The Storm (short story)

"The Storm" is a short story written by American writer Kate Chopin in 1898. The setting of the story takes place during the 19th Century somewhere in the south where storms are frequent and dangerous. It did not appear in print in Chopin's lifetime, but it was published in The Complete Works of Kate Chopin in 1969.^[1] This story is the sequel to Chopin's "At the 'Cadian Ball".

Plot summary

Bobinôt and his four-year-old son, Bibi, are at Friedheimer's store when a particularly violent storm begins to emerge. Therefore, the two decide to remain at the store until the storm passes. Bobinôt then decides to buy a can of shrimp for his wife, Calixta, while he waits with his son for the storm to abate.

Meanwhile, back at their house, Bobinôt's wife, Calixta is so occupied with her sewing that at first she does not notice the ominous clouds or thunder. Finally, she notices that it is growing darker outside so she decides to shut the windows and retrieve Bobinôt's and Bibi's clothes which are hanging outside. Then Alcée, one of Calixta's former beaus, rides up to the house and asks if he can stay there until the storm is over.

The storm worsens so Calixta invites Alcée into her home until it abates. Alcée then helps Calixta get some clothes off the line. He is impatient to come in and stays outside until it becomes apparent that the storm is not going to let up. Calixta gathers up the lengths of cotton sheet she had been sewing while Alcée takes a seat in the rocker. Calixta goes over to the window and observes the intensity of the storm which disturbs her. Calixta is worried about the safety of Bibi during the storm. Alcée attempts to comfort her and reminisces about the passion they once felt for each another. At first, Calixta is standoffish when Alcée tries to comfort her, but she can't resist him. As the storm increases in intensity, so does the passion of the two former lovers. The sexual encounter between the pair ends at the same time as the storm. Alcée and Calixta go their separate ways once more, and both are left with feelings of rejuvenation and newfound happiness.

Bobinôt and Bibi return from the grocery store and Calixta immediately embraces them. Bobinôt presents his gift of the can of shrimp to his wife and she remarks that they will feast that night. Meanwhile, Alcée writes a loving letter to his wife, Clarisse, and encourages her to stay in Biloxi with their children as long as she needs. He notes that their well-being is more important than the separation anxiety that he endures. Clarisse is "charmed" by the letter and is happy in Biloxi because she feels free, as if she were a maiden again. She explains how although she is devoted to her husband; she isn't in a rush to go back to her married life. The story ends with the short line, "So the storm passed and every one was happy".^[2]

Characters

Calixta- Is the wife of Bobinôt and the mother of Bibi. In the story, she has an affair with Alcée, a former lover.

Alcée- The husband of Clarisse and was Calixta's former beau. He has an affair with Calixta in the story.

Bobinôt- The husband of Calixta and the father of Bibi.

Bibi- The four-year-old son of Calixta and Bobinôt.

Clarisse- Alcée's wife

Analysis

"The Storm" is a story of sexuality, a topic not publicly discussed in the 19th Century, written in a third-person omniscient point of view. The relationship between Calixta and Alcée holds a degree of passion that is absent from both of their marriages. Calixta is scared of the storm, but Alcée's calmness relaxes her. When Alcée embraces her after the lightning hits a chinaberry tree, it reminds her of the love she once had for Alcée; "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."^[3] (par.19). The storm causes destruction to the town, like the affair is going to do to Calixta's marriage. Calixta's sexuality is directly tied to the storm.

The story takes place somewhere in the south during the 19th Century, therefore the majority of Calixta's neighbors are presumed to be Catholic. Before using plastic and glass beads to make rosaries, chinaberries were used, therefore the chinaberry tree being struck by lightning may be representative of Calixta's sin in a Catholic area. Adultery is considered a sin in the catholic religion. One of the ten commandments in the bible is that no one should commit adultery and it is believed that by not abiding by the ten commandments, one will be sent to hell unless the individual repents before death.^[4] This piece was written at a time when faith was beginning to be questioned. "As she glanced up at him the fear in her liquid blue eyes had given place to a drowsy gleam that unconsciously betrayed a sensuous desire. He looked down into her eyes and there was nothing for him to do but gather her lips in a kiss. It reminded him of Assumption" (par. 20).^[5]

Chopin describes Calixta as, "a little fuller of figure than five years before when she married; but she had lost nothing of her vivacity." (par. 12).^[6] The reader can infer that Calixta is basically unchanged since being married. Kate Chopin is trying to highlight the fact that being married doesn't really change a woman if there's no passion and fulfillment involved in it. In the article, "The Kaleidoscope of Truth: A New Look at Chopin's 'The Storm'", Allen Stein explains how some people believe that Chopin supports and defends Calixta's affair as an act of human nature and that women deserve to fulfill to their sexual desires.^[7] Chopin is trying to say that Calixta had something missing from her life all these years that Bobinôt couldn't provide for her and Alcée was able to give Calixta that missing piece when they had sex. Chopin believes that this act isn't sinful because every woman deserves to know about passion and have sexual fulfillment in their lives. This is evident when Chopin writes, "[Calixta's] firm, elastic flesh that was knowing for the first time its birthright" (par.25)^[8] By saying it's Calixta's birthright to have sex, it further proves Chopin's approval of this "sinful" act.

The story also highlights images of purity. White imagery is introduced at the beginning of the second section when Calixta unbuttons her white blouse at the neck. When Chopin described the interior of the house for the first time, she describes things like the "white, monumental bed" (Par.13).^[9] When the sexual tension is released, the sexualized purity reaches a climax; her neck, exposed by the act of unbuttoning, is white, and her breasts are "whiter"(Par. 25).^[10] She is "as white as the couch she lay upon," and her passion is described as a "white flame"(Par. 25).^[11] Added to this seemingly paradoxical use of white are the references to the Virgin Mary. While Assumption is a place name, it is also the feast that celebrates the bodily ascension of Mary into heaven,^[12] a metaphorical description of what has just happened to Calixta and to further the connection, "[h]er firm, elastic flesh" is compared to a "creamy lily". The lily is Mary's flower.

The storm also points out the direct issues with marriage at the time. Calixta appears lonely and depressed in the beginning of the story, but by the time Bobinot comes home from waiting out the storm, she receives a can of shrimps upon arrival and by this small gesture a marriage could be rekindled.

Chopin highlights the presence of what marriage was like during this era. In this short story, marriage is portrayed very differently than how it is presented in today's day and age. Chopin emphasizes the ideals of marriage and how even though the relationship between Calixta and Alcée was sinful and disloyal, it was healthier in the long run for both the character's marriages. Calixta and Alcée both have better attitudes and treat their spouses differently after this act of adultery. It is said, “and the first free breath since her marriage seemed to restore the pleasant liberty of her maiden days. Devoted as she was to her husband, their intimate conjugal life was something which she was more than willing to forego for a while.”(par. 38)^[13] Calixta’s newfound passion determines the importance of passion in 1890’s where many women felt they were bound. The storm itself was describing their progressing passion with the encounter of lightning bolt and thunder. The author represents a desire for attention from Calixta to Alcée. The narrator says: “Calixta put her hands to her eyes, and with a cry, staggered backward. Alcée’s arm encircled her, and for an instance he drew her close and spasmodically to him.”(par. 20)^[14] The increase in power of the storm represents the increase in passion between the two lovers. This shows how much power this passion has, just like a strong storm.

Symbolism

"The Storm" is a short story that takes place during the 19th century in Louisiana. Chopin's protagonist Calixta is portrayed as the typical housewife, as she was sowing and tending to Bobinot and Bibi's clothes. Throughout the story there are many symbolic references. It is said that the storm symbolizes the passion and affair that happens between Calixta and Alcée. As soon as Calixta goes outside to get Bibi and Bobinot's clothes off the line and the storm approaches, so does Alcée seeking shelter from the storm. In an article of "The Storm", it says: "as the storm is just about to arrive, so too does Alcée to Calixta’s home and as the storm begins to have an effect on the surroundings of the house, likewise Calixta and Alcée become closer (physically) eventually sleeping with each other."^[15] As the storm climaxes and ceases so does the affair with Calixta and Alcée. At the end of the storm the narrators says: "the storm past and everyone was happy". They both experienced that intense passion that their relationship was missing.

Critical response

Many critics have argued that "The Storm" narrows in on the topics of gender and some view it as a sin committed between two "ex" lovers. As Maria Herbert-Leiter suggested, “through this story, Chopin seems to be arguing for human passion and desire, but not at the cost of marriage. After all, the two couples end where they began—happily married. Furthermore, Calixta’s concerns for Bobinôt’s physical dryness and Clarisse’s continued devotion to her husband prove the solidity of the marriages that are tested in this story.” ^[16]

In his book Women and Autonomy, critic Allen Stein stated that “From first chapter to last, ‘The Storm,’ is pervaded by ambiguity. The plot is clear enough, but little else is. That within the compass of the story’s five pages Chopin offers, to varying degrees, the points of view of five different characters suggests no implicit consensus of vision but only a sense of fragmentation, a sense perhaps that with any significant situation points of view are as numerous as those involved and, further, that with many pieces of significant fiction readings are as numerous as readers.”^[17]

References

• Robert L. Gale. Characters and Plots in the Fiction of Kate Chopin. McFarland, 2009. ISBN 978-0-7864-4005-4