Infidelity and Guilt

Nick Pastore

Professor Brady

Eng102 Literature Composition

3 December 2012

Infidelity and Guilt

The theme of a work of literature is simply the writers subject or topic on which the piece focuses.  Writers use various themes throughout a piece in order to convey their ideas to the reader as well as connect them with prevalent issues in society.  An abundance of authors use their writings to reflect their opinions of sexuality and marriage.  Infidelity, marital unfaithfulness, is a popular theme on which many writers choose to base their works.  This theme is very applicable in today’s society with a reported twenty-two and fourteen percent of married men and women respectively engaging in affairs ("Menstuff").  Two examples of the use of infidelity as a major theme include Kate Chopin’s The Storm andInterpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri.  In both pieces the main character’s Calixta and Mrs. Das engage in affairs and continue on with their marriages as their partners remain oblivious and they are overwhelmed with guilt.  Infidelity is very prevalent in popular culture as well with an abundance of celebrities from  Ashton Kutcher to Tiger Woods and Jesse James as well as plenty others engaging in immoral affairs.

    As time wears on people sometimes feel subdued and tied down by their marriage.  If there partner is not satisfying their needs, people tend to look to others to do so most often a person close to them.  These people who are engaging in these acts do so in search of comfort and fulfillment.  This is seen through Calixta  in Kate Chopin’s The Storm.  Calixta finds this so called “comfort” in her ex-boyfriend Alcee when they are inadvertently forced together by the storm that has come over the town.  Alcee tries to comfort Calixta as she worries about her husband Bobinot and son Bibi who went to the store for shrimp.  “Calixta put her hands to her eyes, and with a cry, staggered backward. Alcée's arm encircled her, and for an instant he drew her close and spasmodically to him” (Chopin 3).  This subtle contact rekindles their old memories from years ago and the two proceeded to engage in sex.  Through this act Calixta feels a sense of relief and feels the tie to her husband has been broken.  Participating in such an immoral act shows that Calixta is not satisfied with her husband or marriage.  Alcee on the other hand who is separated from his wife finds fulfillment through their sexual contact.  The feeling of loneliness he felt when his wife left, banishes when he is with Calixta.  This feeling did not last however as the storm past, Alcee left and Calixta was left waiting for Bobinot to return.  When Bobinot returns Calixta is overly enthusiastic "Shrimps! Oh, Bobinôt you too good fo' anything!" and she gave him a smacking kiss on the cheek that resounded” (Chopin 5).  Calixta may be acting this way because she feels the guilt of her affair deep within.  The storm not only symbolizes the affair between Calixta and Alcee but the anger and turmoil that would ensue if Bobinot found out. 

The guilt felt by Calixta as a result of her infidelity is something Mrs. Das from Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies is very familiar with.  Throughout the short story Mrs. Das is isolated from her family only caring about her personal needs.  After hearing of Mr. Kapasi’s old job as an interpreter she is hoping he could help her with her issues.  She reveals to Mr. Kapasi that her isolation is a result of her guilt from an affair she had eight years ago.  “It means that I'm tired of feeling so terrible all the time. Eight years, Mr. Kapasi, I've been in pain eight years. I was hoping you could help me feel better, say the right thing. Suggest some kind of remedy"(Lahiri 65).  This affair was with Mr. Das’s good friend and their son Bobby was a result of the affair.  She can no longer look at her kids or husband without being overcome by her guilt.  The affair occurred from the disconnection Mrs. Das felt from her husband who she explains she no longer loves.  Like Calixta, Mrs. Das looked to someone close to them for comfort and a feeling of satisfaction.  Bobinot and Mr. Das live under the shadow of these affairs which they have no knowledge of.  Calixta and Mrs. Das continue to live with the guilt which will always have a lasting affect on their relationships with their husbands.     

Infidelity is overly prominent in the world today with people continuing to engage in affairs with others outside their marriage.  Celebrities are a prime example of the growing issue of infidelity in modern society.  One could open any tabloid magazine InTouch, People, Star, Ok! or any other and find an article about a celebrity cheating on their spouse.  The most highly publicized example is PGA golfer Tiger Woods who was accused of infidelity in November of 2009.  It was discovered that Woods had cheated on his wife Elin Nordegren with numerous women around the time she was giving birth to their first child.  When news broke of his infidelity Woods issued an apology "I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children” (Fleeman ).  Woods, like Calixta and Mrs. Das, is overcome by guilt from his actions, it is not known why Woods participated in these affairs but it can be concluded he was not satisfied with his wife.  Ashton Kutcher and Jesse James also cheated on their respective spouses of Demi Moore and Sandra Bullock leading to their divorces in recent years.    

Themes portrayed by author’s in their works are usually a reflection of growing issues in society, in this case infidelity.  Jhumpa Lahiri and Kate Chopin use their short stories to reflect their opinions about sexuality and the tradition of marriage.  Calixta and Mrs. Das are adequate examples when examining such a theme because both looked outside their marriage for comfort and fulfillment in those close to them, resulting in sexual affairs.  Tiger Woods and many other celebrities continue on with these same malicious actions.  It goes to show that fame and fortune is not enough to sustain a marriage if one member feels a loss of connection with the other.