His excuse flattered her. But she disapproved of Mr. Pontellier's club, and she had the frankness to tell Edna so. “It’s a shame that Mr. Pontellier doesn’t stay at home more in the evening. I think you would be better off, if you don't mind me saying so, more united, if he did. “Oh God, no,” Edna said, her eyes blank. IN KATE CHOPIN'S L'Éveil, the feminism of Adèle Ratignolle is often eclipsed by the radical feminism of the heroine, Edna Pontellier. Edna chooses suicide over a life confined by societal expectations, and her shocking resolution provokes passionate reactions from readers, as extreme acts would. But to just focus on Mr. Pontellier's role in The Awakening. st, elostocka0013. One thing I found immediately interesting about the beginning of The Awakening was that Kate Chopin began the novel from the point of view of Mr. Pontellier, Edna's husband, rather than starting with Edna herself. First of all, Chopin sets the tone of the novel with it.