Emotional Imagery within "The Storm"

836 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The storm by kate chopin literary elements

Throughout Kate Chopin’s short story “The Storm,” readers see how the storm acts as a catalyst to the love affair between the main characters. It causes all of the events in the story to happen through perfect timing and perfect placement. She uses imagery through the storm to express the underlying feelings and emotions behind each characters thoughts; this is what makes the story so intriguing. I am going to focus on the two main characters Calixta and Alcee in this story since they are the ones that are affected by the storm the most. For an overview of background information: Alcee and Calixta are long lost lovers from awhile back that just happen to meet up again on a random stormy day coincidently through several moments of luck. The catch is that both of them are now happily married with kids to separate people, and they seem to still have some sexual tension between them. The imagery used to portray this epic and forbidden love escapade is deep, perfect for the mood of the short story.
Calixta is married to Bobinot and they have a son named Bibi, and they all live in a house outside of town in the countryside. Chopin portrays this family as good ole southern people who are genuine and happy, but that is not the case. The storm is used as a sign of how Calixta and Bobinot’s relationship is struggling and how neither one can seem to be satisfied. Calixta knew there was a storm coming, but did she worry about her son and husband at all? No, of course she didn’t, because she had someone else on her mind. She tried to express her feelings of worry to Alcee when the author writes, “’If only I knew where Bibi was!’ She would not compose herself; she would not be seated (559).” Even here, Calixta tries to portray how worried she...

... middle of paper ...

... know how to react because Bobinot is not the man she is in love with.
Kate Chopin did a wonderful job portraying imagery throughout the storm and the different characters and their emotions. Ultimately, Calixta is looking for a man who is adventurous, but her husband is vapid and a bore; so their relationship will never flourish. Chopin did it in a way that made you think and look at the underlying factors and clues of the story; which is what makes it so great. This story would not be much without the imagery because it would just be a regular affair, but the use of the storm in relation to the emotions that were being created, made for a perfect short story.

Works Cited

Baym, Nina, Arnold Krupat, Robert S. Levine, and Jeanne Campbell Reesman. "The Storm." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. 8th ed. Vol. C. New York, NY: Norton, 2012. 557-61. Print.

Show More
Related

  • Analyzing Calixta In Kate Chopin's The Storm

    1140 Words  | 3 Pages

    The world has always known that women were not given all of their rights. During the 19th century and even before then, most of the time women were just forced to do what they were told and what the society expected from them. Women didn’t get to make their own choices. They couldn’t fall in love, work, or be part of the society in any possible way. They were born to get old, marry, and take care of their husbands, house, and kids. Kate Chopin was one of the authors who wrote multiple stories about women and feminism. In Kate Chopin’s “The Storm,” Calixta was married, but when she saw Alcee she ignored the fact that she was married and she committed adultery with him. Kate Chopin describes how Calixta is unhappy with her married life, and how she finds happiness in adultery.

    Read More

  • Comparing Awakenings in Chopin's The Storm and The Story of an Hour

    1244 Words  | 3 Pages

    Up until the early twentieth century, the accepted role of a woman was that of a housewife and mother. In the opening of ?The Storm,? Calixta exemplifies this homemaker image perfectly; the first time the reader sees Calixta she is ?sewing furiously on a sewing machine? (858). When the storm approaches, her first priority is not her own protection; rather, she gets up ?hurriedly and [goes] about closing windows and doors? and gathering Bobinot?s Sunday clothes, which she had hung out to dry (958). By showing Calixta as a selfless extension of her house and family and not as an individual person, Chopin reiterates the stereotypical inferior image of a woman. After setting up Calixta in this manner, Chopin quickly moves to awaken her with the arrival of her former lover, Alcee Laballiere. Hi...

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The Storm And Birdsong By Kate Chopin

    867 Words  | 2 Pages

    During this time a storm develops leaving them stranded seeking shelter. Alce, the character who appears to be Calixta first love suddenly appears at her house as she is alone seeking shelter from the storm himself. They had not laid eyes on each other since Calixtra was married which from a passage in the text indicated it had been five years at this points “She was a little fuller of figure than five years before” (The Storm, by Kate Chopin). Surprised to see him she invited him in which resulted in the room being filled with feelings and the sensation of flesh they craved for each other. Like the scene in Titanic they drift away making love to each other passionately. At the beginning Calixtra fights to resist the temptation “Bont! She cried, releasing herself from his encircling arms and retreating from the window” (The Storm, by Kate Chopin) but is ultimately overpower by temptation. Calixtra’s moment of awakening comes when Bobint and Bibi returns and she affectionately attends to her husband and effusively kissing her son. In this moment she see what she has, an amazing family. This is a women how just cheated on her husband with a man she has held feelings for but the love for her husband a family unit holds more values, weirdly it took her committing a wrong deed to realize this. Her moment of awakening in the case was positive though

    Read More

  • Free Essays - Analysis of Kate Chopin's The Storm

    687 Words  | 2 Pages

    Soon after this, Calixta who is then feeling the situation gets up to look outside the window, as not to keep looking at Alcee for she knows what may come of it. Alcee then also gets up to look out the window so that he may stand close to Calixta, which shows how Alcee wants to be with her. While Calixta is looking out the window she sees that it is raining hard and there is strong winds and lightning, which clearly signifies how mixed up Calixta’s feelings for Alcee are at that moment. After this Alcee grabs Calixta close to him as she staggers back, she then retreats and immediately asks where her son may be. This also shows that Calixta is having mixed feelings with the situation. Which is the reason she gets loose but does not tell Alcee to control himself but yet like nothing had happened wonders where her son may be, “ Bonte! She cried, releasing herself from his arms encircling arms and retreating to the window… If I only knew were Bibi was!”

    Read More

  • Characterism And Symbolism In Kate Chopin's The Storm

    1218 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Kate Chopin’s “The Storm”, she offers an intoxicating account of two souls awakened by a storm. The story was composed on July 19, 1898. At this time in history women were considered objects, their sole purpose in life was to serve their husbands. In addition, social stratification was an important aspect of society that determined who they married. Calixta’s marriage could have been a product of an arrangement, making it of unnatural origin. Chopin points out singular characteristics of the storm to shed light on the uncommon strength of a marriage when it is not determined by social norms. Consequently, Chopin brings Calixta and Alceé together to embellish their passion, in which Calixta plays an active role rather than a submissive one.

    Read More

  • Kate Chopin's The Storm and The Story of an Hour

    1085 Words  | 3 Pages

    'The Storm' and 'The Story of an Hour' expresses the attitudes of two women's rebirth and liberation. These two stories are alike in several ways. Natures plays a major role in both of these women's lives. Calixta and Mrs. Louise Mallard struggle to find their independence and in doing so the endings are triumphant and tragic.

    Read More

  • The Storm Symbolism Essay

    546 Words  | 2 Pages

    “The rain beat upon the low, shingled roof with a force and clatter that threatened to break an entrance and deluge them there.” is an example of this passion that the storm is showing between the two. Chopin is describing how the passion between Calixta and Alcee is overflowing, and dared anyone to enter the room to break the passion that was so strong between them. Another quote from the narrator is “They did not heed the crashing torrents and the roar of the elements made her laugh as she lay in his arms.”. This quote is explaining the storm, but it is also explaining how Alcee and Calixta were overlooking the storm and concentrating on one

    Read More

  • Views on Sex and Marriage Depicted in Kate Chopin's The Storm

    1308 Words  | 3 Pages

    A storm can represent and symbolize many different meanings. The impact of the word can be brought about in many different views and aspects that arrange themselves to create and portray detailed information and great definition to the subject of the short story as a whole. By using the storm as a symbol, it gives way to a passage that will encounter the relationship and parallel aspect of both the fervent thunder that occurs and the sexual passion that is encountered throughout the story. Kate Chopin opens up an interesting view and tentative explanation of human sexuality and the strong point of view of regulations placed on human sexuality as well as the aspect of trying to control a storm. By tying up these two ideas with one word, Kate Chopin was able to provide a view that would symbolize the premise of desires through variations of the storm.

    Read More

  • A Love Affair in The Storm by Kate Chopin

    339 Words  | 1 Pages

    Kate Chopin's "The Storm", is a short story about a brief love affair that takes place during a storm that has separated Calixta with her husband and son. The title "The Storm" is an obvious reference to the storm outside, but more importantly to the love affair that takes place. The title refers to nature, which is symbolically used again and again in the story. Chopin uses words like "somber clouds", "threatening roar", and "sinister intentions" to describe the approaching storm. Later in the story those same words in reference to the storm outside, will also be represented symbolically to the storm brewing inside with the love affair. In the beginning of the story Bobinot and his son Bibi stay at a store to let the storm pass by. Calixta, the wife , is at home by herself doing some chores around the house. As the storm starts to approach, Alcee rides in and asks Calixta if he could come in until the storm passes. It starts to rain immediately after he arrives. It's important to know that Alcee and Calixta had past together which he brings up to her later in the story. It is also stated that she has never seen him alone. The storm starts to increase outside, reflecting the sexual tension inside. The storm's sinister intention appears when "The rain beat upon the shingled roof that threatened to break an entrance...". It seems that the storm knows what is going on between the two and is threatening to break in and ruin their chances. They move through out the house and end up in the bedroom "with its white, monumental bed, its closed shutters, looked dim and mysterious. The bed being white symbolizes purity. The two then make their way to the window to watch the storm outside when lightning strikes nearby, falling back into his arms. The storm in a sense seems to be forcing them together now. They then embrace each other in the peek of the storm where things really start to get stormy in the love affair. The two then start making out yahda, yahda, yahda. The thunder is now distant and passing away. The storm outside turns into a soft, lighter rain, being symbolic that the storm is ending.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The Storm By Kate Chopin

    716 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout history writers have offered readers lessons through themes and often symbolized. In the story, “The Storm” by Kate Chopin is quite different from “The Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid; both have a different theme, symbol, throughout the stories. “The Storm” in Kate Chopin 's story can symbolize a number of different things: temporary, fleeting and quick action, and without consequences.

    Read More

  • Spunk By Zora Neale Hurston Analysis

    1301 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The Storm”, by Kate Chopin, is a short story about a woman who has intercourse with an old boyfriend, while her husband and son are at the store. While a storm is passing by Alcée happens to stop by and stays at Calixta’s during the storm. The two commit adultery, but never tell anyone. While there are many similarities between these two stories, there are also several differences.

    Read More

  • A State of Mind in Kate Chopin’s "Storm"

    1091 Words  | 3 Pages

    A storm defined by the Princeton dictionary means "violent weather condition, or a direct and violent assault " Kate Chopin personifies and creates imagery of a dark ominous storm heading from the distance with an ominous presence and dark intentions. “…sombre clouds that were rolling with sinister intention from the west, accompanied by a sullen, threatening roar.” The calm before the storm is all but gone, the storm pressing closer and closer, yet, Calixta is not doing much before the unavoidable storm hits her home. By the use of symbolism Kate Chopin shows that Calixta willingly opens herself up in the beginning of the story. “She unfastened her white sacque at the throat” what can this represent? This poor defenseless woman lets her neck out in the open; just like an antelope in the wild that is tired of ruing from a lion gives up by turning their neck towards their predator and giving up their jugular. Calixta is not deterred by the ideals of the time and decides to take her conventional life out of the norm. Rebecca Long-Kluckner from the Association of Young Journalists and writers, writes the folloing "Kate Chopin wrote in a time period that believed women did not even possess sexual desires, but only behaved pro...

    Read More

  • The Storm by Kate Chopin

    1345 Words  | 3 Pages

    The first thing I noticed about Kate Chopin’s “The Storm,” is that it is utterly dripping with sexual imagery and symbolism. Our heroine, if you will, seems to be a woman with normally restrained passions and a well-defined sense of propriety, who finds herself in a situation that tears down her restraint and reveals the vixen within. I wonder if it was intentional that the name Calixta makes me think of Calypso – the nymph from Greek mythology. If half of the sexual symbolism I found in this story was intentional, Chopin was a genius. I was quite taken with the sexual imagery of the colors mentioned: white, and red. There is also mention a place called Assumption, while there’s nothing written on it in the bible, I believe it’s the popular opinion of those of Christian faiths, that Mary (Jesus’ mother) going to heaven was called “The Assumption.” Again, I cannot accept that as merely a happy coincidence, I believe its mention in the story was intentional. Finally, we have the storm, so central to the theme of the story that it was named for it. In this work, as well as others by Chopin, there is a recurring theme of infidelity, or women behaving in ways that society generally doesn’t accept, women behaving badly, if you will, I cannot help but wonder if Kate Chopin used her writing to express desires that she would not otherwise have expressed.

    Read More

  • Literary Elements of The Storm by Kate Chopin

    885 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...way that the story is being interpreted and how the storm influences the story as a whole. Sometimes people need a wakeup call or a 'storm' to make them aware of how good they have things. In this short story Alcee and Calixta both come to realization of how good they have things with their spouses and how that they already found the ones that they love, which weren't each other. This made me aware of how we as people can take things for granted or believing we know what’s best for us. In reality we don't always know what’s best until something occurs and shows us that what we already have is the best.

    Read More

  • Imagery And Symbolism In Kate Chopin's 'The Storm'

    1113 Words  | 3 Pages

    Storytelling has been a common pastime for centuries. Over the years it has evolved into different styles containing different themes. Kate Chopin, a well-known author of the 20th century, wrote stories about the secrets in women’s lives that no one dared to speak of. Her work was not always appreciated and even considered scandalous, but it opened up a world that others were too afraid to touch. In Chopin’s story “The Storm,” a woman has an affair that causes an unlikely effect. The story’s two themes are portrayed greatly through an abundance of imagery and symbolism, along with the two main characters themselves.

    Read More

More about Emotional Imagery within "The Storm"

Open Document