The Awakening Chapter 8 Summary

  • Turns out Adele was faking the whole "not feeling well." She has an ulterior motive for being alone with Robert.
  • Adele tells Robert to leave Edna alone.
  • Robert asks the logical question: are you jealous?
  • Adele denies this, but explains that since Edna is not a Creole, she’s afraid that Edna will take Robert’s attentions seriously.
  • Robert gets upset and asks why shouldn’t she take him seriously.
  • Adele explains that if anyone thought his flirtations were serious, he would no longer be permitted to hang around with other people’s wives.
  • For Creoles, flirtation is allowed, but nothing more.
  • Robert starts telling lots of funny stories. The two of them laugh and drop the subject of Edna.
  • Robert leaves Adele at her cottage and goes home to his mother’s house where he sits by her as she sews on a noisy treadle sewing machine.
  • Robert’s mother (Madame Lebrun) tells Robert about a letter from a man named Montel, who wants Robert to join him in Mexico at the start of next month.
  • Robert sees Edna approaching with her children, grabs a book that Edna wants to borrow, and rushes outside in hopes of meeting up with her.