Wanna hear a joke...

Womens' liberation. LOLJKGRLZRULE

So although I don't condone suicide... or murder in any form for that matter (homicide, infanticide, etc) I do believe that for a woman as independent as Edna, it was the only way out.

The entire novel focuses on the idea that she is a revolutionary woman stuck in a very rigid society that has established social norms that no one dares to defy. Every woman is expected to be married, and to devote their lives to their children and families. Their very existence is expected to revolve around the idea of the family, and they're supposed to do everything for the benefit of their families. Most importantly, women were seen as the property of their husbands in this late 19th century Creole society, and for a woman to think it was okay not to do exactly what their husband asked of them every second of the day was considered blaspheme.

An example of Edna not cooperating with what was asked of her would be towards the beginning of the novel, where Leonce has just arrived home from a night out on the town, and he tells Edna that he thinks one of their children is sick and that she should go check on them. Any other "normal" mother would have jumped up at precisely that moment to go check on her child, but Edna is not a normal mother, and this scene evidences that clearly. She instead tries to argue, saying that there is nothing wrong with the child. Leonce is taken aback by his wife's behavior, and is confused as to why she truly does not think it necessary to be totally and utterly concerned with the welfare of her children. This shows that Edna really does not fit into this society, because she is too concerned with her own well-being to really devote herself 100% to her kids like she is expected to.

On page 97, Edna says: "I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life to my children; but I would not give myself." She is unable to do anything other than put herself highest on the scale of important in her mind, and for that reason she will never be content in such a confining society.

It is hard for us, as 21st century humans to relate to Edna's situation, since today she would fit in just fine, as there are many independent and successful women prominent in society that do not depend on any man for anything, including their husband or significant other. It's unfortunate that she instead lived in a time period that would never accept her for the free-thinking woman that she is, and for those reasons I'm sad to say that the only way for her to truly ever be happy would be to remove herself entirely from this life that she hated so much. It's unfortunate, and a part of me wishes that she had a snorkel and oxygen tank hidden beneath her dress, but I feel like what she did was all that a woman in her position would have been able to do if they truly ever wanted to be happy.