Kate Chopin states: "She had not seen him very often since her marriage, and never alone" (81, paragraph:7). This perhaps refers to the problems they experience in their restrictive marriages where frustration, narrow-mindedness, obligation, and desire all explode with the ferocity of thunder and lightning. Chopin also says: "And the first breath after her marriage seemed to restore her pleasant freedom and her maiden days" (84, par: 38). This shows that Clarisse also finds marriage restrictive and welcomes the opportunity to enjoy her newfound freedom a little longer. The relationship between Calixta and Alcee seems different for this time period, there seems to be a sense of equality depicted through nature imagery; the storm, the lilies, the sun and