Literary Criticism: The Storm By Kate Chopin

Aaliyah Underwood
Research Paper
12-4-14

Kate Chopin

“Love and passion, marriage and independence, freedom and restraint.” These are the themes that are represented and worked with throughout Kate Chopin’s works. Through research on Kate Chopin, the 20th century writer of “The Storm,” one can find literary criticism that is relevant to understanding the meaning of her work. Literary criticism topics such as setting, feminism, resistance to patriarchal authority, sexual fulfillment in relation to Chopin and her writing changes and enriches the reading of “The Storm.” “The Storm” by Kate Chopin mirrored Chopin’s experiences and beliefs. As the title suggests, there was a physical storm, but ironically more of an emotional and sexual one.
The rain started to pour as soon as Alcee entered Calixta’s home. The rain was so strong it “beat upon the low, shingled roof with a force and clatter that threatened to break an entrance and deluge them there” (Chopin, “The Storm” 97). By looking out of the window, Calixta confirmed the rage. Anxiety and fear had begun to get the best of her. Calixta fell backwards only to find herself falling into the arms of Alcee. It was then that they reminisced about the past. Despite the fact that the storm had worsened, “they did not heed the crashing torrents, and the roar of the elements made her laugh as she lay in his arms”(Chopin, “The Storm” 98). Therefore, Calixta and Alcee consciously and willingly gave into each other’s wants, despite the storm, and their mouth martial status.
Kate Chopin’s “The Storm” was a story written long after the affair of her and Albert Sampite.
Chopin named the man in many of her novels after Sampite. She made only a few minor changes. When Chopin wrote about men who kindle desire, and who devote themselves to sexual pleasures she would name them all Alcee. Alcee happens to be an abbreviated form of Albert Sampite. In “At the Cadian Ball” and the sequel “The Storm,” Alcee Laballiere is a young, handsome planter who plays cards and drink. Like Alcee, Albert had a drinking problem, which often led to be so violent he would beat his wife. That may be a reason Chopin ended the affair she had with him. The most notable use of Albert’s name and the character was seen in “The Awakening” where Kate divided the name Albert between Edna’s two lovers: Alcee and Robert (Toth, “Kate Chopin” 170). Even though Chopin could not be with Albert, she vented out her frustrations and desires through many of her works.
Kate Chopin was indeed ahead of her time. She is the epitome of a feminist, and as a result, some of her stories were banned. Through her writing, she was able to give a voice to women that felt trapped in their marriage and in society. The fact that she was able to draw from her own experiences to mold her characters made her works even stronger. The story “The Storm” liberates women from the constraints of society and marriage, while simultaneously drawing from Chopin’s own
life.

Annotated Works Cited

Chopin, Kate. "The Storm." Backpack Literature. 4th ed. N.p.: Longman, 2011. 95-100. Print.

Kate Chopin was an American author of short stories and novels. This book contained one of Chopin’s short stories called “The Storm.” This short story is about two married people, who despite their marital status have an affair. “The Storm” was essential to my research paper because I needed it in order to summarize the story. It also allowed me to show the similarities it had with Chopin’s own life and beliefs.
Seyersted, Per. Introduction. The Complete Works of Kate Chopin. Ed. Per Seyersted. Louisiana: Louisiana State University Press, 1969. 21. olentino 17
This author is an assistant professor of American literature at the University of Oslo.
He was educated at Harvard University and the University of Oslo. He has also published articles in American and Scandinavian Periodicals on Kate Chopin. The introduction gave a brief history of Chopin’s childhood. However, it was extremely helpful because it connected what she learned at the Academy of the Sacred Heart with her character, and how it helped her become an excellent observer.

Skaggs, Peggy. Kate Chopin. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1985.
This author is a professor of English at Angelo State University and has a Ph.D. from
Texas A & M University. This book briefly discusses Chopin’s life and then delves into some of her most famous works. Even though there aren’t specific chapters devoted to “The Storm,” the book does include an outline of Chopin’s life and a very good summary of her life that’s broken up into small phases in her life. That was helpful because it was easier to see possible connections between her life and work.

Toth, Emily. Unveiling Kate Chopin. Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi, 1999.
The author is a Professor of English and Women’s Studies at Louisiana State University, and has written numerous books on Kate Chopin. This book, like Skagg’s, discusses Chopin’s life and a few of her
works.

Toth, Emily. Kate Chopin. New York: William Morrow and Company Inc., 1990.
The author is a Professor of English and Women’s Studies at Louisiana State University, and has written numerous books on Kate Chopin. The book contained very detailed accounts of Chopin’s life and a detailed analysis of many of the stories she wrote. However, this book was most helpful because it established a connection between Chopin’s affair with Albert Sampite (after she was widowed), and “The Storm.”