The Awakening Chapter 15 Summary

  • One evening, Edna enters the dining room at the big house a little late.
  • Everyone is already there, gossiping about Robert’s imminent (that night) departure for Mexico. Edna is shocked.
  • She spent the whole morning with Robert and he had said not a word about his plans. Edna eats her dinner, then after a few words with Robert, leaves the table, feeling betrayed.
  • She goes to her room and after putting her children to bed, starts to undress for bed herself. Adele comes to her room and suggests that she come back to the dinner party, so as not to appear unfriendly.
  • Edna can’t bring herself to and continues to sit on the porch in her nightgown.
  • Adele goes back to the party by herself.
  • Presently Robert comes to Edna’s cottage and sits on one of the children’s stools on the porch. Edna questions him about why he didn’t tell her he was going to Mexico, but he offers no explanation.
  • Edna talks about how she was hoping to hang out with him in the winter, after they all went back to New Orleans.
  • Robert blurts out that he was hoping for the same thing, and then gets up suddenly to leave.
  • He asks her not to forget him.
  • After he leaves, Edna recognizes that she has a crush on Robert.
  • Now she’s miserable.
  • Becoming "awakened" to passion means acquiring pain as well.