Mademoiselle Reisz

First Encounter (Characterization) "She entered the hall with him during a lull in the dance. She made an awkward, imperious little bow as she went in. She was a homely woman, with a small weazened face and body and eyes that glowed. She had absolutely no taste in dress, and wore a batch of rusty black lace with a bunch of artificial violets pinned to the side of her hair." "Ask Mrs. Pontellier what she would like to hear me play," she requested of Robert. She sat perfectly still before the piano, not touching the keys, while Robert carried her message to Edna at the window.

Influence: Role Model lalalalaa

Chooses "Solitude" to play for Edna-- "A Solitary Soul" (33) "'You are the only one worth playing for'" Insight? Use of Music

A Letter! "Yes, your friend Robert. He wrote to me from the City of Mexico." "Wrote to you?" repeated Edna in amazement, stirring her coffee absently..... "No; a letter concerns no one but the person who writes it and the one to whom it is written." "It was written about you, not to you. 'Have you seen Mrs. Pontellier? How is she looking?' he asks.

Artists To be an artist includes much; one must possess many gifts -- absolute gifts -- which have not been acquired by one's own effort. And, moreover, to succeed, the artist must possess the courageous soul." "What do you mean by the courageous soul?" "Courageous, ma foi! The brave soul. The soul that dares and defies."

Society's Perception "....I only half comprehend her." "I've heard she's partially demented," said Arobin. "She seems to me wonderfully sane," Edna replied. (110)....Reisz is what Edna's life could be. Envies her

Bird Metaphor " '...when I left her to-day, she put her arms around me and felt my shoulder blades, to see if my wings were strong, she said. "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." ' " (110) At the point of her suicide: "All along the white beach, up and down, there was no living thing in sight. A bird with a broken wing was beating the air above, reeling, fluttering, circling disabled down, down to the water."

Final Thoughts "But they need not have thought that they could possess her, body and soul. How Mademoiselle Reisz would have laughed, perhaps sneered, if she knew! "And you call yourself an artist! What pretensions, Madame! The artist must possess the courageous soul that dares and defies." Exhaustion was pressing upon and overpowering her.

Reflection on Death Mademoiselle Reisz would be more sympathetic and understanding than most of the other characters, yet she would be slightly disappointed in Edna. While she will probably also know or suspect close to the full reason (since they are similar characters), she may misunderstand and think that it has more to do with Robert. She would know that it wasn't an accident. Because Mademoiselle Reisz has differing views on the definition of heroism and narcissism, she may think that Edna was being over dramatic. She may also feel uncomfortable, because she will probably be the one to tell Robert.