The short story “The Tempest” by Kate Chopin is about a love that could never exist until it briefly did. The point Chopin was trying to make was that Calixta and Alcee had a strong passion for each other and perhaps loved each other, but they could never have married due to their social differences. It is about a passionate but brief affair between two married people of different social classes that takes place during a hurricane in Louisiana around 1898. The story symbolizes the freedom a woman felt internally after the rain at one time where women had no freedom. (Firtha lesson 2 page 1) Calixta and Alcee had a strong passion for each other. Chopin says: Alcée goes up to her house and asks “if he can take shelter until the storm passes.” » (806) “Come in quickly, M’sieur Alcée. » "His voice and his made her startle as if she were coming out of a trance, and she grabbed Bobinots' vest." (806) Furthermore, Chopin makes a point of stating that “she had not seen him very often since her marriage, and never alone.” (806) Calixta acted very nervous when Alcee was inside her house. “Calixta nervously began to pick up the lengths of cotton sheets she was sewing from the floor.” (Chopin806) She attributed her nervousness to the fact that Bobinot and his son Bibi were "in the storm" (Chopin806), but "she is looking out the window and is surprised by the thunder, so Alcee's arm encircled her and she freed herself" (Chopin807), instead of saying if only I knew where Bobinot and Bibi were, she said "If only I knew where Bibi was." Likewise, "while she looked at him, the fear in her liquid blue eyes had given way to a sleepy glow that unconsciously betrayed sensual desire” (Chopin 807) and “Her lips were as red and moist as a pomegranate seed..... paper......put aside all their social differences and gave in to all the emotions they had been feeling for so long. When the storm passed, they found such an amazing freedom, and the way they perceived the world that. around them would be changed forever. St. Martins 10th ed. 2010, 805-808Firtha, Christie, lesson2Page2http://www.thefreedictionary.com/swoon2011, February 11, 2011http://www.thefreedictionary.com/brogans2011, February 11, 2011