The obvious answer, of course, is that he's her father, so
he's influenced her simply by living in the same household as her. However, the picture
we get of him is not a particularly pleasant one. He's a man who enjoys drinking, tells
rather outlandish stories of the past, likes to gamble, and believes women were meant to
be servants to men. It's clear he treated his wife poorly, as Edna's husband assures
us:
The
Colonel was perhaps unaware that he had coerced his own wife into her
grave
Edna, rather than
seeing him as a blustering bully, now sees him as something amusing, something to watch
and listen to and enjoy.
She had not much of anything to say to her
father...; but he did not antagonize her. She discovered that he interested her, though
she realized that he might not interest her long; and for the first time in her life she
felt as if she were thoroughly acquainted with him. He kept her busy serving him and
ministering to his wants. It amused her to do
so.
Edna's father serves as
an example in The Awakening of how Edna has come to view all men,
even the one who believes women are lesser beings, meant to serve, and who must have
treated her that way throughout her life. She has become independent and refuses to be
subservient unless it suits her to do so.
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