FREE ESSAY ON THE STORM

THE STORM

i titled mine Nature's Passion but you do what you will with it...it hasn't been graded or
i'd give you the grade. good luck..............:)
Kate Chopin wrote her fictional short story "The Storm" in the late nineteenth century.
During this time, women were looked down upon as being merely housewives; their needs and
desires weren't considered in every day living. This story refutes that idea by showing
how the necessities of nature coincide with the needs of personal satisfaction. Chopin's
use of symbolism models how the requirements of nature and the needs of people must and
will be satisfied in order to sustain life. The title of this story suggests a
metaphorical connection between the invading thunderstorm outside and the storm of
emotions fired within the individuals Calixta and Alcee. The intensity of their affair
follows the patterns of the storm that occurs outside.
The approaching storm has been brewing for some time, just as the relationship between
Calixta and Alcee has. The story speaks of her appearance to him five years before, and
expressed some of her old qualities that still remained. Alcee asks, "Do you
remember—in Assumption, Calixta"(Chopin 109), alluding to a passionate encounter
years ago. The emotional storm has been building for years, and the storm could be seen
for miles before it got there; however Calixta does not recognize either of the storms
until Alcee approaches her home.
The wind begins to blow as Alcee arrives on his horse. When he speaks to her, there are
gusts of wind that try to carry the clothes from the porch, and gusts of memories that
carry Calixta back in time. As Alcee decides to stand on the porch, the weather forbids
him and the rain forces him inside. He stares at her longingly as the rain clatters upon
the shingled roof with a force that threatens to enter and deluge them there (109). Just
as the heavy rain and wind tries to break down the barriers of the house to expose the
lovers to the elements outside, the barriers between Alcee and Calixta are eroding to
expose their inner feelings to the surface and their actions. The barriers they had built
within themselves to resist such temptation were slowly being worn down as the storm
strengthened. 
"The playing of lightning was incessant. A bolt struck a tall chinaberry tree at the edge
of the field. It filled all visible space with a blinding glare and the crash seemed to
invade the very boards they stood upon"(109). The flash that jolted the floor below them
symbolizes the electricity and emotion felt between Calixta and Alcee. The drama of the
jolt sends her staggering into his arms, and the desire can no further be denied. They no
longer ran from the internal storm of passion, but embraced it as Calixta's worries of
the thundershower were overlooked. "They did not heed the crashing torrents, and the roar
of the elements made her laugh as she lay in his arms"(110). Calixta is only concerned
with fulfilling the storm raging inside of them. The thunder and lightning are roaring on
the outside as they consummate their lustful affair. Nature's storm leads them into
pleasure and then to relaxation as it passes.
"The growl of the thunder was distant and passing away. The rain beat softly upon the
shingles, inviting them to drowsiness and sleep. The rain was over; and the sun was
turning the glistening green world into a palace of gems"(110). The storm diminishes
bringing their raging passion to a calming resolution. Each storm leaves the needs and
desires of both the earth and the individuals relaxed and satisfied. "He turned and
smiled at her with a beaming face"(110). He beamed like the sun breaking through the
thick, somber clouds of a passing rain. Just as the shower feeds the desires of nature
and allows it to grow, the passionate encounter leaves both Alcee and Calixta feeling
whole and replenished. The relationships between they and their families are reinforced
and begin to develop. 
The same night of the encounter with Alcee, Calixta's family strengthened their bond.
"…When the three of them (Calixta, her husband Bobinot, and Bibi, her son) seated
themselves at the table they laughed much and so loud that anyone might have heard them
as far away as Laballiere's"(111). The burden of desire was also lifted from Alcee's
shoulders, and the storm sparked a new light within Alcee for his wife. "Alcee Laballiere
wrote to his wife, Clarisse, that night. It was a loving letter, full of tender
solicitude"(111). Chopin even mentions that he now realizes his family's health and
pleasure should be considered foremost. "So the storm passed and every one was
happy"(111).
"The Storm," written by Kate Chopin, opposes the ideas of the late nineteenth century by
introducing the fulfillment of a woman's desires by a man in her position. It shows how
the needs and requirements of nature, as well as people, must be satisfied in order to
maintain life. Chopin's use of symbolism displays a connection between an emerging
rainstorm and the storm of emotions growing within the two characters. The intensity of
their encounter mirrors the pattern of the rainstorm as it builds to a climax of
thundering sheets of rain, and then reduces to a mere breeze. 
Bibliography
WORKS CITED
Chopin, Kate. "The Storm". Literature and the Writing Process, 5th ed. Elizabeth McMahan,
Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. 1999. 108-111.
you may want to add a thesaurus or something with this, but this is really all i used