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Themes in desiree baby by kate chopin
Critical analysis of the short story desiree baby by kate chopin
Desiree's baby kate chopin analyse
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In the fictional story “Desiree’s Baby”, written by Kate Chopin, presents a story of a woman, Desiree, and her husband, Armand, who has a baby with secret’s of on of their origins. With Desiree abandoned as a baby, with no name or origin, everyone suspected her to be the fault of creating a baby of color. It wasn’t until it was too late, that Armand found out the truth of why the baby was black. When Chopin points out “When he spoke to her, it was with averted eyes, from which the old love-light seemed have gone out”, it was evident that something has gone wrong, that Armand had notice something that he despises about Desiree, and might decline from there.
Another thing that is off putting, when Madame Valmonde, Desiree’s mother, exclaimed,
Chopin sets the context for her argument by Placing Désirée in an environment where she can be made black easily, but with significant consequences. Despite Désirée’s ability to effortlessly assimilate into southern society, taking on the role of the “beautiful, gentle, affectionate and sincere” southern belle, the story never loses sight of her “obscure origin” (#). As a result, Désirée is not given the opportunity to prove h...
“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.
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.
In 'Desiree?s Baby,' Chopin illustrates her idea of the relationship between men and women by portraying Desiree as vulnerable and easily affected, whereas Armand is presented as superior and oppressive. Throughout ?Desiree?s Baby,? Kate Chopin investigates the concept of Armand's immense power over Desiree. At first, Desiree tries to conform to the traditional female role by striving to be an obedient wife. Later in the story, this conformity changes after Desiree gives birth to her part-black son.
Throughout the years many variations of the ideas on race, class, and culture have been presented based upon different factors. In earlier times people’s views were not nearly the same as they are presented today. Ideas that women belong in the kitchen or that African-American’s were an inferior race were common. Those views were very popular during the time of Kate Chopin’s book “Desiree’s Baby.” Chopin’s book explores the controversial areas of race and class as well as touching on the subject of culture. “Desiree’s Baby” shows the life of Desiree from a young child through adulthood. The young Desiree was found by a rich family alone on the streets. Even in a time where race and social class was important the wealthy, a rich couple took in young Desiree without knowing her ancestral background. Desiree lived a good life with the family. The story then switches to when Desiree was a young adult and falls in love with Armand Aubigny. Armand also comes from a wealthy background and still falls for Desiree without knowing her racial background. Eventually, the young couple has a baby but to their surprise the baby comes out with African traits. Armand is not happy and rethinks whether she has African in her background or if maybe she had an affair with a slave. Desiree’s mother offers to have her and the baby come back and stay with them but when Desiree leaves she disappears and is never seen again. Later, Armand finds out that it may not have been Desiree that carries African roots but himself, from his mother’s side. Overall, Chopin’s work looks into the controversial issues of race, class, gender and culture using ironies and the story-line to infer the views of these topics.
“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.
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.
“Tell me what it means!” she cried despairingly.” It means,” he answered lightly, “that the child is not white; it means that you are not white” (Chopin, p. 192). Kate Chopin's "Desiree's Baby" is a well-known short story. “In her life, Kate Chopin actively searched for female spiritual emancipation and expressed it in her writing”(Deter, 2000). Throughout the story, Kate Chopin uses symbolism to convey her themes of racial predisposition, unequal gender roles, and social ladder in a society. The characters and the setting in this short story help provide the readers with more understanding of how patriarchal our society is at that time.
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,
The short story Desiree’s Baby by Kate Chopin provides a sobering depiction of how the dark forces of prejudice and social hierarchy tore apart a plantation owning family in the state of Louisiana. Desiree’s character is that of a lady who carries the burden of being submissive to a domineering husband, a role she keeps until the very end of the narrative. Desiree is portrayed as an agent of light so to speak throughout the plotline but is seriously blinded by her doglike allegiance to her husband Armand, who is in essence her master and her livelihood. The struggle for female independence is a signature theme in a number of Chopin’s works and was a struggle for women in the South during this time period (McCullough 413). Armand’s dominance over Desiree and her overall sense of well-being is certainly a reflection of the issue of sexist prejudice that Chopin chose to write about throughout her literary career. Chopin also depicts the racial prejudice in the South by revealing how blacks on the plantation are treated and by illustrating how severe the consequences were of Desiree and Armand’s baby being African American was. His dark personality coupled with the societal norm of male superiority enabled this toxic relationship structure to occur and helped shape the events following the discovery of the child being black. Armand’s role of master over the plantation workers was based on skin color and his birthright to the plantation which was reflective of Southern culture during the time period (Toth). It is abundantly clear that Desiree’s Baby serves as a microcosm of how societal hierarchy's and traditions that are rooted in elitist prejudice have a poisoning effect on those who are ...
He would try to stay out of the house, and when he had to be there then he would avoid both Desiree and the child with no reasoning. He also returned to his previous treatment of the slaves. After sometime, Desiree started to notice some of the features that her son had, then pieced it together with Armand’s behavior. It made her realize that her son had black in him, and due to her birth being unknown, she thought it was her. However, just to be sure, she went to Armand who told her that it had to be because of her heritage. In disbelief to this news, Desiree wrote to her mother saying that she could not live with herself if she actually was black. “Armand has told me I am not white. For God 's sake tell them it is not true” (Chopin). This reaction that Desiree had was probably a result of how ingrained in society it was that blacks were not desirable. But after that letter was sent, all she heard back from her mother was to return home. When she went to Armand to inform him that her mother wants her back home, he showed no empathy and sent her away. Armand’s name was already seen as old and full of pride. “What did it matter about a name when he could give her one of the oldest and proudest in Louisiana?” (Chopin). He chose to keep the honor his name held then hold onto the wife and child he once
Throughout time, humans struggled with issues of conformity and individuality. In the modern world, individuality is idealized, as it is associated with strength. Weak individuals are usually portrayed as conforming to society and having almost no personal ideas. In “Desiree’s Baby”, a short story, the author Kate Chopin deals with the struggles of African descendants in the French colonies during the time of slave labor. The protagonist is a white woman named Desiree who is of unknown origin and birth as she was found abandoned as an infant at an aristocrat’s doorstep. Eighteen years after her discovery, she and a fellow aristocrat, Armand Aubigny, fall in love and get married. They soon have a child, yet conflict arises when the child is discovered to be black. The young family is destroyed when the baby’s father, Armand, refuses to accept the child. In “Desiree’s Baby”, Chopin demonstrates through Armand’s conflicts how weak humans conform to environmental norms.
Due to the sheer volume of unpleasantry, it can be seen how Chopin might convey a warning against rebellion after commitment. Edna is characterized as not being a “motherwoman”, her children’s absence serving to “free her of a responsibility which she had blindly assumed and for which Fate had not fitted her,” (Chopin 12, 22). This rejection of her children is cause for much criticism of her, especially by her husband, who frequently chides her to frustration and tears. This unpleasant reaction may serve to display how her unhappiness with her maternal situation is negligible because of her choice to become a mother. Her responsibility was “blindly assumed” only in that she conformed to standards inappropriate for her personally; her actual having of the children wasn’t accidental, and therefore, she faces retribution for refusing to fulfil her obligations in the role she accepted. Additionally, as a wife, Edna discusses how “Her husband seemed to her now like a person whom she had married without love as an excuse,” (Chopin 83), yet Chopin also details how Leonce “fell in love...his absolute devotion flattered her,” while Edna attributes their union to “the decrees of Fate” (Chopin 21). Both aspects represented demonstrates how Edna’s marriage was a choice, a commitment to Leonce Pontellier that she failed to upkeep, and is therefore
Armande’s refusal of pity may be easily mistaken as a mere manifestation of the old women’s pride, but she requests much more of her listeners when says this line. In this bold scene, her illness has