Mademoiselle Reisz In The Awakening

On the other side of the parrot is a mockingbird who is the only one capable of understanding what the parrot is saying. Similarly, while Edna longs to become more than her predetermined role in society, the only person who is able to understand her desire for independence is Mademoiselle Reisz, who shared Edna’s same desire and chose to defy society’s rules and live independently at the price of being isolated and working and providing for herself. When Mademoiselle Reisz feels Edna's "shoulder blades to see if her wings are strong”(138). Mademoiselle Reisz also shares with Edna that earning freedom is also a difficult battle. Mademoiselle tells her, that "It is a sad spectacle to see the weaklings bruised, exhausted, fluttering back to earth”(138).