Edna Pontellier and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Before someone can gain comforts in life, they must first achieve the basic biological requirements to survive. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the fulfillment of these needs allows for the development of other needs, then the achievement of desires, and ultimately the perfection of the human being. In Kate Chopin’s realistic novel The Awakening, Edna Pontellier has only accomplished the second level of the hierarchy, and she is forever stuck between the second and the third level of love. Although she has a family, she lacks the proper emotions that signify a feeling of belonging. There is not much in her life that prevents her from reaching the third level, but instead she herself is the one that is at fault. Furthermore, she shows no signs of ever reaching this level, but instead she continues to stay at the same level with no motivation to move higher.

            One of the factors that prevents Edna’s ascension to the level of love and belonging is her relationship with her children. At most times, she shows very little signs of being a caring mother, and it’s described that the children would rather take care of themselves than run for her help. According to the famed philosopher Irenäus Eibl-Eibesfeldt (as explained by Robert Bellah), parental care is the basis of group bonding and individual friendship. It’s a natural occurrence, one that is present across many cultures and species. The parents essentially nurture the children, and from there new groups are fostered alongside friendships and relationships. By caring for children, the parents create the sense of kinship with their offspring, and from there a group is made and strengthened. In Edna’s case, she lacks the natural instinct to care for her children. She is cold and removed, and there is little that signifies her intention to start truly caring. If she cannot bond with her own children, that is a signal that she will be unable to function with the feeling of love, and thus she shall not obtain the feeling of belonging.

            Edna fails at achieving a higher level in the hierarchy of needs, and she is the only one that can be blamed for that. Although she is described as living under “an indescribable oppression” (Chopin 14), there isn’t much oppression to be found in her life. She comes from a good family, is married to a man that seems rather likeable, and she’s surrounded by people that support her. Instead of bonding with others and improving herself permanently, “she rather makes efforts to fulfill her amoral desires. She is enthusiastic to push away all her matrimonial, familial and societal bonds, (be it the father, the husband, the children or social mores), for the sake of her impulsive feelings” (Peker). Edna lacks the inward speculation of the Freudian super-ego, her ego is practically disengaged, and her id is what’s driving her.

In order for improvement to be made in the self and to achieve a higher level in Maslow’s Hierarchy, the super-ego must be active. There must be a drive beyond the urge to fulfil impulsive desires, something that spurs the person on to create a permanent improvement. In Edna’s case, she despises marriage in and of itself, which reflects her little will to improve. According to Giambattista Vico in his work The New Science, one of the things that sets humans apart from animals is the institution of marriage. Marriage is present in no other species, but it is something that only developed because of humanity’s complex brains and their desire to improve the self. Through Edna’s rejection of marriage, she is showing a rejection of a unique and innate human desire, that of self-improvement in the long-run. Her strong distaste for marriage helps to connect her to a more primal kind of being, since marriage is something that signifies a developed sense of self. While there is nothing wrong with not wanting to be married, Edna takes it to a new level by refusing to attend a relative’s wedding, stating that such things are lamentable. Such a choice of words and actions shows that while Edna has the capability of allowing herself to improve by accepting the bonds she has with others, her distorted view of the world is what stops her. She wants nothing to do with marriage, which cuts her off from her husband, her children, and even her own family. While the opportunity to bond with these characters is ever-present, she avidly denies it and draws herself into her own little world, her bubble of impulsive desires.

            This world of impulsive desires is the central factor keeping Edna from progressing forward in her life. Throughout the novel, she shows no signs of ever making amends with her family members, nor does she show any sign of such a feeling ever developing. As already stated, Edna’s id is what’s driving her, nothing more. She has a sudden desire for Robert, and from then on she sees him and him only. There is no longer any room for her husband in her mind, and she becomes increasingly cold towards him. However, eventually Robert goes to Mexico and Edna’s left with nothing. Her change in feelings from a pretend love with one man to a hopeful love with another (based completely off of impulse) ruins her. She starts to fall in love with another man, but Robert returns and ends up leaving her for good. Her impulse has caused her previous relationships to weaken, her mental state to deteriorate, and eventually she is under so much stress that she sees only one way out. In the end, she kills herself by drowning. Her impulsive desires are what led her to death, and after death there is no improvement.

            In Kate Chopin’s realistic novel The Awakening, Edna Pontellier has only accomplished the second level of the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and she is forever stuck between the second and the third level of love. Her relationship with her children is weak and indicates a lack of parental care, something that is essential to bonding with family members and thus society as a whole. She keeps herself from progressing to a higher level of the Hierarchy, with her mind not set on permanent improvement but on impulsive desires. Finally, she shows no signs of ever improving, as is evident from her drowning herself as opposed to working towards a better life. Throughout the novel, Edna shows absolutely no signs of being close to achieving Maslow’s level of love and belonging. She chooses the option of death over improvement, which is further evidence of her lack of motivation.

Works Cited

Bellah, Robert. Religion in Human Evolution: From the Paleolithic to the Axial Age. Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2011. eBook.

Chopin, Kate. The Awakening. New York: Avon Books, 1972. Print.

Goddard Bergin, Thomas. The New Science of Giambattista Vico. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1948. eBook.

Peker, Recep. "KATE CHOPIN’S THE AWAKENING IN THE LIGHT OF FREUD’S STRUCTURAL MODEL OF THE PSYCHE." www.sosyalarastirmalar.com. The Journal of International Social Research, n.d. Web. 10 Feb 2013. <http://www.sosyalarastirmalar.com/cilt4/sayi19_pdf/3_sosyoloji_psikoloji_vb/tas_mehmetrecep.pdf>.