The Storm

4 Pages 1119 Words

Kate Chopin’s “The Storm” takes place in a town somewhere in New Orleans, Louisiana. The setting of this story, forces the main characters Calixta and Alcẻe to rediscover feelings they had for each other, and reveal hidden aspects of themselves. The omniscient author emphasizes the elements of the storm that takes place in the story, because the storm itself forced the plot to take place.
The events leading up to the plot of the story, had a domino effect on each other. Each event contributed to the following, which made the plot inevitable. Timing is the most important element that is responsible for the development of this story. If the events in the story did not happen with such time accuracy, then the story may not have been a story or it may not have turned out the way it did. So timing is the building block for plot and the events leading up to the plot of the story.
The fact that Bobinot and Bibi, Calixta’s husband and son respectively, stayed at the store until the storm was over, was the second element that contributed to the main characters Calixta and Alcẻe having sex. If Bobinot and Bibi were home at the time of the storm, Calixta and Alcẻe would not have had an opportunity to have sex. She would not have gravitated towards Alcẻe for comfort during the storm if her husband and son were at home. She would have found refuge in her husband, not Alcẻe.
Another domino to add to the trail was when the winds were so strong and Calixta had to go outside to retrieve Bobinot’s clothes off of the line. At that time Alcẻe was passing by on his horse, he saw her, and then stopped. If Alcẻe did not see Calixta, he probably would not have stopped. And when he stopped and decided to seek shelter on Calixta’s porch, the winds were so bad, that he had to go into the house. ““Come ‘long in, M’sieur Alcẻe.” His voice and her own startled her as if from a trance, and s...