Constant Pain

Kate Chopin is very well known for her extremely unique writing. Not only are her works striking of feminism, but the way she approached topics were not easily tolerated at that time especially for her gender. Many of her stories tie into marriage and the unhappiness that it brings. In Desiree’s Baby Chopin says, “And the very spirit of Satan seemed suddenly to take hold of him…” Comparing the woman’s husband to that of Satan shows the intensity of disgust between the two in the relationship. Strong statements such as these are often seen in “The Storm” and “The Story of an Hour.” In Chopin’s life she was married, and her stories lead me to believe that she viewed her marriage as a trap and suffered from lack of privacy and control. Despite how provoking Chopin’s works were she was long ignored by readers and critics until her stories hit the surface in the 1960’s and became more popular. The women in her stories are constantly seeking freedom, lust, and attention.

The time frame of Chopin’s “The Storm” was published in 1898. The theme of this story is strong with the act of fidelity. In this story the female character Calixta is married with a son. When both husband and son go into town a frightening storm suddenly strikes. Fearing for the safety of her loved ones a past lover calls onto Calixta for shelter. Knowing that the association is wrong, she relents and allows her past love to come into her home. While her family is still out in the storm Calixta ignores this and acts on her intentions of lust with her old life. The amount of disregard that is put in this story is almost revolting. Upon her husbands and sons arrival Calixta is filled with relief and happiness, completely disregarding what had taken place in her home ...

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...opin’s idea in each story was very contradictory. At first the women were almost held captivate and dissolved of happiness in their marriages, but without a man in their lives they almost become nonexistent. In each of the women’s lives they are looking for attention, lust, and freedom. Once each woman is given all or one of those things, she may enjoy them for a moment and then her victory is snatched away in a flash.

Works Cited

Chopin, Kate. “Desiree’s Baby”. Making Literature Matter. 5th edition. John Schilb and

John Clifford, Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s 2012. Print.

Chopin, Kate. “The Storm”. Making Literature Matter. 5th edition. John Schilb and

John Clifford, Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s 2012. Print.

Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour”. Making Literature Matter. 5th edition. John Schilb and

John Clifford, Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s 2012. Print.