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Symbolism In The Storm By Kate Chopin

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The storm is well on its way. “The Storm” by Kate Chopin, is occurring sometime in the 19th century in a small, country town around New Orleans, Louisiana. Calixta and Alcee, the main characters are in for a surprise as an eye-opening storm is soon to come. See, Calixta and Alcee aren’t strangers, it’s just been a while since they’ve seen each other. Roughly around six years ago they had a rendezvous, but both ended up marrying other people. It seems that they were both happily married. Chopin uses the storm to symbolize bringing the former lovers together. The apparent emotion, the scandal and infidelity that take place, are all products of this storm that Chopin says is underway. Chopin begins the story with Calixta’s husband Bobinot and small son Bibi stuck in town at Friedheimer’s store waiting for the storm to pass. This being the starting point of the story shows how Chopin is setting the storm up to move the story, Bobinot and Bibi are stuck in town due to the storm, while Calixta is home alone having no idea what is soon to come, “She was greatly occupied and did not notice the approaching storm” (Chopin 5). Chopin uses the storm to not only make it convenient for …show more content…

The rain beat softly upon the shingles” (Chopin 25). Calixta watches Alcee ride away and he “turned and smiled at her with a beaming face; and she lifted her pretty chin in the air and laughed aloud” (Chopin 25). After the sexual encounter with Alcee, Calixta’s whole mood changes. She’s now happy, it’s a relief for her. She needed this to happen so that she could go back to being happy with Bobinot. Even though infidelity isn’t to be looked at as something good, in both Calixta’s and Alcee’s case it was. Calixta was now able to go back to her life with Bobinot as if nothing ever happened, and as far as he knew, nothing ever

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