"The Storm"

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes the significance of setting in Chopin's story, "The Storm", by citing examples and quotes from the story. The paper explains how the storm actually drives the plot of the story and serves a symbolic function. The paper also describes how Chopin accomplishes this by personifying the storm and by relating it to one of the characters in the story.

From the Paper:

"Kate Chopin's short story "The Storm" encompasses a brief but intense time period that begins with the gathering of "somber clouds that were rolling with sinister intention" to the passing of the storm, when the "sun was turning the glistening green world into a palace of gems". Therefore, setting serves several functions in Chopin's story: the storm actually drives the plot, as it mimics the protagonist's transformation and also corresponds to her tryst. For instance, just as the storm arrives and passes quickly, so too does Calixta's brief affair with her old flame Alc'e. Furthermore, the setting is not simply a backdrop or an incidental, arbitrary literary element in the story. Rather, the storm comes alive through the author's choice of diction and her style of writing: Chopin personifies the storm so that it almost becomes another character. For instance, the storm is "sullen", and the thunder "growls". As the main element of setting in the story, the storm also serves a symbolic function, as it represents Calixta's intense, passionate sexuality. As the main theme of the story, sexuality becomes intimately connected to the stormy atmosphere. Although other elements of the story's setting such as the Southern rural surroundings serve a purpose in conveying the theme of sexual tension, the storm leaves an especially indelible mark upon the reader; hence the title of the tale."

More papers on "The Storm":

• Analytical Essay # 129575 : "Setting of Victorian Era England in "The Storm"
• Essay # 88977 : "Freytag's Pyramid and 'The Storm '"
• Essay # 71143 : "The Storm"
• Analytical Essay # 1908 : "Kate Chopin's "The Storm"

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