A Study of The Storm from the Perspective of Eco—feminism

崔茜

天津外國語大學

【Abstract】The Storm was written by Kate Chopin. The study finds that this story reflects the process of female awareness of their identity and independent spirit appertaining to the situation of nature under the restrain of the patriarchal society.

【Key words】Kate Chopin； female awareness； eco-feminism

1. Introduction

Eco-feminism was first introduced by Francoise dEaudone in her book Le Feminism ou La Mort（Feminism or Death）published in 1974， which is the combination of the womens liberation and the ecological movement. Eco-feminists believe that the female and nature hold the same position in a male dominated world. It attempts to explore a special relationship between women and nature. Meanwhile， it tries to promote a new relation between women and nature harmoniously coexisting with each other.（M. H. Abrams， 2004： 135）

2. Bobin?t and Alcées Escape from Nature

In the opening lines of The Storm， the depiction of nature is covered by the depressed ambience， featured as still leaves， somber clouds and a sullen， threatening roar， which extends us a sense of terror. Besides， it is the storm that deters Bobin?t from returning home. In this sense， the storm is a hindrance to Bobin?t， which indirectly leaves room for Calixtas freedom at home and her extramarital affair.

To mention Alcée， the other male character is also as an escapist from nature-the rain. As the big rain drops begin to fall， he rode his horse under the shelter of a side projection.

3. Calixtas Affinity with Nature

The author displays the scene prior to the coming of the storm， which can be interpreted as the voice of her own depression of her marriage. When her previous lover finds a shelter in her house， the author shows us nature a “The rain beat upon the low， shingled roof with a force and clatter that threatened to break an entrance and deluge them there”. The voice of nature parallels with her sexual desire. Chopin craftily wields the power of nature to express females aspirations. Therefore， it is natural to say that females inborn with the similarity and affinity with nature. The howling storm is the voice of her restricted sexual desire under this patriarchal society.

The vivid and artistic description of their sexual process is as beautiful and glamorous a creamy lily. Flower figure strongly as images of the intimacy between nature and human longing in Chopins fiction. In “the Storm”， Chopin uses lily to express Calixtas beauty and convey her intense passion for Alcée. Here Chopin implicitly tells us women are just like the noble， purified and animated flowers of nature， thus womens desire for freedom is the power endowed by nature.

After the storm， the rain was over； and the sun was turning the glistening green world into a palace of gems. This extends us a sense of her satisfaction and happiness of her sexual release. The beaming sun and green world washed by the rain symbolizes her harmony with nature.（孫勝忠， 2002： 36）

4. Seizing power from nature to protest for their desire

Calixta has something to identify herself with nature. Calixta attempts to release her sexual desire， which is depressed by her boring housewifes role； In the story of The Storm though Calixta aspires to release her sexual desire， the conventional law and code of morality still chain her foot. However， when she stands in front of the window seeing that “a bolt struck a tall chinaberry tree at the edge of the field.” Instantly， she cant control herself with a bitter crying. Thus， Alcée embraces her and her emotion flows out and the bitter sorrow of her sexual repression is poured out without fear in her blue eyes but stimulates her sensuous desire. It is the force deriving from nature that encourages her unconsciously to pursue her sexual freedom. “Female is the caretaker of nature while nature is the shelter of female. They comfort as well as depend on each other”.

5. Conclusions

Kate Chopin is a subtle and thinking woman. She is ahead of her time and manifests her attitude to how the marital women understand selfhood， motherhood， wifehood， spiritual and physical pursuit. Her artistic using of language is talented and full of musical beauty. The image of nature in her ink gives the readers the aesthetic pleasure and evokes our contemplation.

This paper aims to do a study of her short story from the perspective of eco-feminism. It provides a new approach to the study of Kate Chopins works and the intimacy between nature and women. Eco-feminism considers nature and women as a union and regards the criticism of the way to help women find their own identity and freedom. Therefore， to investigate it more is to help to make human living situation clear to us.

參考文獻：

[1]M.H.Abrams.Glossary of Literary Terms.Beijing：FLTR Press，2004：135.

[2]金莉.壓抑，覺醒，反叛——凱特·肖邦筆下的女性形象[J].外國文學，1995（4）.

[3]孫勝忠.獨到的表現手法，超前的女性意識——解讀凱特·肖幫的短篇小說《暴風雨》[J].名作欣賞，2002（4）：36.