Use of Imagery in Chopin's The Tempest and Steinbeck's Chrysanthemums A pattern of repeated words or phrases can have a significant impact on conveying a particular impression on a character or situation, or about the theme of a story. In the short story "The Tempest" by Kate Chopin and "The Chrysanthemums" by John Steinbeck, imagery is an integral element in the development of characters and situation, as well as in the development of theme. ,” Kate Chopin uses imagery as a powerful tool to convey the new sexual feelings that Calixta and Alcee are experiencing. In this story, words like “pushed under the slit” and “her lips were red and wet like pomegranate seeds” they are great uses of imagery to show the sexuality of the characters.Throughout the story the description of Calixta's beauty is repeated.At the beginning of the story Calixta is shown as a caring wife and mother and no anger is shown towards her husband example, "she hurried to get them before the rain fell", she picked up Bobinot's Sunday clothes before the rain fell If she had been angry with Bobinot she would have left the clothes outside(147) The individual words and phrases are very important when you look at the situation. The word "hurried" shows that she cared about her husband. If the word in that sentence were not "hurried", but "gone", it would change the entire meaning of the sentence: "she went to get them before they went." rain falls" does not indicate that she cared whether her clothes got wet or not. In this story Chopin uses vivid description to show the situation the characters are involved in. In the sentence "the rain fell in sheets obscuring the view of the distant cabi...... middle of paper .. ....she discovers at the end of the story that she had taken advantage of it, "he turned up the collar of his coat so that couldn't see that she was crying weakly, like an old woman" (Steinbeck 334). to give the impression that being a good person does not prevent bad things from happening to you and that the world is truly the survival of the fittest. Due to development of characters, situation and theme, images can help convey a particular impression and is obligatory in every story Chopin, Kate. Laurie Kirszner and Stephen Mandell. Harcourt Tutor. 1997. 146-50.Steinbeck, John. Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing Harcourt. 1997. 326-34.