...The End of the Storm There are an endless variety of relationships in the world, who is to say that one is the right type of relationship compared to another. The short story by Kate Chopin “The Storm” explores the idea of a happy ending, with an unfaithful wife. In today’s American society many see this as wrong because of the way we might have been raised, our values, or by what we have seen on television, naturally, this story can seem shocking form its secret adultery. The short story takes place in the south where storms are dangerous and frequent around the 19th century. During this era, the Victorian era, there was a large sexual repression of women, making this story stand out. The Storm begins off by introducing the first three characters, Bibi, a four-year-old son; Bibinôt, the husband; and Calixta, the wife. Bibi seems to be extremely self-aware and smart right off the bat “The leaves were so still that even Bibi thought it was going to rain” (Chopin, p1). Bibinôt, however, seems to be more unaware, but caring, “counter purchased a can of shrimps, of which Calixta was very fond” (p1)....
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...THE STORM/ KATE CHOPIN 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[->0] at the local store. By doing this Chopin implies the theme that is, adultery is natural and does not necessarily have negative consequences[->1]. Through out the story the constant changing of imagery plays a great role in the development of characters and their ability to demonstrate the theme. The subject of adultery was first introduced soon after Alcee asked Calixta if he may take refuge from the approaching storm within her house. That was also the first point when the author lets us know that Calixta “may” still have feelings for Alcee. This was shown clearly in the story when it says, “ His voice and her own startled her as if from a trance…” Immediately after this the description of the setting changed from a outdoor relax feel to an indoor tense feel. This also lead to the feelings of both characters towards each other, which was shown when the room was described, “ The door stood open, and the room with its white, monumental bed, its closed shutters, looked dim and mysterious.” Soon after this, Calixta who is then feeling the situation gets up to look outside the window...
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...place in the bedroom, having sex with his wife. Alcée and Calixta are not only trapped in the house during the storm, they almost seem forced into the bedroom – pushed into each other's arms and then onto the bed. The home itself isn't described that much: it has a "small front gallery" (porch) (2.2), a room that is "the dining room – the sitting room – the general utility room" (2.8), and a bedroom that holds a "white, monumental bed" and looked "dim and mysterious" (2.8). The house gives Alcée and Calixta shelter during that storm and allows them to be together. The storm almost seems to have more of a presence than the house. One thing that stands out here, of course, is the fact that the storm is taking place during the important sexualized scene, keeping Alcée and Calixta within the house, and Bobinôt and Bibi outside of it. When the storm dissipates, Alcée and Calixta must go their separate ways, seemingly much richer for their encounter. When Bobinôt reenters his own home, he has no idea of the torrid encounter that just happened there. Clarisse, too, is removed from the main area of action – she's in another state. On a larger scale, the setting reminds us of the characters' places in the world. As the Kate Chopin International Society's site points out, there are some subtle class differences between the four main characters represented in "The Storm": Alcée and his wife Clarisse are Creoles, descendants of French settlers in Louisiana. Calixta and her husband...
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...ANALYSIS OF THE STORM BY KATE CHOPIN Plot Exposition: The story begins with a heavy rain and stormy night. Bobinot and Bibi are away from home and they both couldn’t protect Calixta. Calixta is now alone and possibly in danger back at the ranch. Rising action: Suddenly, Calixta’s ex or past lover called Alcee arrives at her house, trying to get a shelter from the storm but they are now both trapped together in the ranch. At the same time, Calixta is worrying about her husband and so being in danger outside in the heavy rain. Climax: Calixta and Alcee remembered about their past relationship. Both got attracted to one another. They make out that instance. Here, both the story and the characters reach their high points at the same time. Falling action: Calixta’a family returns after the storm stops and Alcee leaves after they made out. Bobinot brought back only a can of shrimps for Calixta under the horrendous weather. This can be seen as a proof of love. Alcee then writes to his wife and stated that she doesn’t have to rush to return and she could stay away for a vacation longer. Clarisse is fine with getting more alone time before coming back to her marriage life. Resolution: Every one benefited from that affair. No one knows about it. The story ended neatly without any complications. At the end, everything is fine. Theme Sexual intercourse: - It is risque, especially in the 19th century - Characters weren’t punished by what they have done - Desire...
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...Analysis of Kate Chopin’s “The Storm” Thesis: Chopin’s use of symbolism, irony, and tone in “The Storm” reveal her want for happiness I. Symbolism in “The Storm” makes a connection between the affair of Calixta and Alcee, the main characters. A. Chopin describes the storm as rain pouring down with a recurrence and consistency that advocates rain. The adjectives “sinister” and “cyclone”, let’s you know that the storm is just a daunting existence in the nature world. “The rain beat upon the low, shingled roof with a force and clatter that threatened to… deluge” (Chopin 121). B. “A bolt struck a tall chinaberry tree at the edge of the field. It filled all visible space with a blinding glare and the crash seemed to invade the very boards they...
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...English 102 29 May 2012 Analysis of Kate Chopin’s “The Storm” In Kate Chopin’s short story “The Storm” she uses symbolism and imagery in her writing techniques to mirror the events of the storm set in the story’s plot with her characters and their actions.Through her use of symbolism and her use of vivid imagery she is able to convey the themes of adultery, marriage, and new life in her characters. Her use of imagery and the symbolic meaning of the storm strongly convey her personal feelings on each of these themes. The first major theme in the story is adultery, which is represented by two of the main characters in her story, Calixta and Alcee. The story depicts them as having an old flame from years before the storm that brought them together again. The storm drives Alcee to take shelter in Calixta’s house, which leads to adulterous actions by both of them. In the story they passionately make love while Calixta’s husband and son are lost in the storm. In part II of the story, Calixta is shown sitting at home completely unaware of the storm’s approach. This scene can be seen as symbolic of her also being oblivious to the adulterous events that are coming in her very near future. It can also be seen as Calixta having no prior intentions to commit adultery in the story. Chopin uses her mastery of imagery at the climax of the storm to lustfully describe Calixta’s features to the reader to intensify the moment and her adulterous deed. Chopin writes, “Her lips were as red and moist...
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...studied the influence of Charles Darwin’s theory of sexual selection in Kate Chopin works. She describes the sexual attraction use by Chopin in her works according to Darwin’s theory. Holtman, Janet. "Failing Fictions: The Conflicting and Shifting Social Emphases Of Kate Chopin's "Local Color" Stories." Southern Quarterly 42.2 (2004): 73-88. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Apr. 2013 The presents work analyses the concept of skin color used by Kate Chopin her works. It discuss the way Southern discourses of race and class influences Chopin novels “Bayou Folk” and “A night in Acadie”. "Kate Chopin: Her Novels and Stories." Kate Chopin: The Awakening, The Storm, Stories, Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2013. The website provides information about the all the novels and stories wrote by Kate Chopin. It also has her biography and a list of books, articles and essays about Kate Chopin and her works. In addition, the website has series of questions about Kate Chopin personal life and her reputation as a feminist reformer. Tolentino, Jasdomin, "Kate Chopin's Life and Personal Influence" (2008).Excellence in Research Awards.Paper 2 In this paper, Tolentino discuss Kate Chopin life and her personal influence. He explain how the relations with the members of her family, the environment in which she lives and the close people who died in her life affected her of writing her short stories “The Storm” and “ The Story of an Hour”. Bradley, Patricia L. "The Birth Of Tragedy" And...
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...Found in Kate Chopin's Short Stories Kimberley J. Dorsey Stevenson University English 152, Writing About Literature 152-OME1 Charlotte Wulf November 14, 2010 Abstract Many of Kate Chopin’s short stories share the common themes of female oppression. The females in her stories are trying to find a way to escape their oppression and have a sense freedom and individuality. They either commit adultery or fantasize about it as a way to explore their feminine sexuality and obtain a sense of freedom. Common Themes Found in Kate Chopin's Short Stories Kate Chopin, an American novelist and short story writer. Born in 1851 and died in 1904 (cerebral hemorrhage). Chopin lived in Louisiana during her marriage to a Louisiana businessman and began writing after her husband’s death; being left to raise six children alone. Many of her stories are based on her knowledge of Creole and Cajun life during the time she lived there. She is best known for her novel “The Awakening,” considered Chopin’s masterpiece was subject to harsh criticism at the time criticism for its frank approach to sexual themes (Toth, 1988-1999, p. 1). Her attitude seen throughout her writing’s are about a woman’s place as being in the home and her purpose in life is to nurture her husband and children. Being against oppression Chopin chose to write about these issues through fiction, expressing real women. Kate Chopin is considered...
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...Kate Chopin was one of the most talented novelists and short story writers. She was unlike any other writer when it came to her work. Kate was not afraid to address issues that were often censored in society. Many of these issues included women's rights. She was known to portray women as their own individuals with wants and needs. Chopin focused on women's lives and their struggles to create an identity of their own. She stood up for women and their rights along with other issues. These were common topics seen throughout her writing. Kate Chopin expressed real life situations in her work despite what society may have thought at the time. In "A Respectable Woman", Kate Chopin writes about the temptation of a woman. Mrs. Baroda is a married, wealthy woman who faces a desire of another man, her husbands friend Gouvernail. "Gouvernail's personality puzzled Mrs. Baroda, but she liked him." Not many writers would speak of temptation especially that of a woman. Kate Chopin was bold enough to write about women's emotional and sexual needs. This was a common subject she spoke of and is seen throughout her work. Chopin wrote about topics that were unspoken of in society. In "The Storm", she writes about infidelity. Most people in her time would not dare speak of it but this did not stop Kate Chopin. She speaks of two former lovers who rekindle their flame during a storm. As the storm raged on, Calixta and Alcee surrendered to their emotions despite the fact that are both married to...
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...Mariam Magarious Professor Batson College Writing 2 March 8th,2016 A very dull and boring story can be made into a great story simply by adding in something that is unexpected to happen. When the unexpected is used in literature it is known as irony. An author uses irony to shock the reader by adding a twist to the story. In “The Story of an Hour” and “The Storm” both by Kate Chopin and her use of irony in the story is incredibly done more than once. Kate Chopin does a great job in placing irony into this short story and makes the reader understand that the unexpected happens in life. Kate's story is based on the idea that marriage in the late 19th century was viewed as oppressive. This was based on the fact that in the late 19th century woman had few rights in the public eye and their duties revolved around household chores and raising children. Feminism was not the only theme Kate used in this short story to entertain her readers, she also strategically placed literary ironies to keep the readers interest. In Kate Chopin’s short story “The Story of an Hour,” there is so much irony. Louise Mallard is about to be told about the death of her husband, Brently Mallard. This is for sure to take a toll on an old woman with a bad heart condition. One can start to feel the irony right after she is told of her husband’s death. She retreats to her room alone where she sits in a comfortable chair and stares out the window. It is what she sees out the window that shows some irony...
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...In “The Story of an Hour” published in Vogue in 1894 author Kate Chopin wrote about a woman named Mrs. Mallard who is given bad news that her husband has been killed in a railroad disaster. In a second story by Kate Chopin “The Storm” published in Louisiana State University, in 1969 Chopin writes about a woman named ‘Calixte’ who had an affair on her husband with a past lover during a storm. The last story by Kate Chopin “Desiree Baby’s” is about an orphan who got married and had a baby by a well-known and respected man whose attitude towards her changed due to the skin color of their son. These three stories have many similarities and differences in the type of male dominated oppression and relieve each woman felt in their marriage. For instance,...
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...Writing and Humanities Kate Chopin born in 1850 and passing in 1904 is a very talented writer that has wrote numerous short stories that have gained attention in classrooms and by readers for many years and many years to come. "Perhaps it is better to wake up after all, even to suffer; than to remain a dupe to illusions all one's life." These such quotes serves as a template for the witting style of the talented writer. Many people have stated they believe she foreshadowed future events in her writing, it is amazing that she had the knowledge and wisdom of the future in the 1880’s. She started writing due to the deaths of the people she loved to help cope as a therapeutic method for coping with significant loses in her life. She lost her father and step father at a young age, and she also lost her step brother and husband during these trying times. Two years after her fathers' death, Kate returned to the Academy of the Sacred Heart . During this time Kate met a girl named Kitty Garesche who she then befriended and started to write with on a constant basis, but was suddenly separated from her due to the civil war in St. Louis when Kitty’s family was banished for their Confederate sympathies. Kate most definitely was the poem and the poet. She was known for living her life the way she wanted and wrote about the things that she felt. This is what led many people to get lost into her stories, and feel a sense that they were there themselves. Kate had many stories that...
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...In Kate Chopin’s era, societal perspectives about sexual passion or sensuality was regarded as inappropriate and trivial from every spectrum of women’s lives. Nevertheless, Chopin fearfully discusses the very subject in her short story, “The Storm.” She shockingly details the relations and sexual infidelity between the main characters, Calixta and Aceè, during a violent storm. Although Chopin could have written the story to appeal to the women of her era by shedding light on the evils of feminine reckless behavior, she refrains from being judgemental by avoiding discussing the union of marriage and indecency of Calixtas actions. The presence of female sexuailty in litersature during the 1800’s would have been too scandalous for people to...
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...that a man cannot touch. In both “The Storm” and “Desiree’s Baby,” Kate Chopin transforms the meaning of the color white. In “The Storm,” Calixta’s body is described as white on multiple occasions, representing beauty and sexual desire. Many of her features including her neck, throat, and breasts are described as white. Similarly in “Desiree’s Baby,” Armand Aubigny bases the worth of a person primarily on his or her race. In his eyes, nothing was more beautiful and desirable than being purely white. Through the use of metaphors and imagery, Kate Chopin uses the color white to represent passion, beauty, and desire. “Desiree’s Baby” explores issues of racial prejudices in Louisiana during the slavery era. During this time period, there was absolutely no tolerance for sexual relationships between people of different skin colors. It was a difficult time not only for blacks but also for women because of the dominance white men had over them. Armand Aubigny falls in love with the beautiful Desiree and they have a son together. Armand quickly abandons Desiree and their son when he realizes the child is of black and white heritage, immediately believing that Desiree is the one to blame and that she must be black. Armand’s racial prejudices are used against him at the end of the story when he realizes that he is of the very race that he despises the most. “The Storm" challenges commonly accepted views on marriage, desire and relationships. “The Storm,” presents an affair between a married...
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...The Setting of Chopin’s “The Storm” In “The Storm” Kate Chopin makes the setting an essential and entwined part of her action and ideas. The story focuses on the two main characters, Calixta and Alcee and their short love affair. The action is taking place in a small town in Louisiana where all of the characters live. The story is set in the late nineteenth century when adultery was not expected from anyone, as woman were considered to be innocent and faithful. The integration of setting and story can be followed in details about the storm itself, setting of the atmosphere/mood, and also the complexities of married status in the society. “The Storm” is not only the title of the short story, but it is also part of the main setting that is directly tied to the passion between Calixta and Alcee. As the storm gets stronger and louder, the two main characters begin to remember vivid physical flashbacks. The memories escalate into a sexual encounter. While the adultery was taking place the storm was breaking apart the house, as this action was damaging the characters marriage. Once the storm ended, "the sun was turning the glistening green world into a palace of gems” (Chopin). After not seeing each other for many years the storm brings Alcee and Calixta together and after the storm they have to go back to their own lives. The atmosphere and the mood were set with the use of colors and other elements. The short story mainly takes place in Clarisse’s house in Louisiana, but it...
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