The most important thing that Robert did for Edna was teach her
how to swim. While this might not seem like a big deal, the idea of swimming becomes symbolic as
the novel progresses. As Edna's abiltity and confidence in her swimming grow, so does her
understanding of herself and how she feels about her position in society as a wife to Leonce and
a mother to her two sons.
In the beginning of the novel she can
hardy swim and needs to be holding on to someone else for security -- just as she holds on to
Leonce and the traditional role of women in this society. As she learns to swim independently she
becomes more independent in her attitudes and behavior. Robert takes her away from the house and
spends a lot of time with her. She realizes there is more to what she wants from life than just
hearth and home. By the end of the summer she is a confident swimmer and seems to have made a
decision to be with Robert, but he upends her vision when he announces he is leaving for Mexico
to make his fortune. Interestingly, that doesn't stop Edna's
awakening.
Once she returns to town she stops her social
engagements and eventually moves into her own house around the corner from her old house with
Leonce. She even has an affair with Alcee Arobin. She is more truly her own person, and when
she realizes that the dream of Robert will never come true she returns to the sea again. This
time she swims until she is so far out that she can't return. She is not afraid to be alone out
there -- she chooses to be alone and she chooses to swim away from a society she will never be
happy or be herself in. She lets herself drown and be free rather than tied
down.
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