Egocentrism Exposed In Kate Chopin's The Storm

Rich or poor, male or female, everyone was only concerned with his or her own desires during the Progressive Era, and although this may be considered a negative attribute, it was not in all cases A rich, powerful man in this time period was exceptionally egocentric; however, it is an easy misconception that only these men that this trait. Egocentrism was not only for the rich because the poor’s mentality was self-centered as well. Their social status may have been different, but they thought the same. The rich and poor alike shared the notion that the world revolved around them and everything should fit to their needs. The social egocentrism broke up into three categories: the domineering, deserve-all attitude of the upper class, the want and need to get something done for the poor, and, finally, the attitude of being better than the rest. The successful, upper-class men became who they were because of egocentrism, and they rarely thought about how it would affect other people. As much domination as possible was the goal. There is no real answer to asking why these men pushed for power. The mindset of being the best brought …show more content…
They decided it is acceptable to act for their own good. Again, in “The Storm”, Calixta succumbed to her passion for her own happiness. It was not to please Bobint or Bibi; Calixta did it for her enjoyment exclusively. Before this eventful day, Calixta was not happy in her marriage with Bobint. Alce showing up gave her the pleasure she wanted and deserved. Chopin said, “He [Alce] turned and smiled at her with a beaming face, and she lifted her pretty chin in the air and laughed aloud” (4). The innocent, carefree happiness of this quote is enough to show how Calixta felt once she let the egocentrism take over. This was overall the difference between men and women with women having uplifting thoughts, and then men focusing on the power of being above the