Many critics have argued that "The Storm" narrows in on the topics of gender, and some view it as a sin committed between two "ex" lovers. As Maria Herbert-Leiter suggested, "through this story, Chopin seems to be arguing for human passion and desire, but not at the cost of marriage. After all, the two couples end where they began—happily married. Furthermore, Calixta's concerns for Bobinôt's physical dryness and Clarisse's continued devotion to her husband, prove the solidity of their marriages that are tested within the story."[10]
In his book Women and Autonomy, critic Allen Stein stated that "From the first chapter to last, 'The Storm,' is pervaded by ambiguity. The plot is clear enough, but the story is missing important details relating to the setting. That within the compass of the story's five chapters Chopin offers, to varying degrees, the points of view of five different characters suggesting no implicit consensus of vision but only a sense of fragmentation. A sense perhaps that with any significant situation points of view are as numerous as those involved and, further, that with many pieces of significant fiction readings are as numerous as readers."[11]
