Feminist Analysis Of Kate Chopin's The Storm

Chopin uses time period to her advantage and employs a constraining mentality as a means of shaping Edna’s conflict throughout the story. This is well displayed as Chopin writes that, “...her [Edna’s] new and unexpected line of conduct completely bewildered him. It shocked him. Then her absolute disregard for her duties as a wife angered him” (61-62). As Edna begins to disregard society’s expectations of her as a wife, her husband describes his opinion which is primarily formed by the social expectations of women. The time period’s expectations prove to serve as the first influencing factor which strains Edna’s mentality concerning her freedom. Additionally, this use of societal expectation by Chopin proves to illuminate the overall meaning of her novel. By providing social impact as the driving force of her character’s conflict, Chopin provides commentary on the overbearing social expectations attached to women in both past and present times. The use of society’s influence as a primary conflict serves as a means of providing social commentary and questioning to both the modern and contemporary social standings of women and people as a whole. Chopin uses the struggles and opinions of her main character as a means of illustrating society’s forceful impact in a negative

The incredibly gifted author, Kate Chopin, expresses the irony of Calixta’s marriage in her story The Storm. Women were expected to have certain roles during the 19th century, and she addresses the real truth behind women's thoughts and actions with no concern to what society thought was correct. Chopin contrasts power, class, and morals among women during the 19th century.

Therefore, Kate Chopin focuses on the relationship between Calixta, the noble housewife, and Alcee, her old lover, by reuniting without anyone knowing, Calixta’s son and husband coming home to a happy wife and mother, and both of them not getting caught by cheating on their spouses. When Calixta and Alcee reunited together, they had did not have any care in the world, and it was risky that they could have been caught in the act. It is ironic when the thunder storm started right when Alcee showed up; however, the storm became stronger and that made him come inside Calixta’s house, and the woman sexuality was shown to be constraint as represented by the house chores Calixta performs. Chopin confirms the relationship between Calixta and Alcee’s unlawful experience together, but is not unaware of the dangers to which it may lead. Not only did Calixta commit adultery, but after it happened, her husband and son came home and she acted like nothing happened. They both are greeted by Calixta’s presence as she is pleased to see them return safe and sound and not drenched by the storm, and is excited that her husband brought home shrimp for dinner. Finally, the last claim is Alcee is married to Clarisse; as a matter of fact, he is just as guilty as Calixta. Calixta and Alcee did not get condemned for their guilty actions, which mean they both will

Kate Chopin, an author during the antebellum period, discusses the importance of women throughout many of her works. During the antebellum period, women had no rights compared to men and African Americans had even less rights. Women were stereotypical supposed to stay home and care for the children. Kate Chopin viewed women differently, her works put women in a position of power, which cause great controversy during this time. Throughout the short story entitled “Desiree’s Baby,” Kate Chopin includes many examples of racial and gender bias through irony, element of surprise, and symbolism to support that Armand was unaware of his past and ethnic origin, only learning about his parentage from reading a letter discovered at the end of the story.

Calixta has sexual needs, as well as Alcee. The two of them have a certain connection they share with each other that they can’t find in their own marriages. Bobinot may not be able to satisfy Calixta with her sexual needs as well as Alcee can. Alcee is Calixta’s source of lust, while Bobinot is her source of love. Calixta lacks a passion to explore her desires when she is with Bobinot. She cannot explore what she desires when she is only sleeping with one man. She feels a high level of comfort with herself when she is engaging with Alcee. Alcee clearly makes her feel a certain special way that her husband cannot for her. “Her firm, elastic flesh that was knowing for the first time its birthright, was like a creamy lily that the sun invites to contribute its breath and perfume to the undying life of the world” (89). By obligating to adultery, Calixta is liberating herself from her marriage. Her affair with Alcee is restoring her freedom within her marriage. The encounter plays as a reminder of her maiden days before she weds her husband. Back when she still had her freedom. Alcee regains his sense of freedom too. The affair is refreshing for them

I believe that most talented authors and artist use their life experiences to contribute to their work or projects. In the case of Kate Chopin I found it interesting that she used her past experience of an affair with Albert to ignite the story “The Storm.” Kate Chopin linked the use of names and setting with the stories she wrote based on her actual life experiences. Kate Chopin uses devices such as irony and symbolism, as well as her feminist mindset to project her ideas to the readers in the story “The Storm.”

Kate Chopin’s “The Storm” was written in 1898, but it was published until 1969. “Bibi laid his little hand on his father’s knee and was not afraid”(88), shows that whatever is to come will not cause problems. Kate Chopin uses a lot of symbolism throughout her stories to represent her feelings about things. A character or an object could represent a bigger idea throughout the story, which gives more meaning to the story. An analysis of the symbolism in Kate Chopin’s “The Storm” will show the meaning of the storm, the house, and the relationships.

Kate Chopin is an American author who lived in the 19th century (Wyatt). Kate Chopin is known for being way beyond her time (Evans 262). She wrote about emotions and conflicts no other author of her time would ever think to write about (Evans 262). She grew up with two powerful women, her mom and grandmother, who influenced her views on society (Wyatt). One of her more controversial work is her short story entitled “The Storm”. In her short story “The Storm”, Kate Chopin uses symbolism, Emotional conflict, and diction to display a woman’s right to her own body and point out women stereotypes to produce a change in society.

In the late 1800s, nearly all women were viewed as subservient, inferior, second class females that lived their lives in a patriarchal and chauvinist society. Women often had no voice, identity, or independence during that time period. Moreover, women dealt with the horrors of social norms and the gender opposition of societal norms. The primary focus and obligation for a woman to obtain during the 1800s was to serve her husband and to obey to anything he said. Since women were not getting the equality, freedom, or independence that they desired, Kate Chopin, an independent-minded female American novelist of the late 1800s expressed the horrors, oppressions, sadness, and oppositions that women of that time period went through. Her works focused

In the short story “The Storm” by Kate Chopin, the heroin Calixta experienced a sense of freedom due to an affair and the absence of her husband and used symbolism and imagery to convey the emotions throughout the text. Chopin’s stories were very risqué and provocative for their times due to the risks she took such as the independence and sexual freedom of the women. During this time, it was not uncommon for women to be discriminated against in the literary world, and “The Storm” was quite controversial for its content. Calixta had an affair with Alcee, an old love of hers, as her husband and child, Bobinôt and Bibi, left the house. Chopin used the weather to symbolize the internal nature of Calixta as her sexual tendencies were absent or suppressed

Kate Chopin wrote numerous poems and short stories. In my essay I will primarily deal with her novel The Awakening and the short story At the Cadian Ball. I will try to address women’s issues in her fiction, such as motherhood, marriage, adultery, sexuality. When it comes to Chopin, there is plentitude of topics to be dealt with; however, I selected only a few to focus on. For her fiction, the concept of ‘mother-woman’ is highly important; nonetheless, before addressing that, I will give a short portrait of the author-woman behind it – Kate Chopin herself. Moreover, during her time, a concept of “New Woman” was emerging and her heroines (such as Edna Pontellier, Calixta, Clarisse) reflect some of the characteristics. And finally

The first theme Chopin demonstrates is the freedom of women in the nineteenth century. Many women

This shows a balance between gender roles, as well as the embracing progressive changes within culture and society. In the story “The Story of an Hour,” by Kate Chopin, a third-person omniscient narrator, relates how Mrs. Louise Mallard, the protagonist, experiences the euphoria of freedom rather than the grief of loneliness after hearing about her husband’s death. Later, when Mrs. Mallard discovers that her husband, Mr. Brently Mallard, still lives, she realizes that all her aspiration for freedom has gone. The shock and disappointment kills Mrs. Mallard. Kate Chopin reveals how language, institutions, and expected behavior restrain the natural desires and aspirations of women in patriarchal societies.

Women’s rights have drastically improved since the 1800’s. The model of patriarchy was widely accepted as a social norm in America and many other countries until the early to mid 1900’s. Today women are still fighting the belittlement that the patriarchal model deemed acceptable. The character of the rebellious strong women is still one today that many women look up to; especially women in very oppressive middle east countries. In Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, Chopin strives to argue social emancipation for women

The topic I chose to conduct my research on is the short story “The Story of an Hour”, by Kate Chopin. While reading this story the deeper meaning may not be initially apparent, but after some careful analyzation it is clear what led to Mrs. Mallard’s demise. I have chosen to conduct my research on “The Story of an Hour” because I previously studied it in my Intro to Fiction course last semester and it’s impactful message stood out. The deeper message being communicated through “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin is how oppression by patriarchal forces hinders female independence.