There are many different ways an affair can go about. Some affairs work, and some do not. Why is that? What makes the relationship fall apart or stay together? Is it the fact that one person is married and one is not? Could it be because both parties are married? Does power play a role in an affair? Through the affairs written about in “Birdsong” by Adichie and “The Storm” by Chopin power seems to play a role in why or why not the relationship lasts because when power is imbalanced is when things fall apart. A similarity between “Birdsong” and “The Storm” would include both affairs took place with one or more married parties. In “Birdsong”, the male in the relationship was married and the woman he was having an affair with wasn’t. He had
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He tries to make up for it by giving her money, and buying her material things. In one section he says “ ‘I have a surprise for you. I’ve bought you a car” (Adichie 882). To his dismay, buying her a car doesn’t make her happy. She wants an actual relationship with him, and no matter how much stuff he buys her that can’t replace what she is feeling. Her jealousy really shows in this quote after he gets back from visiting his wife “ ‘but you weren’t there with me,’ [I said.] ‘You’re in a bad mood,’ [he replied]. ‘Don’t you see? You weren’t with me’” (Adichie 881). She just wants to be with him, and since the beginning he has made it very clear there is no option for that. Now in “The Storm”, it is a little bit different because first off the affair doesn’t seem to be finished at the end of the story. Also, Calixta and Alceé aren’t jealous of one another. She was very happy to see her spouse and child at the end, and Alceé even contacted his wife. “Alceé Laballière wrote his wife, Clarisse, that night. It was a loving letter, full of tender solicitude” (Chopin 838) and in the letter he also tells her to take her time out of town and not to rush back, which signals he wants to spend more time with Calixta. It seems they need to have the affair to be kind towards their significant
He tries to make up for it by giving her money, and buying her material things. In one section he says “ ‘I have a surprise for you. I’ve bought you a car” (Adichie 882). To his dismay, buying her a car doesn’t make her happy. She wants an actual relationship with him, and no matter how much stuff he buys her that can’t replace what she is feeling. Her jealousy really shows in this quote after he gets back from visiting his wife “ ‘but you weren’t there with me,’ [I said.] ‘You’re in a bad mood,’ [he replied]. ‘Don’t you see? You weren’t with me’” (Adichie 881). She just wants to be with him, and since the beginning he has made it very clear there is no option for that. Now in “The Storm”, it is a little bit different because first off the affair doesn’t seem to be finished at the end of the story. Also, Calixta and Alceé aren’t jealous of one another. She was very happy to see her spouse and child at the end, and Alceé even contacted his wife. “Alceé Laballière wrote his wife, Clarisse, that night. It was a loving letter, full of tender solicitude” (Chopin 838) and in the letter he also tells her to take her time out of town and not to rush back, which signals he wants to spend more time with Calixta. It seems they need to have the affair to be kind towards their significant