3.07 The Storm

The title of 'The Storm'; gives the reader a peek into the underlying meaning of the story. It obviously

A theme is the prime element of literature, which contains the central idea of the story. It helps reflect on the characteristics that a story might have and reflects on observations interpreted from our view of the author. The theme, a main idea or underlying meaning of literary work may be stated directly or indirectly, but it is ultimately our job to figure it out. Throughout any story, short story or poem you can see the constant change of imagery that will play a big part in the development of the characters ability’s to demonstrate the theme. In “The Storm” by Kate Chopin, the theme illustrates many sexual desires, adultery, and happiness as well as shows a theme of conflict. Chopin uses a storm to represent sexual passionate tension that builds throughout the story between the two main characters Alcee and Calixta.

The storm is symbolised as a purifier of the soul, washing away her material possessions. The storm is also considered destructive as well as renewing life for mankind. The struggles against the storm were worth the price to pay, as the obstacles she had faced earlier, no longer exist.

During the story the author often uses foreshadowing to give hints to the reader of things that will happen in the future. When the story starts, a storm is coming on a late October night. The storm symbolizes the evil approaching the town. Usually it seems a storm would resemble something dark and evil, because a stormy night is always a classic setting for something evil. At the

Kate Chopin wrote the short story “The Storm” one of her most bold stories and did not even intention to publish it (Cutter 191). The two main characters in the story are Calixta and Alcee. They both used to be attracted to one another in previous years, but now they are both married to someone else. After Alcee arrives to Calixta’s house looking for shelter they are driven into a passionate moment. In the story “The Storm” the storm has a significant meaning; without it the affair of Calixta and Alcee performed would not have been as powerful as it was between them. “The Storm” has a great deal of symbolism throughout the story: the clouds, the use of color white, the storm relative to the affair, the after effects of the affair, Calixta,

The author’s frightening story, “The Storm” has all the expected things that a good scary story should have. It has a story line that gains suspense throughout the story, there is irony, and there is lots of

The short story “The Storm” by Kate Chopin revolves around a theme of adultery. The story takes place in Southern Louisiana during the early 1900’s. “The Storm” not only serves as a title but creates a setting as well as symbolizing the affair that takes place between the two main characters, Calixta, the wife and Alcee, the former lover. While reading the story, you’ll begin to notice that as the storm begins, comes to a peak and ends, so does the affair and the story. Overall, the title metaphorically resembles their relationship while also implying that adultery is natural being that a storm is also a natural occurrence. Not only does Chopin use imagery to shape Calixta and Alcee’s sexual encounter in Calixta’s house, but he also uses the color “white” which represents purity. Although this sinful act does not illustrate purity, the experience and feeling that the two lovers undergo during the act does. This also goes to say that Chopin uses both imagery and color to also redefine female agency and sexuality.

The author employed the use of symbolism in the description of the storm. Storm, a natural phenomenon that brings about extreme weather condition that might lead to an undesirable outcome. "The Storm" in the context of the selection brought about a positive outcome. “The storm” in the story is not the physical storm that occurred outside with heavy downpour, but the coming together of Alcee and Bobinot. A physical storm forms when the atmosphere is saturated with water and droplets of water pour out from the sky. The symbolic importance of the storm represents the liberation of Alcee and Calixta, from the shackles of societal or moral expectation. "He pushed her hair back from her face that was warm and streaming her" (425). Although Alcee pushed Calixta’s hair back to see her face, the author’s interpretation was not physical. Chopin meant that Alcee was able to set Calixta free from the bondage of marriage temporarily.

brings in another style, use of metaphors. The storm is a metaphor used to describe violent and

'The Storm' begins on a stormy spring day, with the protagonist Calixta at her sewing machine. She is alone, her husband Bobinot and son Bibi have gone to the store. Calixta seems to be a bored woman, confined to her duties as a housewife and mother. As the distant storm approaches she is unaware of what the storm brings, her former lover Alcee.

“The Storm” is not only the title of the short story, but it is also part of the main setting that

The short story, “The Storm” by Kate Chopin is about a love that could never be until it briefly was. The point that Chopin was trying to get across was that Calixta and Alcee had a strong passion for one-another, and perhaps loved each other, but they could never have been married because of their social differences. It is a passionate, but brief affair between two married people from different social classes that takes place during a cyclone in Louisiana around 1898. The story symbolizes the freedom that a woman felt inside after the rain during a time when women had no freedom. (Firtha lesson 2 page 1)

Usually a storm creeps upon us, hits a luminous climax, and then fades away into nothingness.  In The Storm, Kate Chopin develops a parallel between a rainstorm and an emotional storm in a woman’s life.  Chopin uses symbolism to depict the feelings of relationships that are as unpredictable as that of a raging storm.

Her closing sentence in the short story does seem a little risky for that point in time. To me it is saying that the storm covered up her infidelity and now that it has passed everything is fine and okay, no harm no foul. I compare it to the saying, what they don't know, won't hurt them. Which in a sense is true but I feel is very wrong. For me that is the moral issue, they both are married and cheated with one another. Some might argue that it was only sex or it was only once, it is still very wrong and immoral. The twisted part of it is that her husband comes home and she plays it off like nothing ever happened and then kisses him after being and kissing someone else, in his own house no less. He even brings her shrimp and she tells him you're

So what is this play about--a storm or simply the illusion of a storm? Who's in control--humankind or nature? The difficulty of interpreting the meaning of the title warns us of more trouble ahead. Although the plot is practically