Infidelity and Scandal in “The Storm” and Other 19th Century Writing
Many authors and artists in the nineteenth century tackled a great number of pressing issues in their time, particularly relating closely to the nature of adultery and infidelity. In the world of art, Augustus Leopold Egg’s famous triptych Past and Present demonstrated a husband’s discovery of his wife’s infidelity, and the consequences that ensued, creating a subtle breakdown of the traditional family unit that was thought to be impenetrable in the 19th century. Prominent writers like Leo Tolstoy and Kate Chopin also tackled this issue as well – Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina explores the inherent acceptance of male infidelity and women’s helplessness towards it, while Chopin’s “The Storm” provides its female main character with a sympathetic portrayal of infidelity. In "The Storm", author Kate Chopin uses the perfect storm to create a scandalous act atypical for the time.
Chopin’s “The Storm” follows the story of Calixta, who is a good, virtuous wife who is caught in a violent storm that isolates her from her husband, who is out of town while the storm traps her in the house. However, when her old flame Alcee finds himself at her door, it is difficult to resist his charms and the opportunity to express the passion that had heretofore been denied her in her loveless marriage. In many ways, the storm around her becomes a metaphor for the boundless passion that she seeks to unleash on the world, as well as the effect that the affair itself would have on herself and her marriage. Her encounter with Alcee is so forceful and intense that it is reflected in the craziness of the storm: “The rain beat upon the low, shingled roof with a force and clatter that threatened to break an entrance and deluge them there” (Chopin 155). The storm itself even pales in comparison to the lovemaking they engage in: “They did not heed the crashing torrents, and the roar of the elements made her laugh as she lay in his arms” (Chopin 156). In this way, the storm’s intensity is indicative of the kind of sexual being that Calixta wants to be, but is not allowed to be in this repressive 19th century society.
Chopin’s “The Storm” depicts infidelity as something hiding just under the surface of polite society, just as with Egg’s triptych and Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. In Egg’s paintings, he depicts “the fallen woman” in a way that looks down upon her mistakes (Edelstein 202). Egg is shown to take a much more conservative tack, saying that “adultery destroys the home and family,” as the fallen women is punished with death and the destruction of the family unit (Edelstein 208). In Anna Karenina, marriage is shown to be “one of the numerous facts of social life,” instead of something being done for love (p. 27). As a result, men are seemingly allowed to get away with infidelity as long as they do not let it interfere with the sanctity of their home - “Such men are unfaithful, but their home and wife are sacred to them” (p. 19).
These more conservative perspectives are contrasted with Chopin’s take on the issue, which is far more liberating. Chopin allows the woman in question (Calixta) to enjoy this breath of life and joy, the storm around her representing the emotions and passion that 19th century values force her to repress. In this way, the affair is a transformative moment for Calixta and for all women suffering from these restrictions – Chopin allowing women to take pleasure in infidelity and sexual freedom, which was rare in 19th century society.
Works Cited
Chopin, Kate. The Awakening. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1994. Print.
---. “The Storm.” Lit. Ed. Steven R. Kirszner and Laurie G. Mandell. Boston: Wadsworth, 2012 (154-156). Print.
Edelstein, T.J. “Augustus Egg's Triptych: A Narrative of Victorian Adultery.” The Burlington Magazine 125.961 (1983): 204-212. JSTOR. Web. 23 July 2015.
Tolstoy, Leo. Anna Karenina. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. Print.
