Analysis of Kate Chopin’s “The Storm” Essay

Kate Chopin’s short story, â€Å"The Storm,† generally revolves around the theme of adultery. This is depicted by the story’s two main characters, Calixta and Alcee, who became involved in a momentary affair with one another. In the story, Alcee, who is Calixta’s former lover, had to take refuge into her home because of a strong storm passing by. Upon doing so, the two rekindled their past affections, which are mainly sensual, for each other.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The theme of adultery was first depicted the moment Calixta let Alcee into her home. This was also the first instance that the author showed that she may still have hidden desires for Alcee. This was vividly illustrated when Calixta was â€Å"startled† (Chopin) by Alcee as if she was in a â€Å"trance† (Chopin). Although she was mainly concerned for her husband, Bobinà ´t, and her son, Bibi, who both decided to remain on a store until the storm had passed, she eventually gave in to Alcee when he hugged her and they subsequently had sex, which signifies that her feelings for him were still alive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, despite the fact that adultery was evidently the main theme of the story, the actions of Calixta and Alcee had no negative consequences or adverse affects. This was shown when the author depicted that the sexual activity of the two heightened just as the storm ravaged the surroundings. In short, like any other storm, the author implied that adultery was normal and natural. This was further supported by the last sentence in the story which was â€Å"So the storm passed and everyone was happy† (Chopin). In other words, the storm symbolized, in a way, the adulterous acts of Calixta and Alcee. But the difference is, their actions did not adversely affect any character in the story as everyone remained happy. Works Cited Chopin, Kate. â€Å"The Storm.† About.com. 2008. 27 September 2008 .