I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar

I really enjoyed Kate Chopins three short stories. As a woman, reading them, i felt i understood how she feels about love and marriage. I liked that in the end of all the stories it was all about the power women have over men.

The Storm is a story very ahead of its time I believe. The way Calixta, with no hesitation, allowed herself to have a quick sexy afternoon with Alcee is not something i would picture a woman doing given the time period. I noticed that Chopin only described what Calixta looked like and never said anything about what the man she was sleeping with felt or looked like. Also, the fact that Calixta just went about her day with her husband and child like nothing ever happened says a lot about what Chopin wants the reader to think. It made me think Calixta was thinking like a man and just wanted that one afternoon of passion. Truly a story made for a woman by a woman.

The Story of an Hour is my favorite of the three. I love that Louise was not shy about expressing how happy she was to be "Free! Body and soul free!" from her husband. It makes Mr.Mallard look like a real shitty husband if you ask me! "She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long. It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long."(660) Wow, what a slap in the face that is! I was so happy for Louise finally getting her independence and being able to start a new life all for herself! Until Mr. Mallard showed up and killed her with his presence. Unfortunately the husband will never know she died because the sight of him alive was so disturbing she'd rather be dead. But Chopin freed her anyway, death before dishonor right!!!

Desiree's Baby was interesting. First let me say that Armand must have be white as snow to not see that his skin was darker than most white folks. Anyway, again given the time period of 1892, I am not surprised that Desiree just did whatever Armand told her to do and obviously being a man he never would have believed that she was 100% white and he was the one with the black in his family. This story is a big middle finger to men. A screw you I was right all along type story. Although put much more eloquently than that, i think that was what Chopin was aiming for. I also identified personally to this story a lot because i am half black and I can't imagine someone i love, let alone have a child with, despising me for that!

Chopin was one brave chick to write these provocative,strong, sexy stories in her time.m No wonder none would publish her!