One of Kate Chopin’s brilliant writing abilities is to make the readers feel what her characters are feeling. It’s truly special when a reader can sense the agony and desire that a character feels. For example, in this story, “The Storm,” you can feel the desire and hesitation between Calixta and Alcee. Although this story was a few pages long, Chopin tells a story of infidelity and expresses the unsettled feelings between old flames. “The storm concerns the reunion of Alcee and Calixta, now married to other people” (Blooms).
Back in her day, sexual desires were rarely recognized, let alone publicized. “For her time period, Kate Chopin wrote about sexuality very explicitly” (Krauss).
This story had a large impact on women and feminism. “By not only admitting to the possibility that women have strong sexual needs of their own, but stating it as pure reality, Chopin crossed a threshold in both literature and life that opened new portals of exploration and communication for both men and women” (Krauss).
In “The Storm,” Kate Chopin uses the storm as a symbol of a woman torn between two men and sexual desires that she faces.
At the beginning of the story, Calixta remains at home while her son Bibi and husband Bobinot go to town. Bobinot notices that there is a storm approaching and makes it known to Bibi that the “certain somber clouds that were rolling with sinister intention from the west, accompanied by a sullen, threatening roar” (p. 224).
His description of the coming storm makes it clear that it’s going to be dangerous and aggressive. The clouds are shown with a certain awareness, it’s almost like the storm is alive, progressing with “sinister intention from the west, accompanied by a sullen, threatening roar.
The Essay on Kate Chopin’s “Desiree’s Baby”
In Kate Chopin’s “Desiree’s Baby”, she describes the tragic tale of Desiree and her baby from life to death. She uses powerful imagery and symbolism to create a dark and heavy atmosphere in attempt to evoke powerful emotion from the reader. Chopin does a formidable job as she uses descriptive imagery to lay a foundation for the atmosphere to build off of. Several points in the story where she ...
It’s like the storm is showing Bobinot what “sinister” acts Alcee is about to perform with his wife. Calixta is avidly sewing at home, so she is unaware of the oncoming dark clouds. She senses perspiration gathered on her face, and occasionally wipes it off. Calixta hasn’t yet noticed the storm approaching, but she senses it and is aware of her own perspiration and heat. When she notices that it’s beginning to grow darker, she runs about the house closing windows and goes outside to retrieve the clothes that were hung out to dry. She goes outside and sees Alcee and then “the big rain drops began to fall” (p.224).
By “big rain drops” she means more perspiration because she grows anxious when she sees him. It’s no twist of fate that the storm and Alcee arrive at the same time. The rain came down so hard that they had to put something in front of the door in order to keep the water out. That signifies that Alcee can’t be kept out. The rain is coming down on the roof “with a force and clatter that threatens to break an entrance and deluge them there” (p. 225).
The storm, Alcee, was so menacing that it threatened to ruin the house, and life, that Bobinot and Calixta have constructed together.
Calixta stumbles back into Alcee’s arms when a bolt of lightning strikes a tree outside the house. The storm is inevitable, the pounding rain is inevitable, and the utter desire and colliding emotions between Alcee and Calixta are inevitable. “They did not heed the crashing torrents and the roar of the elements made her laugh as she lay in his arms” (p. 226).
Calixta and Alcee give into their sexual desires. She feels happy and safe in his arms. The storm begins to pass, signifying that the threat is now over.
Alcee rides off and Bobinot and Bibi journey home, unaware of the dishonorable acts that had just taken place. When Bobinot and Bibi arrive at home, Bobinot gives Calixta a can of shrimp, which she loves. You can tell that he is a caring husband, but Calixta doesn’t deserve him after the disrespectful deed she had just done. “The seemingly happy family enjoys dinner together” (Blooms).
The Essay on Feelings For Alcee Calixta Story Characters
The short story 'The Storm'; by Kate Chopin, deals with the subject of adultery. The story takes place in the early 1900's. There are two main characters, Calixta (the wife) and Alcee (the former lover). Alcee must take refuge from a passing storm in Calixta's house, while he is there the two end up making love while Calixta's husband and son have to wait out the storm at the local store. By doing ...
In the end, the affair is forgotten and everything goes back to normal. “The final line of the story absolves the lovers of any guilt: “So the storm passed and everyone was happy” (Blooms).
