The Storm The storm is said to be the sequel after “The ‘Cadian Ball” written by American author Kate Chopin in 1898. Kate Chopin, or Katherine O’Flaherty, was born on February 8, 1851 and spent most of her time writing short stories such as “The Storm” and “The Awakening”. Many times she claimed that she freely wrote on impulse, but many people respected her stories because of the immense radical descriptions and opinions that she conveyed. “…Speaks radically to issues of gender, sexuality, and the American family.”(Baym 529) Many of her stories were highly recognized for their perspective on her ideas and thoughts. However, “The Storm” was never submitted for publishing and was not published until 1969, which was after Kate Chopin had passed away. In my opinion, I believe that the title of this short story plays as a form of foreshadowing the storm as the choice that Calixta makes. “sombre clouds that were rolling with sinister intention.” At the beginning of the story, everything seems to be the calm that comes before the storm in other words. Calixta is one of the main characters in the story; she is married to Bobinot and have a child named BiBi. We find BiBi, the son, and Bobinot, the husband waiting for the storm to pass in Friedheimer’s Store. While the beginning of the story portrays how the husband and son feel about Calixta. It quickly makes a shift to Calixta at home sewing away by a window without realizing the storm that is approaching at the horizon. The statement at the beginning of the story “she had not seen him very often since her marriage, and never alone.” Made me feel as if this was not something that had never happened before I felt as if they used to see each other rather often and now since her marriage to Bobinot, it has become something that is a little less frequent. Another key statement in the story is the reference to assumption which is known as the setting to the ‘cadian ball. “do you remember- in assumption, Calixta ?” this statement gave me the grave reminder that something like this has definitely occurred more than once and that what they still had was more than just sexual frustration towards one another. I find that the entire story is playing a part as irony to the baseline of the story. I feel as if the storm that everyone is waiting for is Calixta betraying her marriage to Bobinot. Calixta is not the only one to blame in this story however because Alcee is also married and has children with Clarisse he is also at fault for everything that happened between the two. We have two individuals who are married with families and who are still making the decision without properly thinking of any consequences for having an affair.
I believe that the short story is explaining a love triangle that consists of Kate Chopin as a character in her own story. I believe that Chopin is made out to be Clarisse, the wife of Alcee Laballiere. The wife of Alcee is named Clarisse, who is residing with her children in New Orleans. I believe that Chopin was telling this story as a third person recalling events in her life leading to this point in time on her life. I believe the Chopin understood what it felt to be betrayed by her spouse and felt that if she directed her thoughts about how easily someone could have an affair she could understand how someone could actually go through with such an act. In my eyes, I feel as if Calixta didn’t really care too much for her family. In the story in it mentioned, “Calixta, at home, felt no uneasiness for their safety.” (Baym 533) And after the storm passes and