Chopin's stories "The Storm" and "The Story of an Hour" both express a fresh and unconventional view of love and marriage. Written during an era in which women were expected by society to devote themselves and their lives entirely to their husbands and children, Chopin's views were largely ahead of her time. Her views were extremely controversial because they express a woman's right to revolt against such expectations and live for herself. Essentially, both stories deal with women who are yearning for liberation, whether sexual or individual. "The Storm", shows a woman who is seemingly happy with her husband and child, yet longs to release her sexual desires which are apparently not satisfied by her husband. "The Story of an Hour" illustrates the life of a woman who feels enslaved by her marriage and wants nothing more than to regain ownership of her life. Through these stories, Chopin reveals women's need to satisfy their wants and desires, which was never thought necessary for women during that time as they were expected to be selfless and self-sacrificing creatures.
"The Storm" exposes that women do in fact have sexual desires that need to be met. The story is set up during a storm, in which a young woman, Calixta, gives shelter to a man from her past, Alcee, while her son and husband must remain in a grocery store for shelter. The title of the story and the occurrence of a storm during the height of Calixta's sexual tension and the subsequent release is important. In both the storm and Calixta's sexual fulfillment there is a build up of tension that results in an overwhelming release of this tension. The storm therefore parallels what occurs within Calixta. Prior to Alcee's arrival Calixta is "sewing furiously on a sewing machine. She was greatly occupied and did not notice the approaching storm. But she felt very warm.She unfastened her white sacque at the throat. It began to grow dark, and suddenly realizing the situation she got up.
