Family as a Theme in LiteratureFamily is a difficult thing to describe. Some consider only blood relatives to constitute family, while others consider family to be the people you love and care about the most. No matter who you ask, family means different things to everyone. For example, many of the different stories we have read in class so far this semester describe a different meaning of family. This can be seen in The Storm, The Jilting of Granny Weatherall and Everyday Use. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay First of all, family is an important factor in the story of The Storm. Calixta, the mother, cares very much about her family and when she realizes that a storm is approaching, she is very worried. This is seen in the quote: “I have enough to do!” And here is Bobinôt with Bibi in this storm – if he didn't leave Freidheimer! (Chopin 97). On the contrary, a little later in the story, Calixta shows little concern for her family when she has an affair with Alcèe. This can be observed by the quote: "Bobinôt and Bibi began to relax and have fun, and when all three sat down at the table, they laughed a lot and so loudly that they could have been heard as far away as Laballière's" (Chopin 99). Calixta isn't even phased and is having a normal evening even though a few hours earlier she was sleeping with another man while her husband was away. Next, we look at the meaning of family in the story The Jilting of Granny Weatherall. In this story, Granny Weatherall is on her deathbed, recounting many memories of her life. She is surrounded by her family members and is greeted with fond and loving memories of them. This is observed in the quote: “They were so kind when they were little. Grandma wished the good old days would come back with young children and everything would have to be done again” (Porter 58). Despite these feelings of happiness towards her family, Granny Weatherall could not help but feel regret. She imagines the family she could have had with George, but he left her at the altar. She wouldn't have had these good memories with her family if she had married George, but she can't help but regret what could have been. This is evident in the quote: "For sixty years she had prayed not to remember him and not to lose her soul in the deep pit of hell, and now the two things were mixed into one and the thought of him was a cloud of smoke from hell that moved and crept into her head as she had just gotten rid of Doctor Harry and was trying to rest for a minute” (Porter 60). In her final moments, Granny Weatherall can't help but feel unprepared for death, worrying about what might have happened, instead of enjoying the time spent with her family who were there to support her. Finally, we will look at the family aspect in the story Everyday Use. Maggie and her mother await the arrival of Dee, Maggie's sister who comes home from college for dinner. Dee returns home and is very different from how she was when she left, even changing her name. Despite these changes, Maggie and her mother still accept Dee for who she is and who she wants to be. This can be seen in the quote: “If that’s what you want us to call you, we’ll call you” (Walker 73). Dee had changed her name in an attempt to connect with her roots and family traditions. She has a strong sense of family, but not.