"The Storm" is a powerful story, and brings out a higher level of controversy than most I've read in a classroom. I was intrigued by what both of my blog buddies had to say about it.
Bree states,
Her affair with Alcee essentially renewed her outlook on her life and her marriage, for her it was a breath of fresh air that she so desperately needed. The same goes
for Alcee as well, when he got home he wrote a “loving letter, full of tender
solicitude” (227) to his wife proving that his brief affair with Calixta did not break
his marriage or falter his love for her.
I found myself on the complete other side of this idea. I didn't feel like this was simply a “breath of fresh air” for either of them. Calixta, it seemed to me, felt a sense of relief when her husband came home, not a sense of renewed commitment to them. This is fascinating to me because we both looked at the same evidence. We see how she reacts in the opposite way Bobinôt expects her to. Instead of being mad that he and their son are dirty she seems to be just happy that they have arrived safe. This is the instance that, I think, both Bree and I look at to support our ideas. While to Bree it appears that Calixta sees her family with a new sense of fondness and so doesn't care what state their clothes are in, to me I see someone who is acting contrary to her normal self. It seems to me that Calixta is acting extra nice in order to cover up the guilt and shame she is feeling. Of course, Chopin doesn't give us a clear look into her motivations. I suppose that's part of what makes this story so powerful.
Similarly, I took Alcee's letter quite the same way. I feel like the motivation behind his sending the letter is to keep his wife from coming back anytime soon. He lathers her with love and affection so she will stay away from him, so that he can continue his affair with Calixta.
Interesting point here. I like this idea:
ReplyDelete"No one in this story seems to be truly satisfied. They are content, in a way, to be fake, to put forward a version of themselves that appeases their spouse. No one is faithful, except maybe Bobinôt, but who knows what he would have done if not trapped inside of the store with his son. The author doesn't show us remorse from any of the characters."
But I'm not sure you've backed it up enough. You say no one seems to be truly satisfied, but the scene at the table seems to contradict that. Its there a way the reader should understand this scene so that it fits with your argument. Are there any concrete examples, quotes, that you can find to support this interpretation?