The Storm #9

While the storm gave Calixta and Alcee the opportunity to commit adultery, it does not excuse their actions. Calixta and Alcee could have just as well sat down and talked about their families over a cup of coffee than cheated on their spouses. They both knew that this situation could lead to trouble. The narrator gave an indication of this when they said "She had not seen him very often since her marriage, and never alone" (Chopin 264). On page 265 there is a series of events that leads them into each others arms. In the first of these events Calixta and Alcee are standing at the window and a lightening bold hits a nearby tree. This startles Calixta and she "staggered backward" into Alcee's arms. This time, she frees herself. If she were uncomfortable with what was happening she could have made an excuse to go into another room, but she chooses to stay with Alcee. Both characters made a conscious choice to commit adultery and to excuse their actions because of a weather occurrence is outrageous.