What is the difference between infatuation and love? This has been a topic of conversation for years, yet we still haven't been able to find the exact answer to the question. In Webster's Online Dictionary the definition of love is "affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests" (Webster's). This is exactly what Edna Pontellier thinks she feels towards Robert Lebrun in Kate Chopin's “The Awakening”. Although on the contrary the definition of infatuation is “to make one foolish: to deprive one of common sense” (Webster's), and this is even more true for Edna. His need for freedom is so strong that he finds himself turning to other men just to satisfy that need. Her actions are completely opposite to her thoughts that she is truly in love with Robert. In the novel “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin; Edna's intense desire to be free, her relationship with Alcee Arobin, and the change in how Edna and Robert act when they are together when he returns are all great examples of why she was never in love with him , it was simply an infatuation that went too far. Edna is trying so hard to expand in this story that she's clutching at any handle she can find. Her feelings for Robert don't begin until her big awakening begins, meaning she spent about half the summer with him completely platonicly. She wants her freedom so much that she looks to other men other than her husband because she believes he is her ticket to freedom. Chopin, while writing this story, was even “inwardly questioning the nature of love” (Toth), demonstrating that she did not even know herself whether Edna had ever been in love with Robert. Her feelings for Robert correspond directly to her need for an independent person who has experienced the kind of love that Edna is missing out on. She was infatuated, plain and simple, thus proving the long-standing debate about what the difference is between love and infatuation. Works Cited Chopin, Kate. The awakening. The Norton Anthology American Literature Volume C. 7th ed. WWNorton & Company. New York: 2007. Page 535-625. Print.“Infatuation”. Dictionary and Synonyms - Merriam - Webster online. 2011. Network. 6 February 2011 “Love”. Dictionary and Synonyms - Merriam - Webster online. 2011. Network. February 6, 2011Mahon, Robert Lee. “Beyond the Love Triangle: Trios in Revival.” Midwest Quarterly39.2(1998): 228-234 Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Network. February 6, 2011 Toth, E. “Kate Chopin on Divine Love and Suicide: Two Articles Rediscovered.” AmericanLiterature 63.1(1991): 115. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO. Network. February 6 2011