The Storm

In Kate Chopin's The Storm, a "sullen, threatening roar" (p. 255) sort of starts out the story as depressing. The storm is rolling in, and everyone is seeking shelter. When Calixta invites an old flame into her house by saying "Come 'long in, M'sieur Alcee" (p.256) she is only asking for trouble in the near-future. I found myself wondering why a woman married with a 4-year old son would invite another man into her house, unsupervised. I kind of felt that her husband was being treated very unfairly. He was nice enough to bring home shrimp for the family to eat for supper that night, and shrimp was probably very expensive back then too. Then here she is having an affair. It seems the more the storm progressed the more they clung to each other, longing for protection, and to rekindle other feelings they had long since buried. Wondering whether her son was safe or not, Calixta "would not compose herself" (p. 257). She feared where they were in the storm. For a moment I think Calixta forgot she even had a family, for she was caught up in the heat of the moment with Alcee.