Racial tension has been common among people for hundreds, possibly thousands of years now. You've probably experienced someone being racist, or been racist yourself without knowing it. A clear demonstration of racial tension was in "Desiree's Baby", a short story written by Kate Chopin. She wrote controversial books as an American author in the late 1800s with varying themes and using several different literary devices. In this specific short story, Kate Chopin used irony, foreshadowing, and flashback to illustrate the theme: things aren't what they seem.
One important literary device used in "Desiree's Baby" is irony. When Desiree's child turned out to be a race other than white, blame was pointed at Desiree by her husband. At the end of the story, irony is demonstrated when we find out Armand's birth mother "belonged to the race that is cursed with the brand of slavery." In other words, Armand's mother was black; this made him the reason Desiree's baby turn out mixed. This is an example of irony because the situation was contradictory to what Armand expected to be true. It fits with the theme that things aren't what they seem -- the situation literally wasn't what it seemed to be.
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Another important device used in the story is flashback.
This was used at the beginning of the story when Madame Valmonde thought back to when Desiree was a child, as well as to the point Armand had supposedly fallen in love with her. The flashback provided a glimpse at how Armand felt about Desiree before they had a baby together. He had loved her despite not knowing where she came from or who she truly was; he didn't care what her origin might have been. This helps us understand how devastating and how much of a change in character Armand went through when he found out his child wasn't white. The flashbacks also to illustrate the theme. It appeared that he loved Desiree more than anything, but that wasn't all that it seemed. The issue of race divided them so
easily. Foreshadowing is also an important literary device used in this story by Kate Chopin. The foreshadowing in "Desiree's Baby" pointed to Armand being mixed and falling out of love with Desiree. For example, Desiree tells Armand, "Look at my hand; whiter than yours, Armand." This sentence hints at Armand having a parent who wasn't white, or someone else along his family tree who happened to be black. His skin was darker than Desiree's, but he still believed she wasn't white. Another example of foreshadowing in the story are Armand's actions leading up to Desiree's departure. Armand was cold to her and avoided looking at her, the "old love-light" seeming to have "gone out". His actions hinted that he had lost love for Desiree. The foreshadowing in the story supports the theme because it shows that Armand didn't expect himself to be mixed; things were different than how they appeared to him. Kate Chopin used irony, flashback, and foreshadowing to help illustrate her theme in the story, "Desiree's Baby." All of the literary devices helped to build the theme, showing how unexpected the outcome of the story was to the characters. The characters believed they knew what was going on and who they were, but it turned out Armand didn't know his mother was black. Despite Desiree having unknown origins, she still wasn't the reason her baby was mixed. Chopin is very successful in achieving her message for the story because it's made obvious through the literary devices in the story. The theme is something that shouldn't be taken lightly, because we don't ever truly know everything. Things change very easily and very fast and are more than likely never what they seem to be.
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
There are smaller instance of racial/ethnic tension that happen globally, such as the many racial tension in American with various racial and ethnic groups. These racial/ethnic tension influence the formation of ethnic/racial identity, as discrimination and racism can lead to violent outcomes and affect the way people choose to use their race or ethnicity as an identifying marker. Nonetheless these small instances of racial/ethnic tension do have some similarities to the historical events in the novel. For instance, there are many places globally where there is a stigma against darker skin and that light skin is essentially superior. There are also cases, much like the pronunciation “perejil” in which individuals are classified into racial categories based on accents or pronunciation of certain words.
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
In America at this time of history, Racism is a very hurtful topic. People have a judgmental view on a race after one person out of millions, conduct a matter. Many actions are against one’s race when not all of them act as those that have acted negatively. Communities of cultures has made a stereotype of each race and it affects those that are innocent from those thoughts. Stereotypes are when a “feature” of a specific race is applied to the rest of the same race. Stereotypes nowadays are what helps a society opinionate a single race or culture. Some stereotypes that are common and is what thought by many are that “black men and women are very aggressive” and there are some people who live by those stereotype and try to avoid all blacks even though there are some that do not follow this stereotype. Race also has to do with the history of the country that makes a culture have different viewpoints. There are cultures that have slaves and they are of a different race. As time passes and they are no longer slaves, they are still considered as a minority by some, like how many Americans consider Africans are a minority just because they use to be slaves. Many cultures are not diverse and have only one race in that specific culture, but if there may be one person with a different race, people could either view that positively or negatively. For instance, in the story “Introducing my son: An Indian
“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.
The short story suggests that Brently Mallard dominated his wife – and for this, she is not happy, and dies soon after. Desiree’s Baby also represents women’s lack of power and male dominance in the society. When Desiree’s mother tells her to come home, based on Armand’s reaction to having a child the same color as a slave, Desiree has to seek approval of her husband to leave. This shows his control over their relationship and his power over Desiree.
Armand knew that Desiree’s decent was questionable and that she would be a perfect scapegoat if color were to show up in a child. When Monsieur Valmonde wanted Armand to fully consider Desiree’s unknown origin, he acted like it did not matter which is very peculiar during that time:
In Desiree’s Baby by Kate Chopin references discrimination in Creole, Louisiana during the antebellum period. Race has continuously left a significant impression on the past and continues in today’s society. African Americans were always seen as the failures, and treated harshly because the color of their skin. They didn't have any voting privileges or equality compared to that of Caucasians. Desiree’s Baby depicts how racial discrimination can control ones way of living even in intimate relationships. Race and birth history is a strong theme throughout. Desiree was adopted into a high socioeconomic status. She herself was not really sure of her origin. The concept of birth history first appears when Desiree is found by Monsieur Valmonde and rumors begin to fly as to who Desiree is and her origin. Madame V...
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...
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.
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.
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.
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
“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.
The Color Purple'' the Caucasians fear the African-Americans, more specifically the African-American male, thinking that he is a brute devoid of emotions, their fear of the black male is fuelling their acts of oppression towards a different race. Xenophobia is used as a way to oppress and dominate a race, to understand racism we have to understand its origins. There is no evidence suggesting when racism started, but it has instead been a part of history for as long as we know. For example, the ancient Greeks believed that some tribes were better than others and during the thirteen and fourteen century it was a popular belief that Jews were involved with witchcraft and associated with the Devil, which was the first sign of racism as we know it today. It is also present during the period of Renaissance and Reformation, when the Europeans came into contact with people of darker skin pigmentation....