Imagine finding out that your entire life was a lie, and that every single thing you knew about your identity and your family was completely false! Armand Aubigny, one of the main characters in Desiree’s Baby by Kate Chopin, experiences this exact dilemma throughout this short story. Desiree’s Baby is a story about a young man and woman, who fall in love, but Desiree, who does not know her birth parents, is considered nameless. When she and Armand have a child, they are both very surprised because the child’s skin color is not white as expected. It is obvious that the child is biracial, and immediately, Desiree is blamed for the color of the child’s skin because of her uncertain background. The truth, however, is that it is Armand who has lived his entire life as a biracial person without even knowing his true heritage! This problem frames the rest of the events in the story, and the ultimate demise of both of these characters. Desiree’s Baby takes place in the Antebellum Period (1789-1849) where slavery was starting to become less common. Never the less slavery was still prominent in the southern states such as Louisiana, which is where the story takes place. Armand, a plantation owner, treated his slaves as many plantation owners did, with anger, punishment, degradation, and humiliation, which were accomplished through his words and actions. Walko 2 As you continue to read this short story you realize that Armand is an arrogant man who is passionate and very proud of his families status and accomplishments, yet despite advancements in the freeing of the slaves, he remains a racist . Armand believes what Ellen Peel the author of “Semiotic subversion in “Desiree’s Baby” realized. The social ranks that ... ... middle of paper ... ...father stating, “But above all” she wrote “night and day I thank the good God for having arranged our lives that our dear Armand will never know that his mother, who adores him, belongs to the race that is cursed by the brand of slavery.” Although being proud and passionate are two character traits, which may prove to be beneficial to a successful, and happy life, such a horrific trait of racism can prove to be Walko 6 as dangerous, and devastating, as pride and passion can be good. Racism affects not only ones own life but all those you may come in contact with as well. In this story, two innocent lives were lost. The death of Desiree and her child could have been avoided if it were not for Armand’s racist views. He, and Desiree, could have lived a wonderful life together watching their son grow up had it not been for his terrible racist views.
Coates wrote a 176 page long letter to his 14 years old son to explain what the African American society were going through at the time being. In the book, Coates used himself as an example to demonstrate the unjust treatment that had been cast upon him and many other African Americans. Readers can sense a feeling of pessimism towards African American’s future throughout the entire book although he did not pointed it out directly.
The association between light and darkness played a major role in the outcome of this story. Desiree the wife of Armand was always associated with things of lightness. After Desiree was recovering from just given birth to their son she laid on the couch in her “soft white muslins and lace” (Valencia Community College). When Desiree confronts her husband about the race of their child Desiree skin pigmentation is whiter than her husbands. Desiree shows Armand the letter from Valmonde, the book says she was resembled a stone image white and motionless. In October when Desiree was abandoned Armand she left still wearing the white thin garment and slippers. Armand and the baby were always associated with darkness throughout the story. Armand skin complexion was darker than his wife’s. The story also describes Armand face as being dark and handsome. The baby association with darkness came when the baby was lying across Desiree mahogany bed. Mahogany is some dark brown colored wood. Another comparison of the chi...
The motivation behind this article is to analyze why Armand 's pride was greater and more than the affection for his better half, Desiree and how race changed everything. All through this story, Armand is depicted as the man who had it all. He assumed that on account of his family name which he believed was, "… one of the most established and proudest in Louisiana" (Chopin 1). The way that Armand was a slave proprietor and originated from a family whose name was notable he utilized his family name as another approach to feel like a lord other than owning slaves. Armand 's pride started things out before his family since he had an inclination that he needed to secure the family name and history at any cost. For this he didn 't need anything to pulverize who and what he was which was an outstanding slave proprietor, so he advised his better half and child to leave since he expected that she was dark. Armand did not need individuals to disapprove of him or make him into a joke in this way, he felt like "… he no longer cherished her, in light of the oblivious harm she had brought upon his home and his name" (Chopin 2). The "oblivious damage" Armand alludes to is the lost memory he feels his better half has lost of her ethnicity. At long last, Armand felt that his pride was harmed on account of the disgrace his significant other has conveyed to the family name of Aubigny. Race is the second significant issue in the short story other than pride. Since Armand assumed that he knew his past and who he really was and he accepted that Desiree was the motivation behind why their child is blended. Additionally, as a result of the way that Desiree was received and did not realize what her ethnicity was Armand felt like her race, which he accepted was dark, changes everything. Race is a shading not a source and Desiree looked white and white components
“Desiree Baby” by Kate Chopin is a very thought provoking short story that deals with racism, prejudice, and love. The story takes place in southern Louisiana, where Armand, a prominent landowner, marries a girl of unknown origin named Desiree. The story has a twist when their baby is born and is discovered to be of mixed race. Armand knew all along that he was OF mixed race, and I will prove it by analyzing characterization, diction, and imagery.
...ne major proponent that affected Aubigny’s outlook upon the African race was how his family name played in relation to the Southern culture. Another part that was analyzed was how Armand actually treated his slaves from making them forget how to be happy to him severely punishing them at the expense of his biracial child. Also in the context that his child was part African served as a catalyst for his change of heart from love to hate towards his wife which then terminated to his banishment of his wife and son. In the end of it all, the reader has seen the adverse and destructive effects that racism can have upon a select group of people and on society. From what Armand despised the most, was actually a part of him that he could never get rid of.
Modern day thought typically views slavery from one perspective that of the physically abused male slave, beaten and battered by his aggressive slave master. In Harriet Jacob’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Jacobs brings light to the other side of the horrors of slavery, the psychological abuses, in particular the psychological abuses that women in slavery face. Comparatively, Marie Jenkins Schwartz’s Birthing a Slave does depict the horrors of slavery from the perspective of women and the horrors of the abused child bearing mothers. Although some may believe that in Harriet Jacob’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Jacobs fails to get at the true horrors of the physical brutality of slavery as presented in Marie Jenkins Schwartz’s Birthing a Slave, in reality Harriet Jacobs autobiography and Marie Jenkins Schwartz’s Birthing a Slave both depict severe horrors of slavery but from the perspective of mental and psychological anguish.
Armand feels like he is the victim of betrayal by his wife Désirée. As the baby gets older it is clear that the baby is not white. Armand’s attitude quickly makes him assume that Désirée is not white giving Armand a feeling of deception. He denounces his love for Désirée and the child and casts them out of the house and his life. Désirée is stricken with grief about her treatment by Armand. She cannot believe how a man who loves her so much could treat her with such hostility and cruelty. Désirée develops a negative attitude towards herself and her baby. She is upset that she cannot change how Armand thinks of her because of her baby. This attitude causes Désirée to walk out of Armand’s life forever to her demise. Core beliefs also give to human behavior in “Samuel” and “Desiree’s
“I, with a deeper instinct, choose a man who compels my strength, who makes enormous demands on me, who does not doubt my courage or my toughness, who does not believe me naïve or innocent, who has the courage to treat me like a woman.” Anais Nin wrote this quote. This quote symbolizes what Desiree’ thought she had in a husband until he disappointed her by kicking her out of the house upon the realization that their son had black in him. This was a big deal for a wealthy Caucasian man during the 19th century due to the fact that he had a status to uphold. Desiree’ had to obey by his rules and leave as he commanded.
The cycle began with the Sethe’s unnamed mother, who was the first generation of slave in the family. As a result of being a field slave, she was unable to breast feed her daughter, leaving the responsibility of to Nan who also “had to nurse white babies” who “got it first” leaving Sethe with “no nursing milk to call [her] own” (236). Her mother remains nameless because it was in the mother language which Sethe did not take part in as she was born, on a boat, into slavery. It was because Sethe knew “what it is to be without milk that belongs to you” and having to “fight and holler for it, and to have so little left” that she makes an extra effort to “get that milk to her baby girl.” (97) It was after Schoolteacher’s nephews milked her that there was not enough milk left from Nan’s sparse feedings for Sethe to accommodate her children.
For the most part, there was a large amount of racism in the story as well as the feeling that ladies too are not equivalent to men. In “Desiree’s Baby,” a short story by Kate Chopin, there were three major themes: identity, racism, and gender roles. Armand has demonstrated his true character. He was a coldblooded, one-sided, and non-caring man who was not worthy of Desiree and her kid. Armand broke his marriage promise to Desiree and his parental obligation due to his prejudgment toward the child's race.
Although Armand truly loved Desiree, his love wasn’t stronger than protecting his family’s status. He knew from the beginning that it was he who was not white. Hoping that his child would not come out black, he still took precautions by marrying a woman with an unknown origin to put the blame on. He hated himself for what he truly was and he was not going to let anyone know his secret and have that kind of power over him. It was never Desiree’s fault and she ended up suffering when it was really Armand’s doing.
In her story, Desiree’s Baby, Kate Chopin underlined the contrast between lust and love, exploring the problem of a man’s pride that exceeded the love he has for his wife. Armand, the main character of the story, is a slave owner who lived in Louisiana during the era of slavery. He married an adopted young woman, Desiree, and together they have a son who eventually became an obstacle in the way of his father’s happiness, thus removing out the true character of Armand. Desiree’s Baby, by Kate Chopin is a love story, love that ultimately proved to be a superficial love, a story that shed light on the ugly relationships between people. “Lust is temporary, romance can be nice,
Abuse, rape, humiliation, embarrassment, assault and all of the other things that came with slavery scarred and scared Sethe so bad that once she was freed she attempted to kill all four of her children, because she was so afraid that they would have to live a life in slavery like she did (Heffernan). When Sethe was a slave the Schoolteacher’s nephews held Sethe down and stole her breast milk, like she was a cow. Sethe was taken away from her mother at a very young age and she doesn’t remember her at all, many other families were broken up the same way also (Spargo). There were slaves owners who were kind to slaves at times, like Mr. and Mrs. Garner who would be nice until they got behind closed doors there they would treat their slaves as if they were wild animals that were trying to invade their property.
Désirée’s Baby is a mid 19th century, American short story. The story takes place on two Louisiana plantations: Valmondé and L’Abri. Désirée’s Baby involves love, race, and prejudice. While reading the story it is clear that Désirée and the baby are the protagonist and Armand is the antagonist. The American short story is about Désirée who was adopted as a young girl by a wealthy Creole couple known as the Valmondé’s. She ends up falling in love with Armand who is also from a wealthy Creole family. They get married and having a child together. Désirée gives birth and three months later Armand becomes mad because he realizes the baby has dark skin. This is the start of the conflict because Désirée doesn’t understand why her husband, Armand,
Like Shylock in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, the black slave women are dehumanized by the other characters in Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “The Runaway Slave at Pilgrim’s Point” and Harriet A. Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Written by Herself. Sexually harassed by their white masters, these slave women are forbidden to express the human emotion of love. Pressured into a shamed motherhood, they cannot love their children in the same ways that a white mother can. Moreover, slave women are treated like chattels. The black women in Browning and Jacobs’ works are oppressed sexually, forced into unwanted motherhoods, and stripped of their identities. Yet, because they face these cruelties with courage and dignity, these black slaves emerge as heroines of their own fates.