ENG 102 I02
February 3, 2013
Draft Essay 1
The Setting of “The Storm”
The setting of Kate Choplin’s story “The Storm” set the tone of the story. The story takes place in the early 1900's. Calixta allowed Alcee to take refuge from a passing storm in her house, while, Calixta’s husband and son wait the storm out at a local store. While waiting the storm out, Calixta and Alcee end up making love. Chopin implies in the story that the theme of adultery is natural and does not necessarily have negative consequences.
The subject of adultery was first introduced soon after Alcee asked Calixta if he may come in to her house to wait out the upcoming storm. That was also the first point when the author lets us know that Calixta still have some feelings for Alcee. This was shown clearly in the story when Chopin writes, "His voice and her own startled her as if from a trance and she seized Bobinot’s vest.” (300) The Storm is parallel to the passion between Alcee and Calixta that Chopin makes it unavoidable to miss it in her writings. Chopin writes, “The playing of the lightning was incessant. A bolt struck a tall chinaberry tree at the edge of the field. It filled all visable space with a blinding glare and the crash seemed to invade the very boards they stood upon. Calixta put her hands to her eyes and with a cry, staggered backwards. Alcee arm encircled her, and for an instant he drew her close and spasmodically to him.” (301) At this point of the story, Chopin makes us see that Alcee was taking some sort of advantage of Calixta in her time of horror and was lusting after Calixta. She writes, “Bonte! she cried, releasing herself from his encircling arm and retreating from the window, the house’ll go net! if I only knew were Bibi was! She would not composed herself; she would not be seated. Alcee clasped her shoulders and looked into her face. The contract of her warm, palpitating body when he had unthinkingly drawn her into his arms, had aroused all