Ideas on Family Relationships in "The Storm" Essay

The story "The Storm" by Kate Chopin focuses on the deviant behavior depicted by two married people, that is, Calixta and Alcee. The two go against the norms of the society of time to engage in intimacy behind their couples. While the plot of the story is primarily focused on the illicit affair, it also revealed important aspects of the family relationships of the 19th century.

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Firstly, a major aspect of the family relationship is the division of tasks that is evident in the family of Calixta and her husband, Bobinot. While Calixta remains behind sewing and taking care of the house, Bobinot goes to the local store with their son, Bibi (Chopin 1). Additionally, Calixta, as the wife of the house, performs cleaning tasks as shown where she goes to unhung her husband's clothes so that they are not rained on, which indicates that she cleans her family's clothes (Chopin 2). On the other hand, the husband is depicted as a provider, who goes away from the home and comes back with food. For example, Bobinot buys shrimps, which he brings back home to the family. The depiction of women as caregivers in a family is also revealed by Alcee and his wife, Clarisse, where she has left home to visit Biloxi but has gone away with the children. In this case, it is clear that women are considered as the one who should actively take care of their children.

The second depiction of family relationships is the sacrifice that husbands and wives have to make for the survival of married, and ultimately, bring up their children and make a home. For instance, while the interactions between Bobinot, Calixta, and their son Bibi seems jovial, Calixta is not satisfied with the intimacy that they have with the husband. On the other hand, Alcee is not happy with his intimacy with his wife (Chopin 6). The similar situation in the two families leads to the affair between Alcee and Calixta. The affair reveals an important aspect of families whereby lies and betrayal often occur in families, and unfaithfulness is one of the ways such behavior is revealed. Such lies have the capacity to destroy a family, yet they remain hidden, and the family continues to be happy and together.

The other aspect family relationship is communication, especially when the couple stays apart. For instance, Alcee and Clarisse stay apart but communicate through letters (Chopin 6). Such communication is essential for continued happiness and assurance of the togetherness of the family. Furthermore, the family is a sign of security, and people are committed to sticking together even when they no longer have the happiness and intimacy that they desire. In this case, despite Calixta and Alcee having strong attraction and intimacy, they cannot be together and choose to remain with their families for the security and "normalcy" that it offers.

Conclusion

The story in the "The Storm" reveals familial relationships that are characterized by happiness, security, as well as betrayal and lies. While Alcee and Calixta cheat on their spouses, they cannot leave their families to be together. In the family, the role of the men as providers and women as caregivers of the children are clearly identified. Furthermore, the sense security that the family offers to its members is undeniable. Consequently, family relations have difficulties that help define the characteristics of families of the 19th century.

Work Cited

Chopin, Kate. The complete works of Kate Chopin. LSU Press, 2006.