Léonce's behavior upon returning home illustrates his perception of his wife as more of an amusement than a partner. When he arrives home, possibly drunk (considering his exuberant and talkative mood), he awakens Edna from a sound sleep but expects her to chatter back at him. He is displeased that "his wife . . . evinced so little interest in things which concerned him, and valued so little his conversation." In later chapters, contrast this insensitivity and selfishness on Léonce's part with the studied courtliness and chivalry displayed by Arobin and Robert.
Not only does Léonce awaken her to provide an audience for his anecdotes, he also chastises her for not immediately checking on the fever that he mistakenly perceives in Raoul. When, instead, she asserts that Raoul likely does not have a fever because he gave no sign of sickness up until he went to bed, Léonce accuses her of neglecting the children. His reproach, voiced "in a monotonous, insistent way," is ostensibly sensible, given that they have divided up the family support duties, with Léonce working outside the home in a brokerage business while Edna assumes full responsibility for all domestic areas, including childcare. Yet this division of labor was not the option actively selected by Edna but the default choice of her society and culture. While Léonce can anticipate on Sundays the upcoming "lively week on Carondelet Street," Edna remains another week on Grand Isle, limited to the few pursuits available to children and the other mothers. With the lively Robert as her greatest diversion, perhaps her infatuation with him is inevitable.
