Kate Chopin The Storm Analysis

“No body, but he who has felt it, can conceive what a plaguing thing it is to have a man’s mind torn asunder by two projects of equal strength, both obstinately pulling in a contrary direction at the same time.” Laurence Sterne’s quote of mental conflict relates to Kate Chopin’s novel, “The Awakening”, where Chopin’s main character faces contrasting influences concerning her life. The two influences which direct the actions of Chopin’s main character, Edna, are the novel’s contemporary views concerning a woman’s position in society, and Edna’s unorthodox personal opinions. Both opposing impacts form the mental contrast which directs Edna’s inner conflict throughout Chopin’s novel, and Edna’s conflicting influences prove to illuminate the meaning

To the untrained eye, a story could be viewed one-dimensionally; a tale might only appeal to emotion while logic is left out in the cold. Equally, logic may be forgotten while emotion is heavily focused on. However, through the use of Critical Lenses, readers can begin to see greater depth in literature. As readers find connections through Critical Lenses, they become more educated on various topics, more aware of social, political, and even logical abstractions. Instead of failing to retain the intent and content of the material, they even can remember details of stories more vividly when truly examining literature rather than reading it once for entertainment (or chore). Lenses help readers to focus in on literature in more specific ways, in turn, readers understand

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

Kate Choplin a renowned literary figure in writing short stories about women and feminism is the author of “the storm” an “the story of an hour” two stories that demonstrate the unhappiness experienced by two married women .In the two stories, the author uses a different setting, literary elements, plot development ,and characters to tell tales of women and their search for freedom, during a time in which society was marked by extreme male chauvinism.While the story of the storm relates directly to marriage and love as the main barrier of the freedom of women, the story of an hour addresses marriage and love to repression and unhappiness. The “story of an hour” and “the storm” have similarities as well as differences in terms of the setting, the characters used, and the plot.

In Kate Chopin 's novel The Awakening and the short story “The Story of An Hour” feminist beliefs overshadow the value in moral and societal expectations during the turn of the century. Due to Louise Mallard and Edna Pontellier Victorian life style they both see separating from their husband as the beginning of their freedom. Being free from that culture allows them to invest in their personal interest instead of being limited to what 's expected of them. Chopin 's sacrifices her own dignity for the ideal of society’s expectations. Chopin 's sad, mysterious tone seems to support how in their era, there was a significant lack of women 's rights and freedom of expression.

The mere presence of sexual desire in Calixta is a feminist statement itself, as sex was considered out of a woman’s metaknowledge, which is shown as the storm passes by. The thunderstorm is used to illustrate the time span of the sexual encounter between Calixta and Alcee. For example, Calixta’s hesitant behavior ends as the first lightning strikes, her sexual desire grows as the storms roars while progressing and the two depart as the storm ends. Chopin paints sensual images in our minds as she describes the experience along with Calixta’s honesty of enjoying it, making a feminist statement again. Chopin boldly reveals the truths about sexual relationships, targeting those not in a sacred marriage and empowers women to appreciate their bodies and

“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin introduces us to Mrs. Mallard as she reacts to the sudden death of her husband. Chopin describes Mrs. Mallard’s emotions as sad, yet happy that her husband has been killed. Kate Chopin’s “ The Story of an Hour” argues that when a person is controlled and made to live under another person their mental state of mind is affected. The story also argues that when that person is freed from the controlling person their true self can finally be achieved. Kate Chopin portrays these themes by the use of character development; plot control, and irony throughout the story.

Kate Chopin used the storm as a form of symbolism. “A bolt struck a tall chinaberry tree at the edge of the field.” In this sentence, Kate Chopin wrote this to describe the intense relationship that was going on in the story, leading to an affair that had been ignited between Alcee and Calixta. Kate Chopin then adds on, “They did not heed the crashing torrents, and the roar” and “The generous abundance of her passion, without guile or trickery, was like a white flame which penetrated and found response in depths of his own sensuous nature that had never yet been reached.” Kate Chopin describes how the storm got progressively stronger and so did the intimate encounter between Alcee and Calixta. This paints a vivid picture for the reader to imagine the intensity and passion Alcee and Calixta experienced in the story. Once the storm has subsided so did the intimate encounter between the two leaving the readers with “So the storm passed and everyone was happy.” The irony in the storm was that Calixta felt no regrets for her intimate actions with a married man. If anything she felt more sexually relieved and happy from this affair

The storm in the story symbolizes her emotions. In the story, the storm arrived at Calixta’s house while Alcee had ridden up, “As she stepped outside, Alcee Laballiere rode in at the gate” (88). This meant that the emotion between Calixta and Alcee would become stronger. “’My! What a rain! It’s good two years sence it rain’ like that,’ exclaimed Calixta” (88) is said, because it shows that she expressed her emotions with Bobinot in a while. The lightning bolt caused a change in emotions between Calixta and Alcee. “Calixta put her hands to her eyes, and with a cry, staggered backward. Alcee’s arm encircled her, and for an instant he drew her close and spasmodically to him “(89). When they kissed “it reminded him of Assumption” (89) and their emotion for each other grew. As the storm crashed outside, their emotion became stronger and “Calixta was a revelation in that dim, mysterious chamber” (89). She was in a revelation, because she

Every book is different because every writer will have their own unique style of presenting their thoughts and ideas. These differences can be seen in the different stylistic elements that an author will employ and how they utilize them. In the Narrative of Frederick Douglass, Douglass attempts to demonstrate the horrors of slavery. In The Awakening, Kate Chopin demonstrates how the main character Edna is unpleased with the standard roles of women. When developing their purposes Frederick Douglas and Kate Chopin utilized various stylistic elements in mostly different manners.

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

The Storm written by Kate Chopin takes place on a stormy day, with a cyclone approaching. Calixta sat upon a sewing table diligently sewing while her husband Bobinot and son Bibi went to the Friedhelmers store. Bobinot watched as the storm and using his conceses Bobinot decided to stay at the store to keep out of the storms path. Back at the home, Calixta was rushing to prepare for the storm, Alcee a towns man, came riding up asking for shelter until the cyclone passed. Calixta began to worry deeply about her missing family. She become hysteric the feeling of uneasiness overcoming her. Calixta turns to Alcee for comfort but what started as a simple embrace soon turned into much more. Women who are engaged in an unfulfilling marriage like Calixta will turn to other men for comfort and intimacy.

This can be demonstrated by a pair of foils whom she develops with. Edna loves Robert, lusts over Alcee, and ultimately desires to desert her husband. This idea further exemplifies Edna’s newfound social power as she defies from her husband to have affairs with other men. Although her desire for relationship with Robert is based on love, her lust for Alcee produces a theme that comments on the differentiation and power of the two emotions. Edna demonstrates her feelings towards Robert as she states, “‘I love you,’ she whispered, ‘only you; no one but you’” (147). Her plea is contradicted earlier though, when she tells him, “I am no longer one of Mr. Pontellier’s possessions to dispose of or not. I give myself where I choose” (146). Although Edna says she loves Robert, the effect of individuality still persists as though she says she still has control over herself. The two men also parallel the other theme of compliance to standards. Edna does want to devote herself to her love, but when he leaves, she continues her awakening. As she develops, her realization of control over men increases and she decides she could be with whomever she pleases. Robert creates further conflict for Edna in that her love for him is consuming, especially since she feels none towards her husband. This problem further develops when she has an affair with Alcee and betrays her true love. These actions are merely

The idea of marriage and what was considered an ideal union has drastically evolved. Marriage has only become an option in our civilization it’s no longer a social requirement, neither a priority for a female or male to get marry. In “The Yellow Wallpaper” Charlotte Perkins Gilman illustrates a controlling and dysfunctional relationship that also relates to “The Story of an Hour” where Kate Chopin also reveals a dysfunctional and unhappy marriage. When paired together, both pieces of writing portrait the other side of marriage where everything is not just a happy ending and it’s shown as incarceration and loss of freedom. Also, both writing take place in the nineteenth century, a time period when marriage was considered the right thing to do