The Storm

Kate Chopin's "The Storm" and John Steinbeck's "The Chrysanthemums" are both stories portraying feminine sexuality and passion. Calixta and Elisa experience lust for men to whom they are not married to. Elisa seems to have a functional relationship with her husband Henry. She seems content with tending to the prized Chrysanthemums in her garden, while her husband tends to all the financial affairs. The observation that they have no children hints to the conclusion that obviously something is lacking in the sexual department of their relationship. Elisa seems to have unfulfilled sexual desires, hence her attraction to the tinker. As she speaks to him about the stars at night, her description is almost pornographic. "Every pointed star gets driven into your body." "Hot and sharp and- lovely." As she kneels before him in the garden, her hand extends out to touch his pants leg but she holds back, and it is as if she craves to touch a man. Elisa's husband does not seem to give her the attention she wants, which becomes blatantly obvious as she gets utterly excited when the tinker inquires about the Chrysanthemums in her garden. Eliza and Calixta both have that feeling where they feel unwanted and bored, making them lose control, like Calixta did when she slept with Alcee, while Eliza only fantasized. These stories portray love in many ways, including the way Bobinot buying Calixta a can of shrimps, and Calixta, after meeting up with Alcee, and then later not feeling any guilt or regret afterwards, and even Eliza; how she was fondled when she saw the tinker come along. When it comes to human emotion, Eliza and Calixta were obviously not happy in their marriage, making them do what they do, but in a way we can always see that nature has a part in this too, because if the relationship is not happy, then where does the love go.

Calixta becomes attracted to someone other than her husband and the attention he gives her. This normally happens when the spouse doesn’t