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In Kate Chopin's "The Storm," how does the weather help to create the story's atmosphere?

The storm is a metaphor for the rising passion between Calixta and Alcée. In literary terms, this is also called the "pathetic fallacy." The "pathetic" term refers to "pathos" which means to evoke emotion or sympathy. Note the "path" in the words sympathy and empathy as well. The pathetic fallacy, in this case, suggests that nature (the storm) is mirroring or showing empathy for the characters, Calixta and Alcée. As the energy of the storm rises, so does the sexual tension between these two characters.


Being in the house, with doors and windows closed, the temperature in the house increases. This parallels the rising "heat" and tension between Calixta and Alcée.


A bolt of lightning strikes a tree and this dramatic moment signals the moment when Alcée moves to embrace Calixta:



Calixta put her hands to her eyes, and with a cry, staggered backward. Alcée's arm encircled her, and for an instant he drew her close and spasmodically to him.



Their brief encounter ends when the storm ends. Their passion parallels the energy of the storm. When the storm is over, Alcée rides off.

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