Final answer:
Adele Ratignolle from 'The Awakening' is best described as confident, independent, and compassionate, fitting the characteristics of a 'mother-woman' in the context of the novel as portrayed by Kate Chopin.
Step-by-step explanation:
The character Adele Ratignolle from Kate Chopin's novel The Awakening is portrayed as an archetypal 'mother-woman' who is gentle, graceful, and devoted to her husband and children. The most fitting adjectives to describe her would therefore fall under option A) Confident, independent, compassionate. Adele is compassionate in her attentiveness to others' needs and her nurturing demeanor. While she is not particularly independent by modern standards, within the context of the novel, she is confident in her role as a mother and wife, fulfilling the expectations of her societal role with a grace that implies an internal acceptance of her position.