Introduction
The Storm by Kate Chopin is an outstanding piece of American literature, which takes place in the 1800s. The central topic of the story focuses on the role of a woman, who was mostly viewed in highly narrowed scope, and love. This one-sided manifestation of the female’s role in society was the main struggle faced by the characters. Essentially, a woman was primarily viewed as a housewife, who solely performs the related tasks, such as cooking, cleaning, and taking care of children. The society of the given period did not allow a female to possess the freedom to chase her dreams and realize her ambitions. The key characters are a housewife, Calixta, and her former lover, Alcee. The story begins with Calixta’s husband and son being trapped in the local store due to the coming storm (Chopin 1). She realizes that storm will be severe, which is why she goes outside to collect the drying clothes. This is when the first encounter of Alcee and Calixta occurs, where the former asks for temporary shelter from the latter.
Main body
The story’s central action driver and the catalyzer of significant changes is the storm itself. The presence of harsh weather conditions is designed to fulfill two objectives, which are setting up the circumstances and acting as a symbol. It is important to note that Calixta and Alcee would not have gotten an opportunity to reconnect without being forced to stay together. Therefore, the storm catalyzes and speeds up the occurrence of the reunion. Calixta states: “My! what a rain! It “s good two years since it rains’ like that” (Chopin 2). The character shows the overall severity of the storm and how there was no other option than letting Alcee use her house as a temporary shelter.
Moreover, the storm also plays a symbolic role in this short story. The overall intensity of the storm goes in a tight correlation with the emotional tension between Alcee and Calixta. The author describes the worsening of weather alongside the initiation of the affair by stating: “The rain beat upon the low, shingled roof with a force and clatter that threatened to break an entrance and deluge them there” (Chopin 2). This is the moment when the intense emotional and physical attraction between Alcee and Calixta sets in. The author later writes: “The contact of her arm, palpitating body when he had unthinkingly drawn her into his arms, had aroused all the old-time infatuation and desire for her flesh” (Chopin 3). The majority of the second chapter of the story is descriptive, and the author does an outstanding job of gradually setting up the affair. It is highly challenging to pinpoint the exact starting point of this interaction. Similarly, it is difficult to outline the beginning of the storm.
The ending of the act is also in conjunction with the weather conditions outside. The author writes: “The growl of the thunder was distant and passing away. The rain beat softly upon the shingles, inviting them to drowsiness and sleep” (Chopin 5). It is important to note that as the storm ended, so did their emotional attraction. Both characters felt an immense sense of relief and satisfaction, which is manifested in a dark storm being replaced by sunlight. In her work, the author tried to reflect the life of every soul – full of emotions, obscure, vague moods, subtle feelings, and fleeting impressions. Symbolist poets were the innovators of the poetic verse, filling it with new, vivid and expressive images, and sometimes, trying to achieve an original form, they went into the play of words and sounds considered by their critics.
In general, the novels of Chopin depict the fate and life of her contemporaries, women, who represent different classes and ages and belong to the American society of the XIX century. The critical feature that distinguishes her prose in comparison to American literature of that time is a more frank and natural description of characters’ sexual emotions. In The Storm, the author states that an individual’s romantic life and choices are not and should not be externally regulated. Chopin takes the notion of “free love” out of the borders of sociality. She refuses to judge the passionate affair of Calixta and Alcee and to label it as “sin,” and “fall,” whereas such rhetoric was commonly applied by male authors to tell about adultery.
This perception of the physical aspect of love is rooted in the deep foundations of the writer’s philosophy. Chopin sees such kinds of affairs as a key to the emancipation of human beings, which gives them the ability to feel fully alive. The illicit affair helps the main character to abandon an intimate life with her husband for a moment. It liberates and pleases her and eventually makes her eager to resume being a wife and mother. Chopin does not oppose the institution of marriage; she just points at the harmful impact of being restrained by traditional roles.
Conclusion
To conclude, it is highly important to understand the overall underlying reasons behind Alcee’s and Calixta’s actions of the affair. The author outstandingly uses the storm as a representation and symbol of the emotions experienced by both characters. In addition, the story emphasizes the importance of fulfilling one’s needs and how it can affect one’s happiness. Both Alcee and Calixta leave the house refreshed and renewed because they want to be with their families and understand that the given affair was not a representation of true love.
References
Chopin, Kate. The Storm. Louisiana State University Press, 1969.