We have read the story “The Storm " and " The Gift of the Magi”; both of them share the concept of love. The Storm is a story written by Kate Chopin. It is a story of infidelity and sexual desires. In his story, Chopin uses a symbol of the storm to express his views on marriage and sexuality. This is a story that evolves between two families, that of Bobinot, Calixta and son Bibi and Alcee, Clarisee and their babies. Sex and adultery are a crucial part of the story. Kate Chopin tells a story of a woman who was torn between two men and had an affair with her former lover. The brief affair happened during a storm when Calixta was waiting for the husband during a storm and she gives into temptation when her former lover comes for shelter from the storm (Chopin 8). The husband Bobinot had gone to buy household goods with the son Bibi. On the other hand, The Gift of Magi written by O’ Henry is a story of a poor young couple who loved each other very much. This is a story of couple’s who sacrificed their most valuable items to buy a Christmas gifts for each other. It shows what a couple can do for love in the face of need. While reading all these stories, the reader can tell that they both deal with love.
The Storm by Kate Chopin and The Gift of Magi by O’ Henry both talk about love and they revolve around married couples. The main topic in the Storm is sex and infidelity whereby two couples enjoy sex outside marriage. Comparably to the Gift of Magi, it is all about love between two young married couples who had enormous love for each other. Even though the couples were poor, love was the most important thing in their lives. The love in the Gift of Magi is expressed by the couples when they make sacrifices for each other. In addition, love in the Gift of Magi is also shown where when Della’s husband arrives home, he is hugged greatly by the wife and she makes sure that supper is ready before he arrives. In the storm, there is infidelity in contrast to the Gift of Magi where there is pure love. Even though Calixta, Bobinot’s wife is unfaithful, Bobinot expresses his love for her by buying her shrimps that she loved so much. In the Gift of Magi, the story is about sacrifice where the two couples sacrifice their valuables for the sake of each other. Della cuts off her hair and sells it to buy her husband a platinum chain. Alternatively, the husband sells off his grandfathers gold watch to buy the wife a tortoise shell clip for her hair (Henry 20).
The women in both stories are a contrast to each other. In the gift of Magi, the woman is so loving, caring, devoted and faithful to the husband. Comparably, in the Storm, the wife is seen having an extra marital affair outside marriage and she does not even regret about it. Calixta is unfaithful to the husband. In the storm, the wife is seen comfortable and gets sexual satisfaction with the lover compared to the Gift of Magi where the wife is devoted to the husband despite their poverty. In the Storm, Calixta had a troubled marriage because she was unsatisfied in her marital life. Comparably, in the Gift of Magi, the reader does not see any dissatisfaction in the woman but love and affection to the husband. In the storm, the women seek satisfaction away from their husbands; one finds pleasure with a former lover and the other finds relief away from the husband. Compared to the Gift of Magi, the woman finds fulfillment in the husband and all he does for her.
In both stories, the men were very hard working. They both did their best to provide for their families. Jim, Della’s husband is described in the story working very hard to provide for the wife. In the Storm, Bobinot was the main breadwinner as the wife remained home doing household duties. In contrast to the Gift of Magi, both the wife and the husband worked hard as Della is seen saving every cent that is left after buying all she needs for the house.
The relationship between husband and wife in the Storm was not strong that is why there was infidelity. Comparably, in the Gift of Magi, the relationship was pure and real because as the reader reads the book, the couples are seen devoted to each other with the sacrifices they make. Although at the end of the story in the Storm, the couple’s relationship is strengthened despite the infidelity from the wife.
Both of the stories revolve around married couples and they make the reader identify with the situations in the stories. They are also written in a way that many people reading them can identify with the situations in the story. In both stories, one can visualize the setting.
Works Cited
Chopin, Kate. "The Storm" The Literature of the American South. Ed. William L. Andrews. New York: Norton, 1996. Print.
O’ Henry. The gift of the magi. Massachusetts: Candle Wick publishers, 2008. Print.
