Symbols

The short story “The Storm” by Kate Chopin includes several symbolic elements connected to its themes and characters.

Natural elements

The storm is the central symbol of the story. Its power is a representation of the passion between Calixta and Alcée and mirrors the evolution of their affair throughout the story. At the same time, it helps create a sense of tension in the story, seeming to predict some catastrophic consequences. However, the storm passes without any incidents, and the protagonists’ lives are not dramatically altered by their affair.

The rain begins to fall as Alcée arrives and stops as he rides away. Rain is usually a symbol for purification – however, in “The Storm”, it introduces an adulterous affair. Just like she does with the symbols of whiteness and Assumption, Chopin reverses this symbolism, suggesting that the adultery should not be judged from a moral standpoint.

The lightning bolt which strike...