The Storm By Kate Chopin Analysis
Jarrod Padgett
English Composition II
Monday and Wednesday 1:50 2:55 Discussing “The Storm”
Padgett 1
Despite an extremely reserved society in the late 1800’s, Kate Chopin wrote many scandalous stories expressing sexuality and independence in woman. Kate Chopin’s style of literature was about a century premature, and had to wait about seven decades to be published by a more accepting audience. “The Storm” like much of her work, featured a woman and man involved in a sexual and scandalous encounter. This story features an idea that some may find unacceptable, but seems to actually make life more manageable and happy. This encounter between the main female character and main male character in the story seem to serve as a type …show more content…
“The leaves were so still that even Bibi thought it was going to rain.” (Paragraph 1) The fact that a storm is coming is not only to be taken literally in the sense of bad weather, but also helps to foreshadow metaphorically in terms of a storm of emotion to come. When the focus switches from Bibi, Bobinot and their being stuck in town the weather the storm, to Calixta at their home, the story begins to take shape. “As she stepped outside, Alcee Laballiere rode in at the gate. She had not seen him very often since her marriage, and never alone.” (Paragraph 7) In this sentence we are first introduced as the audience to Alcee and we find out that Alcee and
Calixta have had some sort of history together. This sentence sets the setting for the situations to come Throughout the buildup to the climax Chopin does a very good job of using the storm to describe and affect how things between Calixta and Alcee are going. “The playing of lightning was incessant. A bolt struck a tall chinaberry tree at the edge of the field. It filled all …show more content…
That Calixta and Bobinot are most likely not sexually involved, leaving
Calixta sexually frustrated with pent up aggression and emotion. “Oh, Bobinot! You back! My! but I was uneasy. W’ere you been during the rain? An’ Bibi? he ain’t hurt? She had clasped Bibi and was kissing him effusively… Bobinot and Bibi began to relax and enjoy themselves.”
(Paragraph 33, 36) Calixta is much more thankful to see Bobinot and Bibi that either of them had expected and, as a result of the encounter between Alcee and Calixta, the family dynamic between Calixta Bobinot and Bibi, is in a much better state.
To refute any arguments to be made about how this situation would affect the family of
Alcee and Clarisse, Alcee’s wife, it is also explained that the encounter leaves his family dynamic in a better way. “As for Clarisse, she was charmed upon receiving her husband’s letter.
She and the babies were doing well. The society was agreeable; many of her old friends and acquaintances were at bay. And the first breath since her marriage seemed to restore the pleasant liberty of her maiden days.” (Paragraph 38) This statement not only solidifies that everything
English Composition II
Monday and Wednesday 1:50 2:55 Discussing “The Storm”
Padgett 1
Despite an extremely reserved society in the late 1800’s, Kate Chopin wrote many scandalous stories expressing sexuality and independence in woman. Kate Chopin’s style of literature was about a century premature, and had to wait about seven decades to be published by a more accepting audience. “The Storm” like much of her work, featured a woman and man involved in a sexual and scandalous encounter. This story features an idea that some may find unacceptable, but seems to actually make life more manageable and happy. This encounter between the main female character and main male character in the story seem to serve as a type …show more content…
“The leaves were so still that even Bibi thought it was going to rain.” (Paragraph 1) The fact that a storm is coming is not only to be taken literally in the sense of bad weather, but also helps to foreshadow metaphorically in terms of a storm of emotion to come. When the focus switches from Bibi, Bobinot and their being stuck in town the weather the storm, to Calixta at their home, the story begins to take shape. “As she stepped outside, Alcee Laballiere rode in at the gate. She had not seen him very often since her marriage, and never alone.” (Paragraph 7) In this sentence we are first introduced as the audience to Alcee and we find out that Alcee and
Calixta have had some sort of history together. This sentence sets the setting for the situations to come Throughout the buildup to the climax Chopin does a very good job of using the storm to describe and affect how things between Calixta and Alcee are going. “The playing of lightning was incessant. A bolt struck a tall chinaberry tree at the edge of the field. It filled all …show more content…
That Calixta and Bobinot are most likely not sexually involved, leaving
Calixta sexually frustrated with pent up aggression and emotion. “Oh, Bobinot! You back! My! but I was uneasy. W’ere you been during the rain? An’ Bibi? he ain’t hurt? She had clasped Bibi and was kissing him effusively… Bobinot and Bibi began to relax and enjoy themselves.”
(Paragraph 33, 36) Calixta is much more thankful to see Bobinot and Bibi that either of them had expected and, as a result of the encounter between Alcee and Calixta, the family dynamic between Calixta Bobinot and Bibi, is in a much better state.
To refute any arguments to be made about how this situation would affect the family of
Alcee and Clarisse, Alcee’s wife, it is also explained that the encounter leaves his family dynamic in a better way. “As for Clarisse, she was charmed upon receiving her husband’s letter.
She and the babies were doing well. The society was agreeable; many of her old friends and acquaintances were at bay. And the first breath since her marriage seemed to restore the pleasant liberty of her maiden days.” (Paragraph 38) This statement not only solidifies that everything