“ He coldly but gently loosened her fingers from about his arm and thrust the hand away from him. Tell me what it means!” She cried despairingly. “It means,” He answer lightly, “that the child is not white, it means that you’re not white.” (Desiree’s Baby, 3) This quote shows how interracial relationships in 19th century were really harsh. In “Desiree’s Baby”, Kate Chopping shows how an interracial couple, who loved each other, were separated by the prejudices of the 19th century, some of which exists today in modern day relationships. Desiree’s and Armand’s relationship tore apart because Armand’s prejudices towards the baby were too strong. He couldn’t accept the fact that the baby wasn’t the same color as them. He couldn’t accept how …show more content…
Their love was only based on superficial things but never on reality. An easy thing Armand could’ve done would of been to talk about it. He could of asked her what or why that baby’s color was darker than their own. Another main thing that would 've helped the relationship would of been to check the family’s background. If Armand would of checked his or his wife 's background he would 've realize that his baby’s skin was slightly darker due to the family’s history. Communication in this case, would of helped a lot. Armand acted by his own instincts. He didn’t think about anyone or anything, but himself. Another idea is to simply look for Desiree and the baby, to tell them that he’s sorry and that he apologies for being rude and for kicking them out. To come back home and that he will redeem his mistake. (About Relationships,1)
In the other hand, After he does that he should meet his mom personally and all his background family, to share more time with his own race. Racism back then was a major issue, but sometimes it could be set aside and actually get close to their own race and family’s ethnicity. Desiree’s baby had absolutely no fault being born as a skinned colored person. He deserves to have both, his father and his mother by his side. Honestly many things could 've been done in this relationship. All they really lacked was communication and honesty. (thefrisky,
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He continued his life, pretending they were already dead. At the end of “Desiree’s Baby”, it states that Armand burns everything down. While he was burning everything, he found a letter where his mom was telling his dad the she was glad how his son will never find out that she was African American.(Desiree’s Baby, 4) At the end of the story it does not say how the story will end afterwards. Under those circumstances Armand should’ve start a lookout for both, Desiree and the baby. He should find Desiree and beg her to forgive him. He humiliated her in so many ways, when his mom was the actual African American. Desiree’s heart was broken without any logical reason. The only logical reason would of been if she would of cheated, which in “Desiree’s Baby”, doesn’t get stated at any point. So Armand had no logical reason whatsoever. (Desiree’s Baby, 1,2,3,4)
Armand broke Desiree’s heart and she might have died with her baby, there was no logical reason why Armand would have kicked them out and burned their things. He could of just talk to her about it, but he
Sollors, Werner. I Interracialism: Black-White Intermarriage in American History, Literature, and Law. New York: University Press, 2000.
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.
...d that Beloved was Sethe's child. Sethe broke water to represent Beloved's second birth. Sethe was now whole again. She had found the child that she had lost. The water symbolized the beginning of her life with Beloved. Sethe could now begin sharing her life with Beloved again. She could Ice-skate, take walks, or just begin to love her child again.
There is an assumption that black women–as described in Absalom! Absalom! – are a complex combination of sexuality and raw nature. George E. Kent concurs that black women serve as a barrier between the sexual desires of the white male and the metaphysical privilege of white females. This is intended to demonstrate why Henry Supten objected to his sister having relations with Charles Bon who has a mixed blooded mistress. Psychological tenants are connected to the relationship of the white male and black women. The black female keeps the white male from obtaining a piece of the “American Dream” which is having a pure White decent blood
Armand becomes furious because he believes that Desiree?s race is what alters the color of the baby. After that incident, Armand displ...
From the conclusion: “For the white South, punishing black/white intimacy had more to do with maintaining caste divisions between the races than preventing interracial sex…Love or the appearance of sincere affection mattered more than sex because it suggested that the two individuals involved in the interracial relationship saw each other as social equals. Whites scarcely tolerated such open breeches, for to do so undermined the legitimacy of an economic, political, and social structure that ensured the supremacy of whites” (Robinson).
“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.
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
Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre occurs in a period where colonial society benefitted from interracial marriages. One of the best examples of these in contemporary literature is Mr.Rochester’s arranged marriage to his Creole wife, Bertha Rochester. The native lands controlled by the English were faced with prejudice and racism, with Bertha being no exception. Portrayed as no better than a wild dog and faced with scorn from her husband and our narrator, we tend to forget that the novel’s setting takes place where there wasn’t plenty of research in genetic diseases, making Bertha easier for us to sympathize. With present-day knowledge, we can pinpoint Bertha’s disease as schizophrenia that was worsened through mistreatment by Rochester and argue
... 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.
It was already made clear multiple times throughout the story how Desiree felt about all the changes that were occurring. She was miserable and saw no point in living. After knowing that, it is easy to infer that she chose to drown herself and her child, rather than going home to her mother. A few weeks after leaving, Armand holds a large bonfire in his yard burning all the belongings of Desiree’s and the baby’s. Everything from clothing, to the crib the baby slept in, to the early letters that were exchanged between the two of them before marriage. Among those letters, was one from his mother to his father. The letter explains why she left, stating she was happy to be away because it meant that Armand would grow up not knowing that his mother was actually black. The fact that Armand had this letter in his possession means that he knew for some time the truth of his heritage. However, to keep from harming his name, he led Desiree to believe that she was the black parent, which led to her untimely demise.
“Desiree was happy when she had the baby and Armand was as happy and nice to the slaves then before but after he saw his child growing to be mixed it changed his whole attitude” (Griffin). This shows how the story takes place during slavery time, since the husband was a slave.
As the fight and argument between the couple increases, leading to the baby being harmed, but Carver does not mention to what extent. Either the baby’s arm broken or the baby ripped apart (killed), it is up to the reader to imagine and decide. Last sentence is Carver says “in this manner, the issue was decided,” this means in the violence between the couple the infant had to suffer. What happens next is not stated; it feels like story started from the middle and did not have a clear ending. It would be better if none of them got to keep the infant. By the end, the reader is fully familiarized with the subject of the story. When one reads the story between the lines, he/she understands that Carver is talking about the couple throughout the story, but actually the infant is the main