The Storm in English 2341 Spring 2015 Class

Feb 22, 2015 angel castillo rated it did not like it

*************************SPOILER ALERT**************************
Reading Kate Chopin's The Storm short story about adultery is that kind of roller coaster ride in which you think there may be a chance of joy since you see people actually enjoying the bloody ride. Then, is your turn; realizing that you are not into this kind of fun at all, and you end up throwing up anyway. That's exactly what happen to me, when I ended reading The Storm...
The story sets the mood with a storm that has provoked Cal *************************SPOILER ALERT**************************
Reading Kate Chopin's The Storm short story about adultery is that kind of roller coaster ride in which you think there may be a chance of joy since you see people actually enjoying the bloody ride. Then, is your turn; realizing that you are not into this kind of fun at all, and you end up throwing up anyway. That's exactly what happen to me, when I ended reading The Storm...
The story sets the mood with a storm that has provoked Calixta to wait for Bobint and Bibi which is her husband and their child that are far from home. Moreover, the storm needs to cease to let his husband return to their house, but Calixta's youth ex-boyfriend, Alce, has asked her the favor to let him be at her house while the storm ends. Alce, using perfect timing by been alone with Calixta, seduces her, and both have sex without any worries.
The characters of the Bobint and Bibi do justice to what they are suppose to be with little text. However, Calixta, been the protagonist that feels that her life is just a routine,"Devoted as she was to her husband, their intimate conjugal life was something which she was more than willing to forego for a while" she becomes the kind of villain which the reader cannot feel any identification or chance of redemption for her since she had an affair because she was bored. Furthermore, while she was being seduced, Calixta didn't put any effort of abstinence or argument of if having an affair would affect her family and marriage. No, she just welcomed the action, "As she glanced up at him the fear in her liquid blue eyes had given place to a drowsy gleam that unconsciously betrayed a sensuous desire" making Alce been the one who provoked all this, Calixta was the one who ended it. After the sex, there was no remorse from Calixta and Alce which both are supposed to be marry, making the characters to lose any redeeming value; making this an adultery tale where everything is fine and dandy, and by giving the massage that having an affair could actually be fun and without consequence.
This short story gives a wrong massage, and not even that "real life is like this massage" where there is actually intentions for awareness that even if adultery is wrong, maybe having an affair would be okay if there could be a conflict between husband of wife, but this short story misses in doing the right thing and ends with a "deal with it" kind of ending. ...more

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Feb 23, 2015 Kristina rated it really liked it

The way Kate Chopin wrote "The Storm" allows readers to experience the feelings that Alcee and Calixta were experiencing. This short story was written in an era when it was taboo for women to feel the way Calixta felt. For myself this story made me envision everything that Kate Chopin wrote and made want Calixta and Alcee sexual experience.
This story starts with Bobinot and his son Bibi waiting at Freidheimer's Store an observing that there was a storm coming. Bibi being just a child was looking The way Kate Chopin wrote "The Storm" allows readers to experience the feelings that Alcee and Calixta were experiencing. This short story was written in an era when it was taboo for women to feel the way Calixta felt. For myself this story made me envision everything that Kate Chopin wrote and made want Calixta and Alcee sexual experience.
This story starts with Bobinot and his son Bibi waiting at Freidheimer's Store an observing that there was a storm coming. Bibi being just a child was looking up at the sky and realizing that his "Mama'll be 'fraid, yes" but with such a storm his father, Bobinot, decided to stay at the storm and wait out the storm. Calixta was at home sewing when she starts to realize that the storm is coming. She gets up and starts to close the windows and get the clothes from outside. That is when she notices Alcee outside. They hadn't seen each other in a long time and never were they alone since she got married. He asked her if he could wait out the storm on her porch, she says yes but its apparent that he "might as well be out in the open". She then allows him in the house. They start to make small talk about the storm and about Calixta's husband , Bobinot, and her son ,Bibi. Then a lighting bolt struck a tree and Calixta was freightened and Alcee went to comfort her. Once he touched her all the sexual feeling he had for her came rushing back. Both had so much lust and passion for each other that having sex was the only way to quench that thirst for each other. After they finished and the storm was over Alcee left and Calixta stayed home waiting for her husband and son. Alcee went on to send a message to his wife saying that he missed her dearly but if she and the babies wanted to stay on vacation longer it was fine with him. When Bobinot and Bibi got home Calixta went about her day as if she had not committed adultery.
The relationship that Alcee and Calixta have will always be there in my mind. They will always be lusting after each other because even though both were married and had children neither of them felt guilty about what they had done; they both went about their day as if nothing had happened. I really enjoyed this story because of the relationship that I saw unfold between Alcee and Calixta.
Taking into consideration the era that this was written in Kate Chopin was very radical. Kate Chopin writes amazingly and as a reader I really appriectated her short story.
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Feb 23, 2015 Elvia Martinez rated it really liked it

The Storm, is a short story written by Kate Chopin that keeps you spellbound from the start, creating magical moments of romance and surrounding the two main characters with an aura of a passion that cannot be quieted or quenched. I think this story is so well written that the reader’s imagination takes part in the characters actions, you’re there. I truly enjoyed this story, because as a faithful and loyal wife I would never consider taking part in an adulterous affair or sex with another partn The Storm, is a short story written by Kate Chopin that keeps you spellbound from the start, creating magical moments of romance and surrounding the two main characters with an aura of a passion that cannot be quieted or quenched. I think this story is so well written that the reader’s imagination takes part in the characters actions, you’re there. I truly enjoyed this story, because as a faithful and loyal wife I would never consider taking part in an adulterous affair or sex with another partner other than my husband, but I certainly didn’t mind reading about it.
Calixta’s husband and son, Bobinot and Bibi, have walked to town in the midst of a brewing storm. Perhaps Alcee Labelliere, an acquaintance from her amorous youth, chooses to approach Calixta knowing that she is alone. “Alcee Labelliere rode in the gate.” He rides in seeking shelter from the storm, but to further his plan, he asks for permission to wait in the gallery, but forced to go inside due to the force of the rain.
When Alcee goes into the house with Calixta, she may have acted fearful of the storm when in reality was fearful of the stirrings within her, the sexual tension. “A bolt struck the tall chinaberry tree at the edge of the field …. the house will go next”. During all her murmuring of the storm, Alcee has embraced her during her tirade, making physical contact until he firmly takes a hold of Calixta and sees with his own eyes that the passion of their youth was rekindled, “As she glanced up the fear in her liquid blue eyes had given place to a drowsy gleam that unconsciously betrayed a sensuous desire”. He reminds her of Assumption “where he had kissed her, kissed and kissed her”, but common sense and honor had prevailed in not violating her since she was so drunk with passion she didn’t have the sense to stop. Now Calixta is a married woman so he sees no harm in taking her, “Now-well, now- her lips seemed in a manner free to be tasted”. Now he is also married, but the flame that has been rekindled when he possessed her has taken him to a place that had never been reached before. “The generous abundance of her passion, without guile or trickery, was like a white flame which penetrated and found response and depths of his own sensuous nature”. The storm has passed and they must part company. Alcee writes to his wife and grants her permission to stay on another month. “He told her not to hurry back…to stay a month longer”. Alcee already has a plan in motion to be with Calixta again.
This story in a real life scenario happens time and time again all over the world. Movies are even made about such scenarios, such as “Crossroads” and Unfaithful, both with actor Richard Gere. These magical moments of romance will cause havoc in their own marriages once exposed and will have to deal with heartache and pain.
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Feb 23, 2015 Elizabeth Vasquez rated it really liked it

This short story begins with father and son Bobinot and Bibi are out and encounter the beginning of a storm. Calixta, wife and mother has stayed behind at home working on her sewing she hasn't even taken notice of the coming storm. As she notices the rain coming she goes to gather her husbands clothed outside to prevent them from getting wet and encounters whom to me seemed to be an exlover. He asks her for permission to wait in her home while the storm passes. She accepts but also recalls she h This short story begins with father and son Bobinot and Bibi are out and encounter the beginning of a storm. Calixta, wife and mother has stayed behind at home working on her sewing she hasn't even taken notice of the coming storm. As she notices the rain coming she goes to gather her husbands clothed outside to prevent them from getting wet and encounters whom to me seemed to be an exlover. He asks her for permission to wait in her home while the storm passes. She accepts but also recalls she has not spoken to him and even les been alone with him since her marriage. The storm begins with natures wind and thunder but as well both Calixta and Alcee let their physical storm within come out and engage in passionate, and for them very enjoyable sex.

This short story is written in 1898 which to me is very surprising to read about a wife having an affair and specially in her own home. This made the story so much more exciting as it allows the reader to wonder off and want to continue to read and see if she will get caught. The way the author describes their encounter is so detailed and it becomes easy for the reader to get wrapped in the story and play a movie in their head of what is going on.

As I read I became sympathetic for Bobinot because he from the beginning is thinking of his wife and purchases a can of shrimps she is fond of, yet Calixta is devouring in passion with Alcee. Alcee himself is a married man and I find his character a bit hypocrite, "a passionate creature whose very defenselessness had made her defense, against which his honor forbade him to prevail." It's like before when he had the opportunity to have her he was honored to respect her because she was a virgin but now that she was married she was "free to be tasted."

I see how infidelity has come from long ago even when it was frowned upon by society. Now in this timed it is not the right thing to do but it is less of a shocker to find out someone had an affair. In this case it seemed it was for the best of both relationships. Bobinot returned home full of excuses to tell his wife yet she was content by now having her husband and son by her side, it changed her attitude. Alcee wrote a "loving letter" to his wife not to hurry from her trip. This encounter between Calixta an Alcee served as an excuse or form to be better and happier people. ...more

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Feb 20, 2015 Amanda rated it it was amazing

Reading this short fiction story for the first time had me confused, until I read it the second time that’s when my eyes were wide open and surprised how Calixta and her ex-lover got away with having sex without their wife or husband finding out. I think this short story relates to how cheating and having hidden affairs still happens now in modern life, thus the characters kept the plot of the story on my edge of my seat. I was thinking her husband Bobinot and their son Bibi were going to catch Reading this short fiction story for the first time had me confused, until I read it the second time that’s when my eyes were wide open and surprised how Calixta and her ex-lover got away with having sex without their wife or husband finding out. I think this short story relates to how cheating and having hidden affairs still happens now in modern life, thus the characters kept the plot of the story on my edge of my seat. I was thinking her husband Bobinot and their son Bibi were going to catch her and her ex-lover on the scene while having intercourse.
This fiction story was written by Kate Chopin in 1898. It began when there was a “threatening storm.” Bibi and his father Bobinot were at “Freidheimer’s store” which leads for them to stay at the store until the storm passed. While they were at the store Bibnot left his wife Calixta at home. She stayed home sewing nervously for her husband and son when she states “she felt no uneasiness for their safety,” until Calixta steps out to pick the clothes from the cloth line when she sees her ex-lover “Alcee riding a horse” until he asked Calixta “may I come and wait in your gallery until the storm is over?.” The two characters are married and both feel weird and began to collect flashbacks when they were together, but still make love “he kissed her, and kissed her until his senses would well-nigh fail” and says how she was in the past when they were together “ she was still inviolate; a passionate creature.”
The characters are both feeling weird about being together when they have their real lovers now that time has pass. Alcee leaves before Calxta’s husband arrives home, thus the housewife character Calixta is truly in love with her husband and son when “she clasped Bibi and was kissing him effusively” when they arrived home after the storm passed. Calixa is a character where she wanted to still have sex with Alcee since her husband was not home, but keeps in mind how she is in love with her life and family. Bibnot seems like a very good husband when all he does is worry about his wife throughout the horrifying storm when the writer says Bibnot and his son were “trudging home.”
Thus I think the fact that the characters all seem to be happy, it results to how in the end, when she realizes the true love she has is for her husband, while her ex-lover Alcee returns home and writes to his wife “a loving letter” telling his wife Clarissa stating “not to hurry back home, and if she and the babies liked it at Bibloxi, to stay a month longer.” I understand that now that he had sex with Calixa, he didn’t need his wife to arrive home soon because he already did sex. Thus this short story is quietly sealed in an envelope and will remain sealed forever. I enjoyed reading this fiction story, but it also upsets me on how she would do that behind her lovely husband.
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Feb 20, 2015 Maria L. Lucio rated it really liked it

In our society, a marriage is considered an agreement of two, but when a third individual introduce itself among this relationship is not well-seen. Also, in the late 1800s, it was forbidden and punished very critically that a woman were unfaithful to his husband. “The Storm," is a short story written by the American writer Kate Chopin in 1898, and it was published until 1969. It show a story of Calixta, a woman who is married to Bobint and they have Bibi as their son, and Alcee, who is an old e In our society, a marriage is considered an agreement of two, but when a third individual introduce itself among this relationship is not well-seen. Also, in the late 1800s, it was forbidden and punished very critically that a woman were unfaithful to his husband. “The Storm," is a short story written by the American writer Kate Chopin in 1898, and it was published until 1969. It show a story of Calixta, a woman who is married to Bobint and they have Bibi as their son, and Alcee, who is an old ex-boyfriend of her that is also married to a woman called Clarisse. This story may represent an unfaithful relationship, the female roles, and an ambiguous ending.

It was starting to rain, and with it a strong storm approaching. The storm is an allegory of how their lust and maybe even their love for each other are uncontrollable, unstoppable, and wild. I noticed that this story was about sex, but this sexual practice was part of an infidelity of two who were married. These two characters, Calixta and Alcee, show an unpredictable but defiant attitude in this fiction piece because even though they were marriage, they still committed that unfaithful and sexual act. “The contact of her warm, palpitating body when he had unthinkingly drawn her into his arms, had aroused all the old-time infatuation and desire for her flesh.” He seems to take advantage of the weather conditions to stay with her. “The generous abundance of her passion, without guile or trickery, was like a white flame which penetrated and found response in depths of his own sensuous nature that had never yet been reached.” This line represents the sexual act by this phrase “penetrated and found response in depths…”

In addition, this story represents a gender (feminist) literacy criticism because it uses a female and her traditional gender roles such as being a mother and a housewife. We may understand that the author of this story was influenced by the male-dominated time in which it was written (1898). Since the author was Kate Chopin, a female, we may say that she is trying to portray a woman’s life in her work.

The last sentence of the story announced that the storm is over. “So the storm passed and everyone was happy.” However, what caught my attention was how “Clarisse” was introduced to the final of the story. Why wait till the end? “And the first free breath since her marriage seemed to restore the pleasant liberty of her maiden days. Devoted as she was to her husband, their intimate conjugal life was something which she was more than willing to forego for a while.” Here, we also see a gender role because this line described a woman’s responsibility as a woman in that time, but is she really willing to forget everything?

In conclusion, during the story the constant changing of imagery plays a great role in the development of characters and their skills to stablish the theme. An unfaithful relationship, female roles, and an ambiguous ending was part of it. I liked this story because is a simple representation of a time that is no longer the same. I think that Calixta did not do anything bad because may be she was needing some fun and action in order to feel like a real woman. Therefore, adultery is natural, voluntary, and does not necessary have negative consequence.
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