The Storm By Kate Chopin: The Restoration Of Pleasure
Family relationships possess a strong theme within American Literature. Whether loving or failing, relationships with siblings, children, and parents are the source of an individual’s development. The outcomes of family relationships and how essential a family is to all living humans is brought out clearly in Kate Chopin’s short story, “The Storm. ”
The story is set to the period of the 19th century in Southern United States, where usually dangerous storms would take place. The dangerous environment emphasizes the storm that is occurring in the story makes it an ideal environment for an adulterous affair. The setting takes place in a small town in Louisiana focused on the main character Calixta’s and husband Bobinôt’s home. In the story Calixta sought freedom selfishly by breaking away from her stereotypical life, attempting to disregard her duties as a mother and wife through an affair with a man named Alcee, thus unknowingly breaking her stable relationship with her husband Bobinôt while Alcee slowly breaks his bond with his wife Clarissa. Comment by Maria Cardona: Chopin’s short story, “The Storm”, is an ideal depiction of how families in American literature date back to a time were war and social expectations prevailed. In the story it is mentioned that “As she stepped outside, Alcée Laballière rode in at the gate. She had not seen him very often since her marriage, and never alone.
“Calixta and Alcee known to be the main characters of the story demonstrate they both shared a past together, but their union was an impossible one. Both are now married with a family of their own, yet both regretful of their decision to conform to a life they never truly wanted. This quote is a source of evidence that suggests how intense Calixta and Alcee’s relationship must have been before they decide to have an affair behind their families’ back. This scenario demonstrates that no matter how long a marriage may prolong, there may be always be a second thoughts about it, suggesting that family relationships can vastly change when communication, gratitude, and affection are at stake. At the beginning of the story both Bibi and Bobinot are out at the shop buying groceries but get stuck in a wild storm. Calixta is sitting at home comfortably, demonstrating little concern for her family who are stuck in terrifying storm and does nothing to go out there and help them. Instead Calixta does the unthinkable, she secretly betrays her husband by committing adulterous acts along with Alcee under their roof stated in the story that states that “When he touched her breasts they gave themselves up in quivering ecstasy, inviting his lips. Her mouth was a fountain of delight. And when he possessed her, they seemed to swoon together at the very borderland of life's mystery.
Calixta’s was not forced into the sexual acts by Alcee, but was by out of her own free will. “Then, prepared for the worst – the meeting with an over-scrupulous housewife, they entered cautiously at the back door. ” Bobinot is intimidated by how his wife Calixta will react when she sees Bibi’s clothes covered in mud. The reader can conclude from this that Calixta becomes upset and angry too quickly over small inconveniences and disregards her role as a mother when it comes to helping her son out with his messy clothing. Calixta was a woman that sought-after freedom away from her seemingly unhappy married to Bobinot. The author may not have mentioned this publicly, but asserts Calixta’s marriage was unfulfilling and lacking pleasure. Calixta’s lover, Alcee, felt the same way about his marriage “realizing their health and pleasure were the first things to be considered.
The relationship between Calixta and Alcée brought out a spark of passion that was not present in their marriages. Calixta was scared of the storm but Alcée's presence and calmness relaxed her physically. In the story it mentioned that Emotionally their passion was driven by nature, and it brought out her sexuality that was kept dormant from her younger years. In the story, Calixta the main character, is portrayed as someone who shows little interest for her husband. “Devoted as she was to her husband, their intimate conjugal life was something which she was more than willing to forego for a while. ” She did not mind the idea of not having her husband by her side. Instead she seemed even more at peace with herself, knowing that the storm was her ticket to a temporary escape from her reality. It is clear after close analysis that family relationships in American literature during the 19th century explain that marriages are not always perfect and can be easily be debilitated by one’s individual fulfillment and selfishness through committing wrongful acts whether other members of the family are or are not fully aware of those acts. The idea of disregarding one’s role in the family can lead to the person to become selfish and regretful when the heat of the moment is gone.
Perhaps Calixta and Alcee, the main characters’ attempt in seeking freedom for a moment was successful, but in the long run they know they will head back to their regular lives. Temporary happiness might not always be preferable if a person wants to maintain a good relationship with their family while committing selfish and wrongful acts and expecting to get away with it. Calixta`s and Alcee though believe that their secret relationship would restore their health and pleasure, but family relationships can not be restored through lies, forgetting one’s priorties, and losing sense of their role within the family household.
