What I found interesting about all of the Kate Choplin's pieces that we read was that they seemed to be more love stories, or had a romantic side compared to all the other stories we have read this semester.
What I found interesting is in "the storm" how even though she had an affair, she seemed to have no feelings of remorse of what she did, along with the man she had the affair with. Also what I don't understand is why she doesn't feel anything, especially since when her husband and son came back they were worried about being late, and brought her a can of sh rip, knowing that she likes them.
Opposite of "the storm" was "Desirre's Baby" with the complete different problem. In "the storm" she was unhappy with her life. But in "Desiree's baby" she was happy, so happy that she felt blessed when her husband just smiled. Then it was her husband who wasn't happy with their marriage because of their baby. I think that since her husband who she loved so much, didn't want her there anymore, that when she left and didn't go to the farm to her mother's house, that she went the other way to kill herself. Possibly thinking that she didn't want to live anymore if she couldn't live with her husband, because of the shame she put on him. Also the possibility that the word would get out about her and her baby, that they wouldn't be looked highly upon the rest of her life.
7 comments:
Laura,
I, too, was completely baffled about the affair in “The Storm.” I cannot imagine how Calixta, or even Alcee, felt no remorse and suffered no consequences. How could she have a son, with a man who obviously loved her and wanted to make her happy, and then turn on them in a moment of passion, only to go on with her life as normal? This seems like such a strange tale; especially considering the time in which Chopin wrote! Also, I was struck with the shift in dynamics between “The Storm” and “Desiree’s Baby,” as you were. It seems, at least to me, to be a strange choice to make this change in characters from an independently minded woman to one who was so dependant on her husband.
Laura,
I think your last sentence holds part of Chopin's charm as an author. In "the Storm" part of Calixta's independance is in the fact that she can have the affair with Alcee- as the storm rages, so do they. It is their ability to release their passions for each other that allow them to remain in their marriages to other and maintain that perfect stereotypical housewife/mother persona that is seen in the south.Perhaps that is one of the stereotypes that Chopin is trying to expose- women are more and crave more than marriage and children and in that is their strength and uniqueness....
i think you are completely right about Desiree and her baby. they would probably be treated very differently in the town and she probably not only felt shame for her husband but also for herself. she was probably raised to looked down on people of color and therefore now looked down upon herself. It would be a very stressfull situation to say the least.
I also thought that it was weird that Calixta felt no remorse after she had her affair. She had a child with Bobinot and he loved her very much. Although I could see her getting caught up in the moment, I imagined her to act differently towards Bobinot afterwards in a different way than she actually had. Also after reading your blog I notice that both stories were love stories, but they also included rejection. Desiree was rejected by Armand, and Bobinot was rejected by Calixta. Although both entitled different situations it's easy to make a connection in Chopin's writing.
I found myself having the same reaction to Chopin's "The Storm" and the affairs that came along with it. It was very strange to me, but I feel that the title of the story and the actually storm played on the actual events that took place. The storm has the significance of implying something bad occuring. All of Chopin's titles of her stories were appealing to me and were original.
Your part of the post that focused on the differnces between "The Storm" and "Desiree's Baby" was right on. It is amazing how different each of these main characters are portrayed. While Calixta is a woman of independence, the main character of the Storm is opposite, and her husband is much of her strenght. I personally liked the portrayal of Calixta better, besides the manner in which she disregards her relationship, because the woman is far more empowering for other women.
Laura,
I definitely agree that the pieces were less solemn and almost had a woman’s touch on them which added a new, more passionate spin on them. I personally found that it was this aspect which made the short stories both easier, and more compelling to read. I like how you bring up emotions of the female characters, for it made me realize that I do not understand myself how Calixta could just forget about her husband and not feel any remorse for her actions as in “The Storm.” The only thing that comes to mind however, is that perhaps she was just that unhappy with her life that she did not care about the consequences. Perhaps she just enjoyed getting caught up in the moment and swept off her feet. The other character which you bring up, Desiree however, I did not believe to have killed herself because of the fact that she was upset that she was not loved by her husband anymore. I really enjoyed your viewpoint on this part of this story, for I took it to simply mean that she could not live with the fact that she was black. Your perspective however, would fit in with the common emotional female characters which Chopin creates and it is definitely a possibility.
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