Comparison between that The Storm by Kate Chopin and “My Life I had Stood with a Loaded Gun” by Emily Dickenson
Despite the fact that The Storm by Kate Chopin and “My Life I had Stood with a Loaded Gun” by Emily Dickenson seem to have nothing in common at first glance. If a person analysis the works a little closer, they can see that they have the following connections.
In The Storm the story tells of an extra-marital affair during a storm. The passion of the lovers is unbridled and dangerous just like the storm. While in “My Life I Stood with a Loaded Gun, the gun is a metaphor for a person coming into their sexual power.
Symbolism and Imagery
It appears that before the storm Bobinot and Calixta have a pretty ideal marriage. This is seen in the way that the leaves are described earlier in the story “The leaves were so still that even Bibi thought it was going to rain” (Chopin). Later after the storm passes the leaves return to their stillness. The calm leaves are a symbol for Bobinot and Calixta’s marriage. Their marriage is calm, serene until it slowly dries up and writhers away. The storm is the most obvious symbol is the story. Bobinot and Bibi discuss the fact that Calixta is afraid of storms and when we first meet Calixta she is attempting to curb her fear. “She went and stood at the window with a greatly disturbed look on her face” (Chopin). The storm represents that passion that lives within both Alcee’ and Calixta. This is what exist under the veneer of being an ideal wife and husband, just as the storm is what exists behind calm skies. Like the storm the passion that consumed both Alcee’ and Calixta as the thunder crashes and the sky opens up simmers away into calm skies “turning the glistening green world into a palace of gems.” (Chopin). The storm like the affair while passionate was not destructive. This allows everyone to carry on as if the storm or the affair has never happened. This indicates that instead of the storm being a harbinger or misfortune it is actually a positive force as it allowed Calixta to work out her frustrations allowing her to be happier when Bobinot and Bibi came home. Evidenced in the fact that she did not yell at them for tracking mud in the house and her exchange with them regarding the shrimp.
In “My Life had stood—a Loaded Gun—” Emily Dickenson uses a gun to represent sexual awakening. In the first stanza the gun, which is being used as a metaphor for the narrator’s life stands stagnant.” My Life had stood - a Loaded Gun - In Corners - till a Day” (lines 1-2) The gun has not found anyone who wants to remove it from the corner where it sits. The lack of connection between the gun and the outside world causes the gun’s desire and power to go unfulfilled. One can interpret this to be a person who is at the will of others. (possibly her father or society).
In the second stanza someone has noticed the gun and has taken it from its spot in the corner “--till a day The Owner passed--identified--And carried Me away-“(lines 3-4). The gun now has a purpose as well as an identity. We as the reader now know that the poem is being told from the narrative of the gun/ Emily/ 19th century women. This purpose seems to be marriage and following the whims of her “master”. The idea of marriage is confirmed by “And now We roam in Sovereign Woods--And now We hunt the Doe—“ (lines 5-6). The change from “me” to “we” in the narrative indicates a union and sex. Dickenson is also saying that by getting married the woman is allowing their power to be diminished or killed “The Mountains straight reply—” (line 8) this means that as a woman the gun must accept that despite her power her words will be ignored or criticized. In the third stanza we learn that the gun has finally gone off “It is as a Vesuvian face/ Had let it’s pleasure through” (lines 11-12). The description of “Vesuvian face” indicates that the woman is calm on the surface, but beneath she is a simmering volcano waiting to explode. This shows the connection between the poem and the prose because both women have passionate temperaments hidden by calm exteriors, and for both of them this passion is shown through sex.
Setting-
The Storm is set between a street and a house in Louisiana. The house is described as a being “too low to be struck, with so many trees standing about (Chopin).” This gives the reader another image of the relationship between Bobinot and Calixta. Just as the house is secure enough to weather the storm, so will their marriage. Even though the storm and Alcee both act as menacing forces against the home threatening to destroy the home that Bobinot and Calixta have built together “with a force and clatter that threaten to break an entrance and deluge them there” (Chopin). At the end when Bobinot and Bibi return, they have no idea what transpired, but the description of the trees standing as protectors of the house seem to foreshadow the idea that even if Bobinot knew the truth he would act to protect Calixta from the fallout.
In the beginning of “My Life had stood—a Loaded Gun—” the gun sits in the corner ignored as life passes it by. It is only later when it is noticed that it is taken into the “sovereign woods” (line 5)
Foreshadowing
At the beginning of the story Calixta is portrayed as being innocent “She was greatly occupied and did not notice the approaching storm (Chopin).” Later the reader realizes that something is going to happen when they are told that “somber clouds that were rolling with sinister intention from the west, accompanied by a sullen, threatening roar (Chopin).” This description foreshadows Alcee’ trying to escape the violence of the storm on his horse. There was no foreshadowing in “My Life”
Works Cited
Chopin, Kate. "The Storm." American Literature. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.
Dickinson, Emily. "My Life Had Stood - a Loaded Gun (764)." Poetry Foundation. Ed. R.W Franklin. Poetry Foundation. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.
