Symbolism In The Storm By Kate Chopin

Symbolism Kate Chopin is a notorious author who is best know for her stories about daring women in the early 1900’s. Chopin writes to convey messages of freedom and independence surrounding women and she often used symbolism to help. In one of her short stories, she writes about a woman, Calixta, trapped in her house during a storm with a past lover, meanwhile, her husband, Bobinot, and son are stuck waiting out the storm in a convenience store. Calixta is worried about her family, but other emotions seem to overcome her and the other characters. In Kate Chopin’s, “The Storm,” the colors, the can of shrimps, and the storm are major symbols that express emotions within the characters. Chopin uses the colors red and white to describe scenes to her readers and, when read in between the lines, they are examples of symbolism. In the story, Calixta’s past boyfriend, Alcee, shows up to wait the storm out together, and amid the storm

The storm is mentioned many times throughout the whole story, it’s a symbol for the passion between Alcee and Calixta also, for the built up, and eventually released, frustration within Calixta. The reader can see the symbolism of passion when Chopin writes, “the rain was coming down in sheets obscuring the view of far-off cabins... a bolt filled all visible space with a blinding glare and the crash seemed to invade the very boards they stood upon,” (89). The storm is at it’s peak in this scene and so is the magnetic passion that’s raging between the two secret lovers. The storm was over when Alcee left, Chopin describes, “the rain was over; and the sun was turning the glistening green world into a place of gems,” (90). Calixta’s husband and son return home shortly after. The storm symbolizes Calixta’s internal frustration, after the affair had taken place all that frustration was released. Calixta went back to her normal happy life, the storm passed, and it was like nothing ever