Literary Analysis of The Storm by Kate Chopin

Kate Chopin is an American author who wrote many books during the late 1800’s. Chopin lived during a time period where woman did not have basic human rights like voting, opening a bank account and could not hold certain occupations. Through writing Kate Chopin is allowing the readers to explore what it was like being a woman in the late 1800’s, specifically when she wrote “The Storm”. Chopin uses settings in ‘The Storm” to convey how it was living in the south, the effects of the storm and house to grasp the readers understanding and development and theme, that basic human needs should not be denied in “The Storm”. Kate Chopin’s ‘The Storm' was not published until years after her untimely death.

In “The storm” Chopin’s character Calixta lives in south Louisiana in the late 1800’s. Calixta is a mother and wife, she is attentive to the needs of her family because the author states “she sat at a side window sewing furiously on a sewing machine. She was greatly occupied and did not notice the approaching storm.” Chopin is conveying to the reader that Calixa is a domesticated woman, who doesn’t have enough time for herself because she works hard. The author also uses diction and Calixta’s domesticated duties to build the settings for the readers. Chopin say’s “…Calixa nervously began to gather up from the floor the lengths of a cotton sheet which she had been sewing… Dieu sait if the levees goin’ to stan it!” the author uses language because it’s a big part factor when analyzing the characters development. However in the story “Acting like a fool” by Lawrence l. Berkove; the author goes in depth about how woman were treated in the American south in the 1800’. The author states “society’s disapproval of impulsiveness, especially of sexual license, is show to be sensible as well as moral, for such license is ultimately damaging to the individuals involved as well as to the circle of family and community around them”. Woman were not allowed to express themselves and had to mask their feelings which was to their own detriment. “So the storm passed’ by Lisa A. Kirby shows how Calixa’s character changed throughout the story by saying “Female character who is reluctant to let society dictate her behavior. Calixa is reluctant to let society control her passions and behavior and such, she is a character quite grounded in her own sense of self” in the story Calixa takes control over her own life and is no longer willing to be controlled by the souths way of life because Berkove states in his critical Essay that ‘Calixta was not an immaculate dove in thos days, she was still iniolate; a passionate creature whose very defenselessness had made her defense, against which his honor forbade him to prevail. Now well, now her lips seemed in a manner free to be sasted, as well as her round, white throat and her whiter breast”. Calixa is very passionate with her feelings and how she wants to be loved and treated, the author is trying to convey to the audience that Calixa is not used to being passionate with her husband because of how woman are treated in the late 1800’s south. The author concludes what chopin was trying to imply by saying “she knew that men and woman are, classically, led into error by what pleases them. True morality stems from hard thinking as well as great effort of will” (Berkove 8) man and woman are alike in so many ways and want the same things despite hoe society tries to divide men in woman in the late 1800’s south.

The author goes in depth about how the storm and house causes the pivotal moment in Calixta’s life because if storm had not happened, Calixa would have never been able to pursue her desires or meet her ex Alcee. In “Literature Analyze; the storm” states “Calixa is startled by a blast of lighting that has stuck a tree in the distance, and she straggers back into Alcee’s arms” the lighting from the storm put Calixa in a venerable place that led to her having sexual relations with Alcee. The setting in Literature Analyze; is in the house where the two ex-lovers reside and fall for lust and end up having sexual relations “They have moved to her bed room and make love while the storm rages outside. By the time they finish, the sun is shining once again and Alcee departs” the storm was the rising action and climax of the story that made Calixa’s character forget that she was a woman committing adultery in the late 1800’s south, where she could be punished for not following the status quota. During the late 1800’s changes were occurring because the author states “that it not only called up and oftern sentimentalized an American past that was fading”.

Chopin talks about how woman denied their self-happiness and basic human needs by stating that Calixa “Her mouth was a fountain of delight. And when he possessed her, they seemed to swoon together at the very borderland of life’s mystery”. The author is trying to tell the readers Calixa has never had an orgasm. The first time with her lover Alcee mad her have an orgasm. In the storm it says’s “the rain was coming down in the streets obscuring the view of far-off cabins and enveloping the distant wood in gray mist”. At the moment claixa is at a cross road in her life and is in deep thought as the storm moves far away, the more she movies far away from thinking about her husband, what society say’s and gives in to her emotional and sexual needs. In “so the storm passed” gives reasons why calixa and Clarisse are treated differently also elaborates on how woman were treated by sating “Clarisse who is dainty, slim and tall, graceful and wealthy next to the exotic, sexual and forging calixa” (Kirby 3) The imagery is showing that both woman are praised/ looked at differently in the late 1800’s south but both woman are still have to follow what society deems as acceptable and have to deny self-happiness and basic human needs. The author is trying to show no matter economic states or physical beauty woman were only seen as child carriers and domestic servants.

The setting contributed to the development of the theme and greater meaning behind the story because of the location where the story takes place, how the weather effected the characters mood/ emotions and helped the author build the stories meaning also the year the story takes place. Chopin wanted the readers to understand what is was like for herself and woman living in the United States. Calixas characters already going through changes throughout the story because the author say’s “it’s clear then that in calixta chopin introduces a female charater who is not only different in her progressive views towards sexuality but also a character who is viewed as unique because of her ethnic and socioeconomic background” Calixa ethnicity is part of the reason she is looked apon as a sexual object/domestic servant and the reason why she stars to rebels throughout the story. The south has always showed deep resentment for woman, as well as treating woman like objects. In the storm Kate Chopin states “the society was agreeable; many of her old friends and acquaintances were at the bay. 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 willing to forgo for a while” also “he was getting on nicely; and though he missed them, he was willing to bear the separation a while longerrealizing that their health and pleasure were the first thing to be considered”. The audience can infer that Calica and Acee was going to continue their afar with each other even though is still married to Bobint. Calica and Alcee were no longer going to deny their basic human needs of sexual pleasure. Kate Chopin talked about a lot of issues that were not addressed back in the late 1800’s south despite the back lash she might have faced.

Works cited

1. Chopin, Kate. “The Storm” Kate Chopin: Her Novels and Stories, March 8, 2019 https://www.katechopin.org/.
2. Kirby, Lisa. “So The Storm Passed” Interrogating Race, Class and Gender in Chopin At The Cadian Ball and the Storm”. Short Story Criticism, Vol. 211, 2015, PP. 1-11, GALE|H1420119415.
3. Berkove, Lawrence “”Acting like fools: The III- Fated Romances of At the Cadian Ball and The Storm”. Short Story Criticism, Vol. 68, 2004 PP 1-10, GALE|H1420056304.
4. Bonner, Thomas. “Kate Chopin’s The Awakening and her Louisiana Fiction As Travel Literature”. Critical Insights: The Awakening, PP. 1-13, https://online.salempress.com/articlesDetails.do?bookid=84&articleName=CIAwakening_00...