The Storm

1 Pages 356 Words

The title, of “The Storm,” has connotations of a universal swell of energy and fervor of the natural world that is obvious during the encounter of Calixta and Alcee. Just as the storm matures from the first spark of energy, likewise, Calixta is a sexually mature woman, claiming her part in the natural world.
Unfortunately, as a consequence of the times, society’s attitude is intolerant of a woman’s expression of sexuality. Furthermore, Calixta’s commitment to her marriage forces her to be oppressed from expressing the sexual being within herself. During the rage of the storm’s fury, intense with the explosion of energy flowing from the storm, the escalating passion and energy also swells between Calixta and Alcee; “ they seemed to swoon together at the very borderland of life’s mystery”(492) while Calixta and Alcee break free from the constraints of their marriage vows. Giving into the storm of passion that until now, neither Calixa nor Alcee has ever experienced, they give into the sexual energy and release the passion that is presently hindered in both of them. As a result, Calixta’s “ the generous abundance of her passion, without guile or trickery, was like a white flame which penetrated and found repose in depths of his own sensuous nature that had never been reached”(492).
The final line of “The Storm” is a metaphor for the relationships between Calixta, Bobinate, Clarissa and Alcee, and is positioned to create an uncertain ending of the encounter between Calixta and Alcee: “So the storm passed and everyone was happy”(493). One may see the storm’s passage as implying a happy ending or one may see it as implying that the storm will eventually return, possibly with the intent to express the fervor and powerful energy that may eventually destroy families or lives.
As the nature of recurring storms, Calixta’s new founded sexual desires will return with powerful forces of energy and chemis...