The plot of the story The Storm” by Kate Chopin is a conventional everyday plot. The story would not be as interesting without the last line, “So the storm passed and everyone was happy.” What did she mean by this closing line? My interpretation of the story is that she meant the rocky part of both Calixta and Alcee’s marriage had passed along with the storm. Both Alcee and Calixta cheated on their spouses, but they both knew that when the storm was over, they would return to faithfulness with their mates.
Alcee felt regretful, as indicated by the author’s quote: It was a loving letter full of tender solicitude.” He also expressed that although he missed his family, he was willing to bear the separation a while longer, realizing that their health and pleasure were the first things to be considered. These quotes were taken from the letter that Alcee had written to his wife. The storm had passed, and it seemed that everyone in Alcee’s situation was going to be happy. Calixta was extremely happy to see her son and husband return home safely, as indicated in the story: “She had clasped Bibi and was kissing him effusively.”
Calixta then went to Bobinot and felt him to see if he was dry. She seemed to express nothing but satisfaction at their safe return. Calixta had also withstood the storm of her marriage, and everyone seemed to be happy. Alcee and Calixta both realized they were blessed with loving spouses. In their moment of passion, they did not realize how lucky they both were.
I feel that they both came to grips with the fact that what happened between them was an act of lust and that there were no feelings involved. The moment was very arousing for each of them, but when the storm was over, so was the act of lust and betrayal. In my opinion, this act could help both Alcee’s and Calixta’s marriages rather than hurt them, as long as their respective spouses do not find out what happened during the storm. I bring this up because both guilty parties involved seemed to come away from the incident loving their spouses more and realizing that their choice of whom to marry was the right one.
Each expressed concern for their spouse’s well-being, and the actions they took during the storm didn’t even cross their minds as the storm passed. Sometimes people need a storm” to happen in their lives to help them realize how good they have it. Alcee and Calixta came away from the storm realizing that they had each found the love of their lives, and it wasn’t each other. Neither wanted to lose their love, “So the storm passed and everyone was happy.”
