Essay about Symbolism of “The Storm - 1512 Words

Kate Chopin wrote the short story â€Å"The Storm† one of her most bold stories and did not even intention to publish it (Cutter 191). The two main characters in the story are Calixta and Alcee. They both used to be attracted to one another in previous years, but now they are both married to someone else. After Alcee arrives to Calixta’s house looking for shelter they are driven into a passionate moment. In the story â€Å"The Storm† the storm has a significant meaning; without it the affair of Calixta and Alcee performed would not have been as powerful as it was between them. â€Å"The Storm† has a great deal of symbolism throughout the story: the clouds, the use of color white, the storm relative to the affair, the after effects of the affair, Calixta,†¦show more content†¦Then before and during their powerful sexual encounter Chopin uses white to symbolize purity: â€Å"her white neck,† â€Å"white throat and her whiter breasts,† and â€Å"white as the couch she lay upon† (533). Chopin defines Calixta’s affection â€Å"was like a white flame† (533). This describes the white flame being the most powerful part of the flame. Her passion for him was so superior that nothing could be done to halt her emotions. Adding to the symbolism of the color white could also be related to her Spanish blood. â€Å"Perhaps only possible because of her â€Å"mixed blood† which allows an expression of sexuality deemed outside the bounds of white norms† (Brown as std. in Holtman 76). Adding to symbolism in â€Å"The Storm† Chopin states â€Å"Do you remember in Assumption, Calixta?† (533). This describes the purity and innocence referring to the Virgin Mary. As stated in a criticism Anna Shannon Elfenbein, â€Å"who asserts that Chopin’s reference to the town of Assumption elevates ‘sexual experience to the status of a religious sacrament’† (Stein 55). T his means assumption is the elevating of the body of Mary into heaven. After Calixta meets with Alcee she no longer show signs of frustration or exhaustion; she is now worried about Bobinot and Bibi out in the storm. As Alcee is walking to the porch he â€Å"snatched Bibi’s braided jacket that was about to be carried away by a sudden gust of wind† (Chopin 532). This evidence demonstrates Alcee will to obtain anything heShow MoreRelatedSymbolism in The Storm Essay624 Words   |  3 PagesSymbolism in â€Å"The Storm† â€Å"The Storm†, written by Kate Chopin in 1898, examines the uncontrollable desires of a young wife, lured into the arms of her past lover as her husband and son are caught in a storm. Bobinà ´t and four-year-old Bibi are running errands when the storm suddenly hit. Bobinà ´t’s wife, Calixta was at home sewing when she noticed the severe storm happening outside. When Calixta went outside to gather some clothing, her old lover Alcà ©e asked for shelter during the storm. ThroughRead MoreThe Storm By Kate Chopin869 Words   |  4 PagesKate Chopin’s short story, â€Å"The Storm.† Calixta went outside of her marriage for a sexual affair with Alcà ©e when he unexpectedly showed up and a storm came through. The three most prominent literary elements that were addressed in â€Å"The Storm† were foreshadowing, symbolism, and setting. First, there is foreshadowing in the story. Bae and Young agree that foreshadowing is when a story implies that something will happen in the future without saying it (1). 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Our heroine, if you will, seems to be a woman with normally restrained passions and a well-defined sense of propriety, who finds herself in a situation that tears down her restraint and reveals the vixen within. I wonder if it was intentional that the name Calixta makes me think of Calypso – the nymph from Greek mythology. If half of the sexual symbolism I found in this story was intentionalRead More Images, Imagery, Symbols, and Symbolism in Macbeth Essay610 Words   |  3 PagesImagery and Symbolism in Macbeth   Ã‚  Ã‚   In Macbeth, William Shakespeare uses extensive imagery and symbolism throughout the course of his play.   Shakespeare uses this imagery and symbolism so that the reader may gain a deeper understanding and feeling for the happenings of this tragedy.   This is further demonstrated by Shakespeares use of darkness in Macbeth.   As one of the more noticeable and important symbols, darkness represents many different elements in the play.   First and foremost