journal 30

Nika Bogoslovsky
2/27/08
Chopin

Quote: “‘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.’”

Summary: Mademoiselle Reisz tells Mrs. Pontellier this beautiful metaphor about birds and artists one afternoon as Mrs. Pontellier protests her desire to become an artist. It's a sad realization that Mademoiselle Reisz doesn't believe Mrs. Pontelleir has it in her to become the artist she hopes to be.

Response: This quote foreshadows Mrs. Pontellier's fate. Just like the the bird she rebels against Creole traditions, her husband and the high society she lives in but as the bird she crashes back down to earth. It's a sad moment when, at the end, she sees a bird with a broken wing and you know that she is like that very bird. She can no longer soar above, instead she sinks in the very same spot she learned how to fly. I wonder if Mademoiselle Reisz had more faith in her, Mrs. Pontellier would have had a better ending. It seems like in that society a women would have to choose which life to lead, a life like Adele or a life like Mademoiselle Reisz. I think Mademoiselle Reisz knew this and therefore knew that Mrs. Pontellier was too late to live a life like her. Mrs. Pontellier had began to live a life like Adele but it didn't agree with her, however a women in her position can't have both and it was already too late for her to have something better like Mademoiselle Reisz's life. It's really too bad that women couldn't have the best of both worlds if they wanted to.