences. The third-person focalization remains close to Edna, allowing readers to register her interior agitation and observations without omniscient commentary; this subtle technique lets Chopin convey desire and disappointment through small actions and silences rather than explicit declaration. The chapter foreshadows an intensification of Edna’s inner life by staging a return to private, choice-filled moments that contrast with public role-playing.

Important quotes

“It was for a rest, for a refuge, and to talk about Robert, that she sought out her friend.”

NarratorExplains why Edna visits Mademoiselle Reisz’s apartment and sets the emotional purpose of her visit.

“I never expected to see you.”

Robert LebrunRobert’s surprised greeting when he appears unexpectedly, signaling the charged abruptness of their reunion.

“She had pictured him seeking her at the very first hour, and he had lived under the same sky since day before yesterday; while only by accident had he stumbled upon her.”

NarratorReveals Edna’s disappointment that Robert did not come sooner and underscores her longing and imagined expectations.

Characters in XXXIII

• Mademoiselle Reisz
• Edna Pontellier
• Adèle Ratignolle
• Mrs. Merriman
• Mrs. Highcamp
• Robert Lebrun
• Alcée Arobin
• Celestine