The Storm by Kate Chopin

The Storm by Kate Chopin was a very interesting piece that gave insight into the life of two couples, although, perhaps they could be considered three couples because of the affair that put them together. The plot was rather simple. The husband and son of Calixta, Bobinot and Bibi respectively, went off to the marketplace. A storm blew in and during the storm a man, Alcee, comes to the house in which Calixta is furiously sewing. When he arrives at the door she welcomes him in with an initial reluctance. That reluctance wears off after a short bit, and they have quite the romantic scene together. Then the storm calms down. Alcee rides off. Bibi and Bobinot return and Calixta quite warmly welcomes them. They had brought her favorite shrimps and taken the time to clean up before they arrived home, so as not to be a disgraceful presence. They begin about preparing for dinner. Meanwhile, Alcee goes home and writes a letter to his wife, Clarisse, who is happily visiting relatives with their children. At the end, no one is the wiser or at all unhappy with the circumstances. The storm blows over completely.

During our class discussions my question was, “What happens in part 6 of the story?” To which I got little clear response but a lot of heated discussions on the long term sustenance of such relations. I’m not married, nor have ever been, but I believe that honesty is paramount to strong and lasting relationships. I found the interactions of Alcee and Calixta quite honestly deplorable. I understand that there was a storm and at the end of it everyone seemed pretty satisfied with themselves. So there is the calm after the storm, but how will this calm last. When Clarisse comes back will she still possess her tranquil disposition about the circumstances? Will Bobinot continue to be oblivious to the fact that his wife completely betrayed him? I was simply filled with questions about the future of this calm upon finishing reading this story.