"the Storm" By Kate Chopin Analysis

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"The Storm" by Kate Chopin takes place in the late nineteenth century. The story surrounds two main characters, Calixta and Alcee. The two shared an intimate past, however have married someone else. As a storm nears, Alcee approaches Calixta seeking refuge at her house until it passes. When the storm erupts, so does the carnal desire that Calixta and Alcee have for one another. That fervor leads to an effusive, yet brief love affair between them. During their passionate encounter, Calixta's husband and son are waiting for the storm to cease at a local store. As the storm subsides and the rendezvous is fulfilled, Alcee absconds just in time for Calixta's husband and son to return. Chopin's involved descriptions and eloquent details of the affair are all rhetorically brought to life through the constant changing of the storm. The story's theme implies that adultery, although a sin by God, is a natural tendency that does not always result in negative consequences. In my opinion, "The Storm" is symbolic of the turmoil Calixta was experiencing in regards to her tumultuous life. In comparison, "The Storm" also symbolizes Chopin's beliefs in feminine strength and sexuality and the struggles that came with those beliefs in that era. Through her use of symbolism, she revealed the battle between good and evil, and morality versus reality in the confines of an oppressive society. Chopin wastes no time introducing evil. In the first paragraph, the narrator mentions Calixta's husband and son, Bobinot and Bibi, then describes "the child's attention to certain sombre clouds that were rolling with sinister intention from the west, accompanied by a sullen, threatening roar" (1.1.2). So from the start, the use of sombre, sinister, and sullen may evoke a dismal feeling of depression, darkness,and evilness for the reader, or perhaps a symbol of Satan. In the next scene,
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