Cannon of Kate Chopin
Kate Chopin wrote her fictional short story "The Storm" in the late nineteenth century. During this time, women were looked down upon as being merely housewives; their needs and desires weren't considered in every day living. This story refutes that idea by showing how the necessities of nature coincide with the needs of personal satisfaction. Chopin's use of symbolism models how the requirements of nature and the needs of people must and will be satisfied in order to sustain life. The title of this story suggests a metaphorical connection between the invading thunderstorm outside and the storm of emotions fired within the individuals Calixta and Alcee. The intensity of their affair follows the patterns of the storm that occurs outside. The approaching storm has been brewing for some time, just as the relationship between Calixta and Alcee has. The story speaks of her appearance to him five years before, and expressed some of her old qualities that still remained. Alcee asks, "Do you remember-in Assumption, Calixta"(Chopin 109), alluding to a passionate encounter years ago. The emotional storm has been building for years, and the storm could be seen for miles before it got there; however Calixta does not recognize either of the st
orms until Alcee approaches her home. The wind begins to blow as Alcee arrives on his horse. When he speaks to her, there are gusts of wind that try to carry the clothes from the porch, and gusts of memories that carry Calixta back in time. As Alcee decides to stand on the porch, the weather forbids him and the rain forces him inside. He stares at her longingly as the rain clatters upon the shingled roof with a force that threatens to enter and deluge them there (109). Just as the heavy rain and wind tries to break down the barriers of the house to expose the lovers to the elements outside, the barriers between Alcee and Calixta are eroding to expose their inner feelings to the surface and their actions. The barriers they had built within themselves to resist such temptation were slowly being worn down as the storm strengthened. "The playing of lightning was incessant. 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 stood upon"(109). The flash that jolted the floor below them symbolizes the electricity and emotion felt between Calixta and Alcee. The drama of the jolt sends her staggering into his arms, and the desire can no further
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Approximate Word count = 844
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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