Some people have it all, some people have it all and don’t want it all and some have it all but make senseless decisions that could risk losing their all. In the beginning of the short story ‘The Storm’ by Kate Chopin it opens up with Bibi and Bobinot the loving child and husband of Calixta having to stay at their current location because of the storm. As the storm and story progresses you realize that Calixta’s life is not perfect but it’s her everything, and she does something that could risk losing it. Calixta’s character transforms as the storm progresses. She starts out as a hardworking housewife, turns into an unfaithful wife, and back to a hardworking wife like nothing happened. In the beginning, as the storm is approaching Bobinot and Bibi purchase Calixta some shrimp “Bobinot arouse and going across to the counter to purchase a can of shrimps, of which Calixta was very fond” (121). They were trapped there because of the storm. Calixta was at home unaware of the storm and was so busy with her wifely duties to even acknowledge the storm “Calixta at home, felt no …show more content…
The sun comes out and Calixta and Alcee come to their senses and realize there is no way possible they can be together “The rain was over; and the sun was turning the glistening green world into a palace of gems” (123). Bobinot and Bibi return home safe with their dinner served “Calixta was preparing supper. She had set the table and was dripping coffee at the hearth. She sprang up as they came in,” (pg.124) and not a word was spoken of her unfaithful actions and they continued to live a happy life. After having such a pleasurable evening with Calixta, Alcee went home and wrote a loving letter to his wife explaining that there was no need to hurry back home, and if she wanted to stay a month longer she could. Of course, naïve to what currently happened Alcee’s wife, Clarisse, expects the offer and stay for a month
Caracterra is a white male around the age of 30 years-old. During his childhood, around the ages of 13-15, he had three close friends that he considers a huge part of childhood. He grew up in Manhattan in a community called Hell’s Kitchen. His parents are still together but displayed domestic violence in the home. Loyalty means everything to him, he would do whatever he can for his friends or family. At this moment, Caracterra currently resides in Hell’s Kitchen alone and struggles with letting go of his past childhood.
As the story begins we find Bibi and Bobinot on their way home. They were at Friedheimer’s store; they notice the dark clouds flowing with evil intentions to the west. As its howl pierced the sky they decided to stay until the storm had passed. As Bibi worries for his mother, Bobinot reassures him that she will be fine. Bobinot buys a can of shrimps, which Calixta loves very much. As the storm unleashes bashing the wooden store, Bibi and Bobinot waits till the storm to pass.
This story focuses on the extra-marital affair a housewife named Calixta has while her husband and son are away due to a storm. Although we learn that Calixta has an affair we also know that she doesn’t completely defy the Cult of Domesticity. From the story we get the idea that she remained pure until she married her husband and as Chopin tells us in page 689 “She had not seen him very often since her marriage, and never alone,” this line suggest that even if she saw her past lover around she would not speak to him because neither of them were ever alone and they both didn’t want to disrespect their marriages. In addition Calixta seems to be a very good housewife and mother. She appears to be always tending her home. In page 689 we learn that “[sitting} at a side window sewing furiously on a sewing machine. [Calixta] was greatly occupied and did not notice the approaching storm.” She is so focused on her chores that she didn’t even notice a storm. For Calixta sewing and doing chores around the house is what is normal. She has assumed a role as a married woman and mother and she is fulfilling it. Before the affair you can say that by societies expectations she was a true woman, she kept her virginity until marriage, she makes sure her house chores are done, and she takes care of her family. Even after the affair she acts as if nothing has
Calixta makes it apparent that she needs more from her husband and if he is not going to give her what she needs, she will find it in another man. The story depicts that Bobinôt did not give his wife the attention she needed when Bibi asked, “Mama’ll be ’fraid, yes” and Bobinôt responded by saying, “She’ll shut the house. Maybe she got Sylvie helpin’ her this evenin’” but Bibi corrects him by saying, “No. She ent got Sylvie.
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...
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!”
These two themes are built upon two main characters. Even the smallest details of these characters bring out the themes in a way that can only give the story a happy ending. Calixta still has a place in her heart for Alce, her prince charming, which gives the affair a chance to happen. The overall story is symbolized through the color white and the passing storm which intensifies all of the emotions in the story. “The Storm” was a controversial story that many did not approve of when it was first written. Today it is appreciated, along with most of Chopin’s work, as an important part of the feminine
When facing adversaries, there will always be a factor in the story the protagonist personality flaws are either illustrated or torn apart by their own complications. The worse part it that their identity can be easily influenced by the manipulation of people who are looking to take advantage of the individual's guilt and emotions. In Sinclair Ross’s story, “The painted door”, Anna the main character is manipulated to believe that her husband is not going to arrive home when a blizzard is undergoing; which ultimately leads her to her ultimate downfall. But in the end, this all came down to her failure to remain faithful to her husband, wanting more in her life and the failure to keep her habits in line with her marriage. Ann’s failure endure
This is one aspect of romanticism which Cyrano most definitely embodies with his characteristics of a tragic hero. He is a man controlled by fate, which is a favorite theme of Rostand. With this theme, Smith emphasizes that Cyrano is a pawn of his fate. Smith then proves this notion by explaining how romantic heros are pawns of “fate and events” (374). This shows how Cyrano, despite his positive qualities, is bound for failure due to the nature of the play. It could be argued that Cyrano is not a failure in the fact that his love for Roxanne does not go unanswered. It is devastating that Cyrano spent so much time trying to obtain this happiness and realises all along that “he could have won Roxanne’s love for himself” (“Debating Deception,” n.p.).
“Those who had lived on the island a long time knew that the storm's outcome was beyond their control. This storm might well be like others past that had caused them to suffer, had killed even—or perhaps it might dwindle beneath tonight's stars and give their children snowbound happiness. Who knew? Who could predict? If disaster, so be it, they said to themselves. There was nothing to be done except what could be done. The rest—like
“On the third day of rain they had killed so many crabs inside the house that Pelayo had to cross his drenched courtyard and throw them into the sea, because the newborn child had a temperature all night and they thought it was due to the stench. The world had been sad since Tuesday” (García Már...
me my robe, for I will go” (2.2.105-107). Not only does this statement expand on
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.
...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.
Finally, Kate Chopin’s “The Storm” is a story with a variety of conflict. The conflict of Bobinot against Calixtra shown that conflict can be about relational problems, such as one person worrying over another or failing in their duties. Alcee’s conflict with Calixtra has shown a different side of relational problems, both of them not wanting their partners to find out of their actions, and their guilt in having committed the acts. The final conflict of the story, Alcee against Clarisse, shows that deceit can be another source of conflict, shown when Alcee sent a misleading letter to Clarisse. In conclusion, this story shows that conflict can occur, even when there is no physical confrontation.