Examining “The Storm” from a Feminist Lens

[Evan McZeal]

From a feminist POV, the way that the story “The Storm” could be viewed is its heavy inclusion of the belief of human choice. Throughout the time that Calixta is stuck with Alce, the affair that the relationship that we see the two of them have could be seen as human choice. When they finally give into their temptations, it describes the moment as a flame that was lit that reached into parts of their personalities they’d never experienced, displaying it as a euphoric and freeing experience. In this story, they also go against societal norms, which can be seen in their affair, and also how the author waited to publish this story, since the reception of the story at the time it was written would’ve been much much more negative due to the way society was.

[Alexandra Yin]

In reading “The Storm” from a feminist perspective, it helps break out the societal expectations especially in her time period. This book was written in the 1800s and published in the 1900s which explains how women have societal expectations of taking care of their family. This is also seen in the start of the story in which she mentions how “she sat at a side window sewing furiously on a sewing machine” which hints in the idea that she does the housework and the societal expectation of taking care of her family. However, at the same time the author mentions how she is “sewing furiously” also signifies how she is dissatisfied with what she currently has and may be overworked with what she does. This would lead to temptation for her to have the affair because of her wants, desire, and satisfaction even if it is just temporarily. At the same time Alce was also dissatisfied with his life because his wife was at Biloxi causing him to be absent in his desires and wants. This leads to Calixta’s and Alce’s affair which breaks societal norms of the expectations of women, especially in that time period as having an affair is seen to be very shunned upon. Through her affairs this allows her to express her emotions and desires which highlights the end of structural oppression. Even though having an affair is wrong in general morals, it was a way to break out of societal expectations and gives her a sense of relief to be able to release her feelings and desires emphasizing feminism.

[Alexandra Yin]

Aug 23, 2024 11:27:24 GMT -8 Peter Xu said:

In “The Storm”, a short story by Kate Chopin, there are many feminist ideas that are present throughout the story, some more obvious than others. This story was written in the 1800s, but published almost an entire century later after the death of the author. This is likely because feminist ideas were largely controversial during the 1800s and Chopin didn’t want to receive backlash for it. One underlying feminist theme throughout the story is the feminist goal to end sexual violence and promote sexual freedom. Although in this story Alcee’s and Calixta’s feelings are mutual, the author often uses the color white when describing Calixta and even aspects of her house like her room. This signifies Calixta’s innocence and can Alcee’s escalation of the affair can symbolize the theme of sexual violence against women and their taken advantage of. Another feminist theme that is underlying in the story is the feminist goal of expanding human choice. Although the morality of the affair is debatable, it symbolizes Calixta following her true desires and breaking societal norms which is how Chopin criticizes the common societal expectation for women to be orderly and complacent.

Hi Peter, I agree with what you've put mentioning how this novel is a representation of her expressing her emotions and follow her true desires especially in the time period where it was controversial. However, I found it interesting that you've mentioned how it ended sexual violence as I did not think that Alce's intentions were to symbolize sexual violence and being taken advantage of as he did mention in the novel how he was hesitant of going into Calixta's house even when she offered. This shows how he was loyal in a way to his wife and did not mean to have any bad intentions to take advanatge of Calixta. However, at the end they did have an affair, but with mutual agreement as they were both dissatified with what they had and needed something temporarily to solve that. 

[Alexandra Yin]

Aug 26, 2024 9:12:04 GMT -8 Darren Chen said:

In Kate Chopin's short story, "The Storm", the storm that occurs during the secret affair between Alce and Calixta represents a warning from heaven representing the beliefs of religion in the form of God's message. In such a time period as with this short story, secret affairs are seen as near-taboo, almost seemingly sinful. Also, oftentimes, storms, especially rain, serve as both moments of clarity and as warnings from God. In this case, the storm can be taken as a representative of mutiple things; first, the storm represents a foreshadowing of what can be interpreted as Calixta's moment of "clarity", because it appears like Calixta was being limited and restricted from her true desires because of societal expectations, something the feminist lens would say occurs unfortunately quite often. Yet, because of the storm, it allowed her to finally give in to her desires and satisfy her soul with Alce, if not for a short-lived moment. However, the storm could also mean another kind of feminist limitations; again, because the religions at the time, mainly being Christianity, doing such affairs especially while one is married and already has children is seen as sinful, hence, society expects that women stay loyal to their families regardless of their personal opinions. Hence, the storm being a "warning" of sense can be seen as the judging of Calixta through divine intervention and devil's representative in the form of the cheating Alce (the man who is later revealed to almost have an addiction to such secret affairs). In this side of interpreting the storm in terms of societal expectations, it's reasonable to see this as the first gate of hell in which souls sent to hell first enter hell as a whole, before being judged by Minos in mythology. According to mythology, the second circle of hell is known as the circle of Lust, in which souls who have given in to their lustful desires are forever buffeted by a tempest, another kind of storm, which is exactly what's happening with regards to Calixta. Hence, the feminist lens may both praise Calixta for having seized an opportunity to stay true to herself, and also reprimand her for having a lack of control due to loyalty.

Hi Darren! I agree with how you've said that it allows her to stay true for herself and fully express what she wanted. I found it interesting how you've related the story to a biblical idea of how the storm would correlate to the first gate of hell and foreshadows it. You're explanantion was very detailed mentioning how the storm was first interpreted in the beginning as foreshadowing or a warning of breaking the societies expectations and sinful actions to how the storm was changed to another interpretation of mentioning how it is sinful. 

[Destiny Ruiz]

In Kate Chopin’s “The Storm” the storm characterizes the passionate and paramouric love that Calixta and Alcee rekindle, enabling them to indulge in each other as no other time would be more perfect. This story was set to be written in the mid to late 1800s. I came to the conclusion based on some research I did on the details that were included. Calixta, “unfastened her white sacque” which is a woman's full loose-height jacket, popular during the 18th century in Europe. Moving on, Kate Chopin quotes words like "reckless" and "unrelenting" to narrate the rain, echoing her growing anxiety. The elements of rain and lightning establish a richly atmospheric and symbolic narrative. Additionally, The “blinding” lightning and “deafening” thunder create a sense of urgency, underscoring their rekindling passion. As the storm rages on, their lust concurrently intensifies; posing as a momentary restoration of the relationship they once had. Aside from this, it is important to consider the feminist perspective on this story. The Storm wasn’t published until after the author, Kate Chopin’s death. I believe this is due to the norms and role of women in the late 1800s. Discussing sexual activity in such a detailed and passionate way was not socially acceptable to be published, especially by women. This one's contributes to My overall understanding of the reading in general because I believe it brings a whole new added purpose to the storm in Calixta and Alcee’s story. Lastly, we can see a connection between the circumstances of the time in which The Storm was published, and the female social inequalities seen in “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall”. We see the oppression of female freedom, from the patriarchal hold.

[Destiny Ruiz]

Hi Heena! I think that you had a great explanation for this discussion post. I think that it was very important that you took away the fact that Calixta was a housewife during the 1800s who didn't have much authority, power, or say over anything in her household or her life. This makes sense as to why she would take advantage of the storm passing through to be intimate with Alcee. I also like the fact that you said that she did cheat on her husband as it does seem that she has always desired to be with Alcee but is not allowed to do so due to some societal norms or other circumstances.

[Destiny Ruiz]

Hi Evan! You had an interesting perspective on the way that the storm could be characterized. Focusing on the belief of “human choice” heavily. I like the way that you explained that human choice was a prime aspect of Calixta and Alcee’s relationship. I think that it's important that you connect this story to being rebellious as it goes against the societal norms of that time, but I think you should try to go further as to how it connects to more feminist themes or continue to elaborate on your opinions of the story. Overall great job though!

[Jacklyn Hsiao]

While reading "The Storm" by Kate Chopin, viewing it from a feminist lens brings about an understanding to the choices made by Calixta. To begin, Calixta and Alcee have a passionate encounter with Alcee during the storm which shows a natural expression of her desires and depicts autonomy over her own body and her choices. Typical consequences for her actions would have occurred during that era, but since she was not punished, this could be interpreted as a double standard between male and female sexuality. Continuing, Calixta challenges traditional roles for women during this time period. Being a wife and mother would have been her assigned role during this time, but she challenges this through her own desires with Alcee and it shows that women do not have to be solely self-sacrificing or devoted to familial duties. The setting being a storm also creates an uncontrollable environment which defies the usual restrictions, like the social restrictions placed on women. This creates the situation in which Calixta is allowed to act on her internal desires without the fear of being judged or shamed. This can reflect the feminist idea that women's desires should not be repressed due to patriarchal expectations. To conclude, the space of Calixta's home is also the main "forte" of a woman. Instead of being a space of usual oppression, it is used as place in which Calixta releases her inner desires. This reassigns the role of a home of having power instead a place where women are confined.

[Kimberly Zuniga]

Kate Chopin's “The Storm” was written in a time period where sexually explicit reading material was not socially acceptable. As a female author living and writing during a time where the social constitutions and the social conscience had to be considered to publish different pieces of work, a major theme in her writing was the social implications placed upon women in society. As readers, we can see the themes of societal norms and femininity in her novel “The Storm”. Chopin's story is set during a different time period, specifically the 1800s. Chopin reveals this part of the setting through the dialogue between our characters, and their dress wear. During the 1800s, women were still identified as the controllers of the household, meaning, women during this era needed to stay home, clean the house, and take care of the children. We see this theme embodied through our character in the story Calixta. While a storm is brewing outside, and Calixta's family is away, she is forced to stay home until the storm surpasses. The storm in itself produces the setting that allows to unfold the plot, Calixta finding Alce outside of her home and eventually inviting him in, however, the storm also serves as a symbolism to the affair that will begin to unfold, and the re-connection of passion that both of our characters have for each other. The storm serves to represent and embody the characters feelings for each other, as the storm gets more aggressive, the affair and the passion between the characters increases. A noticeable feature of the storm that is important to the theme of femininity would be the lightning that develops throughout the story. In “How to Read Literature Like a Professor”, lightning during a storm is said to be a time for reflection and clarity for our characters. In “The Storm”, lightning can serve as a time for Calixta to regain her sense of autonomy after her marriage. There is a specific moment where lightning strikes a china berry tree that lies in the field, these trees hold a symbolic meaning for the theme of “Good and Evil”. Although the act that Calixta is taking part in, an affair, is considered to be a sin, this sole act was one that she decided to take. After years of being stuck in the same role, Calixta is able to challenge the societal rules that have imprisoned her in a role of just a mother and just a wife. The act was a sin, however, this is the sole time, in a long time, in which Calixta is capable of being more than what society has labeled her as.

[Kimberly Zuniga]

Aug 26, 2024 10:43:58 GMT -8 Evan McZeal said:

From a feminist POV, the way that the story “The Storm” could be viewed is its heavy inclusion of the belief of human choice. Throughout the time that Calixta is stuck with Alce, the affair that the relationship that we see the two of them have could be seen as human choice. When they finally give into their temptations, it describes the moment as a flame that was lit that reached into parts of their personalities they’d never experienced, displaying it as a euphoric and freeing experience. In this story, they also go against societal norms, which can be seen in their affair, and also how the author waited to publish this story, since the reception of the story at the time it was written would’ve been much much more negative due to the way society was.

Hi Evan! I really hadn't thought about human choice to be a big theme in the story. However, now that you mention it, I could see how human choice could play a big part in the feminist Point Of View as Calixta is finally getting the choice to do something that she wants and how she wants. I really like how you included the time period in which the story was written, this fact can allow others to understand the hidden theme of femininity in the story. Good Job!

[Kimberly Zuniga]

Aug 25, 2024 13:44:27 GMT -8 Chloe Phan said:

Reading Kate Chopin's "The Storm" through a feminist lens reveals the story’s critique of restrictive gender roles and its celebration of female sexual autonomy. Set in the late 19th century, a period marked by rigid societal expectations for women, the narrative challenges these norms by portraying Calixta’s affair with Alcée as a positive and liberating experience. The storm is a powerful symbol of Calixta’s emotional and sexual liberation, providing a brief but intense escape from the constraints of domestic life and societal expectations. This feminist perspective highlights the tension between Calixta’s public role as a dutiful wife and mother and her private desires, emphasizing how her actions challenge traditional views of female sexuality. By focusing on Calixta's pleasure and autonomy, the story critiques the limitations imposed on women, revealing a more nuanced and empowering depiction of female desire.

Hi chloe! I really enjoyed your analysis, I think that by emphasizing the theme of female autonomy really matches well with the feminist perspective of the story. Something that I agree with you about is how Calixta's experience with Alcee is an experience that was very liberating for calixta and allowed her to find her own sense of self again after being trapped in her established societal role. Good job!

[Ethan Chuy]

In "The Storm" Kate Chopin's explores female independence, constraints, and sexuality in the 19th century. Chopin first off critiques the confinement women face from marriage which takes away their freedom/choices. The affair that transpires is a moment when Calixta finally breaks free of this confinement and feels a wave of relief. This can be perceived as the thought that women can find fulfillment or happiness in more ways than simply being a caring mother or reliant wife. The very notion that Calixta has her own sexual preferences is extremely important as traditionally in the 19th century women were seen as passive in their relationships. This autonomy Calixta manifests is highlighted as a positive expression of passion further supporting women don't have to rely on their husbands to make decisions for them. Finally, when the storm finally passes, and the affair ends the story subverts expectations by portraying this act as a positive fully supporting Calixta. Neither party is punished and instead both return to their normal lives with a fresh outlook suggesting that societal norms that restrict female expression are negative and promotes women to find their own happiness and freedoms.

[Christpher Ramirez]

Seeing the short story "The Storm"through feminist lenses, many different meanings and viewpoints can be extracted from the story. The character of Calixta shows many of the struggles that women in the 1800's faced, as this was when the story was written, using this fact, we can see many struggles faced by Calixta using the context of the time period. In the 1800's, women were considered to only have the job of marrying a man and then working all day cleaning, cooking, and doing the laundry. Women were never given a sense of identity as their identity was attached to their husband or being the mother of her kids, that was all women were as a person. The story instantly makes a point of this from the first time we see Calixta as she is doing laundry as is so occupied with the house chores she does that she doesn't see the storm approaching, and only noticed when it gets dark. After Alce arrives and he examines her, she is described as being startled out of a trance, and her having pale skin which could be a sign of her overworked. We then read about her and Alce's affair and her slowly easing up with him. This could be taken as some form of stress relief and the affair could be showing how despite the affair being an awful thing, it could be the only chance where she gets to ease up and take back some of the autonomy she lost when she got married and gave birth. Alce also comes from a richer status from her, that being the reason they can only be together in secret, as Calixta is lower in society and them being seen together would be heavily frowned upon. This is another struggle for women shown, how little freedoms they have and how society would look down on them if they tried being with someone considered higher in society than them. It also shows the struggle of how the only form of love Calixta can get is from her husband who doesn't give her her, or the affair she has with Alce. "The storm" shows many of the struggles and inequality women faced in the time period it was written, the biggest sign being that this story could not even be published when it was written because the content and pointing out of the struggles was considered too much in the time period, only further showing how women were oppressed in the past.

[Alina]

In Kate Chopin's "the storm" reading through a feminist lens reveals how the setting Shows themes of female sexuality and Anatomy. The storm symbolizes Calixta’s suppressed desires in the form of the storm showing the natural uncontrollable force of sexuality. As the storm gets stronger the house transforms into an environment where Calixta can express her desires freely without being reprimanded Challenging gender roles. The temporary nature of the storm allows her to express her sexual desires without societal repercussions breaking social norms. The calm after the storm reflects the return to societal expectations but the experience she has leaves her empowered and challenging the notion that female expression must be contained or punished. Through this setting, Chopin presents a nuanced exploration of the female identity and the quiet ways women resist societal constraints.

[Tahlia Clark]

In Kate Chopin's short story, "The Storm", the feminist viewpoint of the story is quite interesting as it goes against the societal norms of the time that the story took place. Calixta is seen in the story as a overworked housewife that is struggling to conform to societal norms but she breaks away from them as she indulges in her secret desires by participating in the affair with Alce. By Calixta breaking away from these expectations you see her begin to find her sense of self. You can also see Alce's wife Clarisee Regain her independence by finding life without her husband, and the affair unknowingly has almost set her free in order to pursue all of the things that she is interested in and this can be seen in the line "And the first free breath since her marriage seemed to restore the pleasant liberty of her maiden days." In the story the storm itself continuously acts as a barrier from Calixta and Alce's desires and societal norms, this can be seen when both her husband and her kid are in the store in the line "Bobint arose and going across to the counter purchased a can of shrimps, of which Calixta was very fond." Although she has a good husband and kid, by having the physical separation between the store and the house she is seen going away from the norms but also shying away from the judgement of society itself. Chopin want's to portray the idea that women should be able to indulge in their desires free of judgment and providing the storm as the setting in the story is sort of a way to shield Calixta from that judgment but not only in the story but in the real world at the time.