Themes and message

The main themes explored in the short story “The Storm” by Kate Chopin are sexuality and marriage.

Sexuality

The author explores the theme of sexuality through Calixta and Alcée’s brief affair and through statements that allude to social norms at the time when the story was written.

Note that Chopin focuses more on Calixta’s sexuality, suggesting that she also wants to portray Calixta’s relationship with her own sexuality.

Calixta is a housewife - the story suggests that she takes care of the house and that she is busy all the time. The amount of work she has is suggested by the fact that she sometimes has Sylvie to help around the house.

Through the affair with Alcée, Calixta is able to step out of her role as a housewife and mother and explore her sexuality in a way that she has not been able to before. This is suggested by the reference to her “firm, elastic flesh that was knowing for the first time its birthright.” (ll. 87-88). Here, the author’s voice can be recognized – it is clear that Chopin believes that women have a right to experience passion and sexual pleasure in their lives.

At the same time, Chopin seems to suggest that Calixta’s marriage lacks passion or, at least, the passion between her and Bobinôt is not nearly as strong as what she has with Alcée.

What brings Calixta and Alcée together, besides their history and attraction to each other, is also the fact that they are similar in the sense that both their marriages lack passion. Calixta is not the only one who experiences pleasure like she has never had before – her passion “penetrated and found response in depths of his own sensuous nature that had never yet been reached.” (ll. 91-92). This shows that Alcée is also unhappy with his intimate life with Clarisse, his wife.

The story also gives readers the sense that Calixta feels liberated after her affair – in the same manner, Alcée is shown sending a letter to his wife, and telling her she can remain longer in Biloxi if that pleases her. His intentions are not clear – perhaps he is feeling guilty, and this makes him act in a compassiona...