In “The Storm,” by Kate Chopin, Calixta is left home alone during a storm while her husband and son, Bobinôt and Bibi, are trapped at the general store. Calixta welcomes her friend, Alcée, into their home to provide shelter. Calixta and Alcée have an affair, forming a love triangle. After Alcee leaves and her family returns, she is happy to see them, and hides her guilt. Calixta and her family continue with their lives, and Bobinot never learns of her immoral affair.
“Spunk,” by Zora Hurston, is another story about a love triangle. Lena has been publicly cheating on her husband, Joe, with another man, Spunk. In the story, Joe gets worked up and goes to fight Spunk. He sneaks up on Spunk in the woods and attempts to stab him. Spunk has a pistol, and Joe is shot and killed. Spunk returns to Lena, takes her as his wife, and they continue happily without Joe to interfere. At the end of the story, Joe returns and haunts Spunk in the form of a black cat, and Spunk ultimately dies. Kate Chopin and Zora Hurston utilize character and language in similar ways to tell two different stories about the immorality of love affairs.
Both stories have similar characters that form a love triangle. In “The Storm,” Chopin writes: “They [Calixta and Alcee] did not heed the crashing torrents, and the roar of the elements made her laugh as she lay in his arms,” (241). Alcee and Calixta have a passion-filled affair. In “Spunk,” Hurston writes: “A giant of a brown-skinned man [Spunk] sauntered up the one street of the Village and out into the palmetto thickets with a small pretty woman [Lena] clinging lovingly to his arm.,” (1). Spunk is Lena’s lover, and their affair is public in the Village. The third members of each triangle are their husbands. Chopin writes: “Bobinôt was the embodiment of serious solicitude as he strove to remove from his own person and his son’s the signs of their tramp…” (241). Bobinot is a quiet and dedicated man. Hurston writes: “[Joe] stood there gazin‘ after them till they was outa sight. Now you know a woman don’t want no man like that,” (3). Joe is cowardly. Both Bobinot and Joe are unattractive compared to their wives’ lovers.
The characters, however, are very different between these two stories. Chopin says: “Bobinôt and Bibi began to relax and enjoy themselves, and… they laughed much,” (242). Bobinot is not aware of the affair, and is ignorant of Calixta’s adultery, leaving the family happy. Hurston writes: “Now Joe knew his wife had passed that way. He knew that the men lounging in the general store had seen her…” (1). Joe is aware of Lena’s affair. The fact that the affair is public makes him angry and he seek revenge. Bobinot is ignorant, while Joe is vengeful.
“Spunk” and “The Storm” also use similar language devices, such as dialogue and vernacular. Both use dialogue between the characters to share valuable information with the reader. Chopin writes: “‘An’ there’s Bobinôt with Bibi out in that storm — if he only didn’ left Friedheimer’s!’ ‘Let us hope, Calixta, that Bobinôt’s got sense enough to come in out of a cyclone,’” (240). Chopin uses dialogue to show Alcee’s desire for Bobinot to stay out of the house. Hurston writes: ‘You oughtn’t to said whut you did to him, Lige—look how it worked him up,’ ‘And Ah hope it did work him up. ‘Tain’t even decent for a man to take and take like he do… Didn’t he meet Spunk an‘ Lena face to face one day las’ week an‘ mumble sumthin’ to Spunk ‘bout lettin’ his wife alone?” (2). In “Spunk,” most of the information is given through dialogue. In this scene, the dialogue shows how the narrators view the events in the story. Both “The Storm” and “Spunk” use dialogue to provide valuable information about the affairs.
Both authors also utilize local vernacular in their stories to give the reader context. Chopin writes: “Bonté! Bonté: Heavens!” (240). In “The Storm,” the characters come from rural Louisiana, evident by the spattering of French terms within the text. Hurston writes: “He ain’t skeered of nothin‘ on God’s green footstool—nothin’! He rides that log down at saw-mill jus‘ like he struts ’round wid another man’s wife,” (1). In “Spunk,” the characters are from a rural African American community. The dialect in both stories give the reader an idea of the context and setting, and help the reader place themselves inside the characters’ lives.
These stories, however, use different devices as well. Chopin writes: “The growl of the thunder was distant and passing away. The rain beat softly upon the shingles, inviting them to drowsiness and sleep…” (241). “The Storm” uses more detailed and descriptive passages. Hurston writes: “A round-shouldered figure in overalls much too large, came nervously in the door and the talking ceased. The men looked at each other and winked,” (1). “Spunk” uses description lightly, and implies more to describe the characters and events in the story.
The central idea of each story is the passionate love affair. The authors, however, have different approaches and results. Chopin writes, “Calixta was preparing supper… She sprang up as they came in,” (241). Calixta wants to conceal her affair, and overcompensates by serving her family enthusiastically. Hurston writes: “[Spunk] tole Joe right to his face that Lena was his. ‘Call her,’ he says to Joe. ‘Call her and see if she’ll come. A woman knows her boss an’ she answers when he calls,” (2). Spunk and Lena have a blatant disregard for Joe, but karma seems to play a part in providing Joe with justice after his death.
Both stories explore the pitfalls of a love triangle, but they have different approaches. Chopin shows the immorality by giving the characters enough guilt to hide their illicit activities, and Bobinot does not receive justice in the end. Hurston also shows the immorality in the karma through which Joe ultimately receives justice, even though he gets killed in the process.
Works Cited
- Chopin, Kate. “The Storm.” 2004. Fiction 100: An Anthology of Short Fiction. Comp. James H. Pickering. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2004. 239-42. Print.
- Hurston, Zora Neale. Spunk. Cadeilhan: Zulma, 1993. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. <http://www.coreknowledge.org/mimik/mimik_uploads/documents/311/Hurston%20ZN%20Spunk.pdf>.