Chopin's The Storm
Not Just a Passing Storm: The Central Role of Setting in Kate Chopin's Short Story "The Storm"
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 Alcee. 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.
Chopin chose the South for the geographic setting of "The Storm" for...
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