Sexual Tension In Kate Chopin's 'The Storm'

As the Storm Rages On In the late 1800s the rolls of a female in both marriage and society were very different from their roles today. Women were expected to take care of the home and children, while the men worked to provide the money and necessities. Women were expected to be submissive to their husband, even if that left them unsatisfied mentally or sexually. In the era that “The Storm” was written a woman having an affair was unheard of. Kate Chopin went against all societal norms to give us this short story. This story was so controversial that it wasn’t eve published while she was alive. Chopin gives the female gender a more defining role and voice, while using the storm as a metaphorical representation of a woman’s sexual tension. This story begins with Bobonit and his son, Bibi out shopping when dark clouds begin to for and thunder begins to roll in from the west. Bobonit knows that he and his son will never beat the storm home, so he makes the decision to wait it out at the store. Meanwhile, Calixta notices the

Kate Chopin uses this story to make a bold statement about women not only appreciating their bodies, but also about women not being afraid to indulge themselves in sexual pleasure. Calixta and Alcee have went against all morals in their day and time by having and adulterous affair. They gave into a moment of passion to satisfy themselves not only sexually, but mentally as well. This mental storm has obviously been raging in them for years. The fact that Calixta as a women feels no remorse and is unapologetic about cheating on her husband is disturbing to me. It may be more common in today’s society, but back when Chopin wrote this story, a women cheating on her husband was not heard of. I cannot even fathom how society would have reacted to this scandal, especially since Bobonit seemed so devoted to Calixta. Adultery in my opinion is a monumental