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Racism and literature
How did desire baby show racism
How did desire baby show racism
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Recommended: Racism and literature
“Desiree’s Baby” can represent a timeframe status of how slavery and race were a factor that defined people. Armand was very ambiguous by the tone he would had towards Desiree and by his action. Desiree was faithful to her husband, in the other hand we are able to understand or presumed that La Blanche’s boy looked very alike as Desiree’s baby, which most likely Armand might be the father of both kids. Armand was in love at first, but then his pride and ambiguous.
Throughout the story we are able to see that race and skin color is serious problem. Armand was in love with Desiree, but then he care more about having child with color eyes and light skin color. Even thought his mom wasn’t white, he ignores that and blames Desiree for not giving
There is a lot to talk about Armand character in the short story of Desiree’s baby. In the beginning of the story, he is such a great person he loves Desiree. This quote “beautiful and gentle” shows that Armand is fall in love with her. However, his character change, when he found out that baby wasn’t white. His character of being a good husband to a cruel husband. The story clearly explains his initial character and final character. I believe he is not pitiable at all because he shows his cruelty character toward Desiree and not only that, he cares about his social standing, which motivates him. When he bought “fine clothing and layettle” this shows a symbolic object of wealth and his possession of Desiree. He wouldn’t act in a cruel way if
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
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.
Armand becomes furious because he believes that Desiree?s race is what alters the color of the baby. After that incident, Armand displ...
The characterization of Armand showed that he knew all along about his ethnicity. Armand wanted to cope with his insecurities and feel to his slaves, which is evident in the following example: “…young Aubigny’s rule was strict and under it his Negroes had forgotten, how to be gay as they had been during their old master who was easy going and indulgent in his lifetime” (Chopin 708). Armand was afraid people in the community might get to know about his secret. For example, when Desiree is confronting him, she asks, “Do you want me to go?” (710). Armand replies, “Yes I want you to go” (710). Armand immediately makes up his mind to allow her t...
In the story of “Desiree’s Baby” by Kate Chopin, there are many literary themes that can be analyzed such as love, racism, gender inequality, and miscegenation. What this analysis will focus on is primarily on the central male character, Armand Aubigny, and on his views towards racism. More specifically, what this essay will aim to prove is that Armand Aubigny looked down upon the African race to the point where he hated them. One of the biggest driving points to aid this idea is how his family name shaped his behavior and actions according to the societal normalities of his time period. Another important aspect that will be considered is his very relationship towards his slaves in how he treated them cruelly even to the point where he is described as “having the spirit of Satan” (Chopin 3). In addition to this, the reader will also see Armand’s negative reaction to being aware of the implications of his son and wife having mixed blood in where he practically disowns them. With all this culminating to Armand finding out the ugly truth that the race he had treated so horribly is actually a part of his very own blood as well.
In “Desiree’s Baby,” Kate Chopin writes about the life of a young lady and her new family. In this short story, the fond couple lived in Louisiana before the American Civil War. Chopin illustrates the romantic atmosphere between Armand and Desiree. Chopin also describes the emotion of the parents for their new born. When the baby was born, Armand’s heart had softened on behalf of others. One afternoon, Desiree and the baby were relaxing in a room with a young boy fanning them with peacock feathers. As they were relaxing, Desiree had sniffed a threatening scent. Desiree desired Armand’s assistance as she felt faint from the odor that she could not comprehend. Armand had denied the request his wife sent. Therefore, he cried out that she nor the baby were white. Thus, Desiree took the baby and herself and walked into the bayou and they were never seen again. In this short story, Chopin illustrates the psychological abuse Desiree faces from her husband.
. In the beginning, Armand Aubigny saw Desiree “lying asleep in the shadow of the big stone pillar (1)” and fell in love with her, yet his love was destructive because he was “swept along like an avalanche, or like a prairie fire (3).” Armand was in love with Desiree with their marriage and the birth of their son “softened Armand Aubigny‘s imperious and exacting nature (14)”. When Desiree had the baby, happiness started to fill the air but when Armand found out that the baby was not fully white, he became distant. Desiree began to feel as if her husband’s body was taken over by “the very spirit of Satan (15).” As Armand’s happiness begins to fade, he tells Desiree and the baby to leave as he is left empty and alone.
Desiree is a "beautiful and gentle, affectionate and sincere young woman."(p. 31) Armand, a young plantation owner, falls in love with her "as if struck by a pistol shot."(p.31) Armand's love for her is described as a "prairie fire, or like anything that drives headlong over all obstacles."(p.31) Armand and Desiree marry and have a baby early in
There is a large difference between Armand Aubigny and Madame Valmonde’s views on skin color. When Madame Valmonde discovers the truth of Desiree’s baby, she says nothing. Later, she insists that they both come home, even though she knows the truth. Perhaps that is where Desiree went after she disappeared into the
He was convinced that his name is “…one of the oldest and proudest in Louisiana” (Chopin 48), because of his family name. Armand took advantage of the fact that he was a owner slave and came from a family whose name was well known and he feel like a king. He’s pride was above his actual family and all he wanted was to protect the family name and history at any cost. After his boy was born, because his skin turned darker than it is supposed to be, he assumed that his wife, Desiree, is black and he asked her to leave. He felt that his pride was hurt because of the shame that his wife brought to the family name. He didn’t support that others to find the same thing and begin to discuss and make jokes about him. At this point, he started to show his real character. He felt like “…he no longer loved her, because of the unconscious injury she had brought upon his home and his name” (Chopin 51). These words bring out the true feelings of Armand, that he never loved Desiree, but it was only a fleeting desire, only a lust. According to Chopin, Desiree was a beautiful girl, “For the girl grew to be beautiful and gentle, affectionate and sincere, - the idol of Valmonde.” (47). Armand loved Desiree only for her outward appearance, not for her character. His love for Desiree and for his son was a superficial love. He destroyed Desiree’s life and he ruined his own life as well because he lost his wife, his baby, and also, he
Most marriages were arranged due to the appeal of social hierarchy: high class women were expected to marry wealthy plantation owners. In this story, it was apparent that the characters' love for each other was rare, and that their love was powerful—so powerful that it pushed Desiree into death for not having the love of her husband: "He was paying Him back in kind when he stabbed this into his wife's soul. Moreover he no longer loved her, because of the unconscious injury she had brought upon his home and his name" (541). On one hand, if the love they had was so instant and powerful, how could he not stay by her side. Rather, he blamed Desiree and removed the baby and her from the house without determining the truth. This leads me to question her value to him. It seems as though that his love for her was worth much less than his reputation as a planter. One look at a mixed baby left him cold and heartless, and she was not to blame: "I thank the good God for having so arranged our lives that our dear Armand will never know that his mother, who adores him, belongs to the race that is cursed with the brand of slavery" (542). So, it is not Desiree who should be punished for Armand's family history, but the cold truth is that women are blamed for the appearances of their children, and a quick look at even the most precious baby, made a man turn on his great love. This shows to say that shifting blame without absolute certainty can have devastating effects, and some will do anything to save their
Like Desiree, Edna also suffers in her marriage with Leonce. The narrator often says that Edna and Leonce’s marriage was “purely an accident” and was “the climax of her fate” (Chopin 45). As mentioned earlier, women’s goal was to get married (Goldman 372). In this case, the word “fate” the narrator uses means marriage. Through their marriage, or fate, there was “no trace of passion or excessive and fictitious warmth colored her affection” (Chopin 47). Their marriage was not love, but it was definitely concealing Edna’s identity. For example, in the beginning of the novel, Edna comes home with sunburn and Leonce looks “at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage” (Chopin 4). This sentences
... be part of that race. He did not want his well looked upon family name to be ruined. He was portrayed as a man who had it all. He had a reputation to keep maintained and Armand being part black would have ruined it. He owned a plantation and was a slave master. Racism did play a major role because when Armand found out that the baby was mixed everything changed such as Armand’s mood and Desiree’s happiness. She seemed to be very jolly and happy. Armand was also content. He was pleasant to the slaves. After he saw his child growing to be mixed it changed his whole attitude. He did not love the child genuinely because love is unconditional. He was more concerned about the race of the child. This was a great short story to read and it gave me insight on the importance and seriousness of our society back then. I am glad we have overcome these terrible racial matters.
The skin color of the child sets forth the end of Armand’s love for Desiree and his child, which leads to the death of them both, which is explained by Desiree walking with her child into the bayou never to be seen again. This is symbolic because the stone pillar would have an everlasting place within Desiree’s life. Next, Chopin, uses L’abri as a symbol to show the many depths of dark emotions of the Aubigny plantation, from the treatment of the slaves, as well as, the cruelty to Desiree. Where there was such love and joy, there would be nothing but coldness for her once Armand felt betrayed by the baby’s skin color, “Armand, she panted once more, clutching his arm, looking at our child.