By analyzing character development in Kate Chopin’s two stories, “the storm” and the “the story of an hour”, it is possible to show the significance of character construction within a story.
Louise Mallard is the main character in Kate Chopin’s “the story of an hour”. When she receives the message that her husband is dead, she mourns outwards but inside she is happy for the newly acquired independence. When her husband happens to be alive, she is shocked and succumbs to heart attack, while many feel she is excited of the appearance of her husband. She appears to be an independent hypocritical woman (Chopin 1-4). On the other hand, Calixta is one of the main characters in Chopin’s “the storm.” Unlike her son Bibi and her husband Bobinot who are worried about her safety during a heavy storm, she is uneasy about them and is glad when an old boyfriend, Alcee, arrives and they make love (Chopin 4). She is glad when her son and son arrive after the storm after Alcee left. Just like Louise, Calixta seems to be hypocritical and wary of her independence. The development of the two character points out to the key messages of the two stories. In ‘the story of an hour’, character-description provides us with the reality of Louise’s death. On the other hand, we learn that in “the storm” the theme of unfaithfulness prevails behind the curtains. This point out that the main character bears the key messages of any story and their development is critical in the successful narration.