Comparison And Contrast

Barros’ ENC1102

Essay 3: Comparison / Contrast. Two Stories by Kate Chopin

“The Storm” and “The Story of an Hour”

Main characters: Calixta (“The Storm”) and Louise (“The Story of an Hour”)

A thesis you might want to use: Calixta’s and Louise’s reactions to their marriages

Another possible thesis: Calixta and Louise: similar, yet so different

CALIXTA		LOUISE
DIFFERENCES	SIMILARITIES	DIFFERENCES
Of Spanish (Cuban) descent	Both lived in Louisiana during the second half of the 19th century	Not clear ancestry/ethnicity, probably White
Attractive, good looking	Both are frustrated women who apparently married the wrong partners	No physical description given, only that she is young.
Hot tempered	Both their husbands love them, in their own ways	Mild manners
Apparently healthy	Both are young women	Has a heart condition that kills her at the end of the story
Not very well educated	Both escape their situation briefly and find joy	Apparently well educated
Has one child	Dependent on their husbands	No children
Low social class, rural	Not honest about their feelings	Middle class, urban
In love with Alcee, as part of a love triangle, adulterous, though she stays with Bobinot.	Both feel a certain degree of affection for their husbands	Not in love with Brently, but she doesn’t have any other lover
She is apparently happy, but must be frustrated inside		She is definitely unhappy