The Importance of Weather in The Storm
The Storm, by Kate Chapin, is a short story about two people that have and affair during a storm. Basically, it’s like this. The story involves two families, that of Bobinot, Calixta, and Bibi, and Alcee, Clarisse, and their babies. Calixta is at her house separated from her family due to the storm. Alcee is separated from his family because they are visiting another town. The storm brings Calixta and Alcee together and they have an affair. It s set in a small town in the late 1800s. A storm can mean many things, both good and bad, and it is important to the story both symbolically and directly.
The storm acts as a catalyst in the story as it causes the events to unfold as they do. The first real direct effect the storm has in the story is that it is what causes Bobinot and Bibi to stay at the local store to take shelter. This of course leaves Calixta home alone. Alcee, we are lead to believe, was out riding his horse somewhere near Calixta s house when the storm started. This causes him to take shelter there.
Before Calixta got married five years earlier, the two had romantic feelings toward each other. They rarely saw each other after that, and this what the first time since then that they had been alone together. Because of the awkward feelings he had, Alcee expressed an intention to remain outside (666). This is where the storm, because it is a rather big storm, forces him to go inside. Once inside it seems harmless conversation would be all that took place. But alas, the storm once again comes into play. While Calixta, worried about her family, it looking out the window the storm sends down a huge lightning bolt into a tree nearby. This causes her to jump and for Alcee to instinctively grab her in his arms. The storm now comes into play one last time. As Calixta is nervously pacing around the house (because of the storm), Alcee grabs her shoulders in an attempt to calm her down. At this point their old feelings become too overwhelming resulting in an affair. When the storm ends, it symbolizes the end of the affair. We are never told what Chapin meant by the title The Storm.
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!”
According to Center for Disease Control and Protection, about 4,700 people under age twenty one die from injuries involving underage drinking every year. Illegal alcohol consumption has been a major problem with high school students around the nation. Lowering the drinking age from twenty one would result in major consequences for America’s adolescents. By lowering the drinking age, alcohol would be more accessible to those who choose to participate in underage drinking. The desire to drink for teens and young adults between the ages of fourteen and twenty can be caused by peer pressure or an act of rebellion. One beer might not seem like a big deal at the time, but it could lead to a life of addiction and alcoholism.
Perhaps the clearest examples of foreshadowing in "The Storm" are the made when Chopin introduces the storm, writes that Calixta and Alcée had never been alone together since her marriage, calls attention to Calixta unbuttoning her garment because of the heat, mentions the distance separating Calixta from her husband and son and describes Calixta's physical appearance. These areas of foreshadowing maintain the reader's interest in the story and prepare the readers for the turn of events.
Sopher, Christopher. “How We Get Hammered: The European vs. U.S. Drinking Age.” thenextgreatgeneration.com. 28 July 2010. Print.
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.
A lot of the time, teens think it is ‘cool’ to drink because everyone else does it. Almost every television show that young people watch have some underage substance abuse, leading adolescents to believe that it can’t be that bad. While society plays a big part in this huge problem, both teens and parents need to learn that there can be severe consequences from as little as one drink. Allowing them to think this kind of behavior is acceptable will haunt them for the rest of their lives, even if they are not alcohol related. Believing that such behavior is acceptable now will lead them to bad decision-making skills in the future when faced with an ethical decision. Teens need to know the major effects can come from underage drinking before going to that party or when being pressured into something they may not be willing to participate in. It is obvious that the long and short-term effects of alcohol abuse can be easily avoided by getting educated and thinking before engaging in any self-destructive
were drinking to get drunk than their counterparts a decade earlier, and one recent study reported an increase, just since 1994, in the number of students who drink deliberately to get drunk? (Smith 1). I interviewed my friend Shelly Mitchell who recently turned twenty-one and asked her how she felt about finally being legal to drink. She quoted, ?It is not as exciting to drink anymore, I mean I still like to go out with my friends to bars, but the fun is all over, in high school and college it was so exciting trying to get alcohol by using a fake ID.? All of these factors could be changed by lowering the drinking age to eighteen. In a study done by the Harvard School of Public Health, binge drinking is defined as five drinks in a row for boys and four drinks for girls. And when they did a survey they found that 44% of the students attending Harvard binge drink (Jeffrey Kluger 1).
...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.
I will say that the research was not surprising to me and my initial thoughts were for the argument of changing the legal drinking age to 18 due to the fact that as a legal adult we are able to “vote, smoke cigarettes, serve on juries, get married, sign contracts, be prosecuted as adults, and join the military” (“Should the Drinking Age”) and if an 18 year old can decide my fate in a court room, why can they not decide whether they want a drink or not? As I did more reading and really let my mind absorb both sides of the story, it became clear to me that the freedoms were not so that a young adult can enjoy life, but moreover the fact that they could be potentially responsible for their own well-being and the lives of the people around them. Those facts made me ask myself if I would have wanted my 18-year-old self responsible for those around me while consuming alcohol and was I even responsible enough for myself to only consume an acceptable amount? The answer was obviously no. My opinion turned at that point and I continued to research the opposing position and found more realities that although 18 is of adulthood, it may not be at full maturity on certain matter. I came across a very interesting statement made in the list of pros and cons from ProCon.org, “A person cannot legally purchase a handgun, gamble in a casino (in most states), or adopt a child until age 21, rent a car (for most companies) at age 25, or run for President until age 35. Drinking should be similarly restricted due to the responsibility required to self and others” (“Should the Drinking Age”). That alone can open a whole new door when it comes to the age of maximum responsibility, but it also means 21 is not as high as it can go. Luckily statistics show that healthy minds
As teenagers reach maturity and start developing their social activities to the point where weekend-and often weeknight-parties becomes the regular occurrence, they are often looking for a means to escape soberness. They would to love put their hair down and drink alcohol as they socialize and or dance with their friends, a leisure that they have seen older siblings, parents, friends, television and ultimately society do over and over again. As they graduate from high school and move on with their lives-whether that be to college, a job or travelling-they will be exposed more and more to alcohol and inebriation. Yet if they were to take part in this recreation, they would in fact be committing a crime punishable by a court case and further action. Yet this legal aspect has very little practical effect, because the large majority of the 18 and over age group still drinks. In fact, a recent survey conducted stated that almost half (48%) of all college drinking has been attributed to those who are underage. Furthermore, underage drinking accounts for between 11-20% of all alcohol con...
In“The Storm”, Bibi, a young boy, and his father, Bobinot, wait out a storm at a local store. They are both very concerned about the well being of a third member of their family, Calixta, but they cannot do anything about it until the storm is over. Calixta, at home, knows that there is a storm about to break out. An old boyfriend coincidentally stays with her while the storm is taking place. Calixta and her old boyfriend, Alce, see a spark in their lusts for each other then start to make out and the making out leads to sex. When the storm passes, the old boyfriend, Alce leaves. Bibi and Bobinot, Calixta’s husband, never find out that Alce was there. When the child and Babinot return home, Calixta is really glad to see them. In the end of the story, Alce writes a letter to his wife, Clarisse, saying that it’s OK with him if she wants to stay longer on her trip. She is relieved because she wants a break from her husband and the romantic aspect of their relationship. When the storm passes, everything works out well for everyone.
People who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who wait until age 21. Each additional year of delayed drinking onset reduces the probability of...
One can tell that the values, beliefs, and attitude that Engs has towards the topic of underage drinking are strong. This argument is very persuasive and convincing because of the emotions, facts, and values that Engs includes in this article. This article could change the government’s perspective about the legal drinking age. Society could come to the realization that the drinking age should change to 18 or 19. Other countries or cultures have this law why shouldn’t we? This is the question one may ponder while reading this argument.
drinkers scared off the above 21 crowd, just took up space, and did not drink
According to Windle et al. (2009) adolescents between the ages of 10 and 15 are beginning to consume alcohol. Adolescents are going through puberty at this stage. This means that they are experiencing greater emotional mood swings, greater emotions when dealing with emotional events, and tend to break more rules and exhibit rule breaking behaviors (Windle, et al., 2009). 19.5 percent of 8th graders and 42.1 percent of 10th graders reported having been drunk in their lifetime (Windle, et al., 2009). It is said that the adolescents that consistently drink through this period of time are more likely to have a harder time transitioning into adulthood (Zhong, et al., 2010).