Kate Chopin The Storm

Essay 3 The Storm of Love ``The Storm`` by Kate Chopin is a story that starts with a situation in which a small boy,

Bibi, and his father, Bobinôt, spend time in a local store during the storm. Meanwhile, Calixta,

Bibi’s mother is home alone. Suddenly Calixta realizes a storm is blowing outside of her home.

She goes outside to gather Bobinot’s Sunday clothes and then she meets her old boyfriend,

Alcée. Calixta accepts Alcee’s request to come inside the home until the storm passes the area.

Inside the home they are alone together. They start being affectionate with each other and later have sexual

She welcomes her husband and son warmly. Alcée writes a letter to his wife,

Clarisse that she can stays longer on her trip. Clarisse is also glad to have more time away from her husband. Chopin’s central idea is that the physical needs of both women and men can have significant benefits for the success of their marriage. Calixta is not fulfilled in her marriage because Bobinot is a subservient and abjectly obedient to her. She doesn’t think that he is a mature husband. During the storm, she feels so worried about the safety of Bobinot and Bibi and she mentions that ``there is Bobinot with Bibi out in the storm- if he only didn’t leave Friedheimer.`` Calixta feels excessive nervousness because she is not sure Bobinot is smart enough to stay safe in a place like the local store during the storm. Further reinforcing Bobinot’s subservience is the fear that he shows when he reaches the home and ``they entered cautiously at the back door.`` Bobinot resembles a guilty child that comes to his mother from the back door while making excuses along the way. He doesn’t act like a confident or real man. Calixta also treats her husband like a second child, when she gives him

In fact, the sexual revolution of the early 19th century’s society influences Calixta in showing her sexual desire like a man. In that historical time, women developed their identity and started to criticize the traditional marriage. They started to accept that it is not wrong women to pursue sexual or emotional passions as men do. Therefore, Calixta releases her natural feeling of physical need and shows willingly her desire that ``was like a white flame.`` She presents her sexual passion generously to Alcee because she feels that it’s a time to be satisfied. Alcee feels that her sexual drive resembles the white part of the flame that is the hottest part. It also symbolizes the pure passion that Calixta shows to reach her sexual peak that has never been reached before in her life. They achieve the magical moment of the greatest pleasure when ``he possessed her, they seemed to swoon together at very borderland of life’s mystery. `` The attractions and the mystery of their connection lead them move beyond the normal sexual experiences. They encounter the delightful moment that is very difficult to reach, with a high degree of sexual