"He stood up beside her and smoothed her hair with his soft, magnetic hand. His touch conveyed to her a certain physical comfort. She could have fallen asleep there if he had continued to pass his hand over her hair. He brushed the hair upward from the nape of her neck.
'I hope you will feel better and happier in the morning,' he said. "You have tried to do too much in the past few days. The dinner was the last straw; you might have dispensed with it.'
'Yes, she admitted; 'it was stupid.'
'No, it was delightful; but it has worn you out.' His hand strayed to her beautiful shoulders, and he could feel the response of her flesh to his touch. He seated himself beside her and kissed her lightly upon the shoulder.
'I thought you were going away,' she said, in an uneven voice.
'I am, after I have said goodnight.'
'Good night,' she murmured.
He did not answer, except to continue to caress her. He did not say good night until she had become supple to his gentle, seductive entreaties." --The Awakening, Kate Chopin
Just a little hint. That wasn't Mr. Pontellier who was doing the caressing. I hate to think I am so jaded that I nearly missed the seduction scene. The ending is just as subtle, but it certainly caused quite a stir when it was published in 1899. I think The Awakening is going to require a second reading to be sure. I started with Chopin's short stories, and just finished the novel this past weekend. Her stories feel like another country to me. She is known for her use of local color. It is not as distinct in The Awakening as her previous stories, but there is still a different feel to her novel than other books I have read. I can't quite decide, but I think I actually like Edna Pontellier--despite her amorality. Is Kate Chopin taught in schools now? In the introduction Kaye Gibbons has said she is not much studied anymore, which is a pity. I am going to search out some more of her short stories. Edna was called, by author Willa Cather, a Creole Bovary. I have decided, especially after reading all the comments left on Stefanie's blog, to tackle Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert. I have only started with the introduction, and Flaubert sounds rather interesting all by himself. I am looking forward to seeing how Edna and Emma compare.