Desiree's Baby Quotes

The passage Desiree’s Baby is a story about two people falling in love. Even with love they can not change the unexpected outcome of the truth about their past and heritage. Their is a deeper theme throughout the passage. It is about the young man name Armand denying, and not accepting himself for being black. This leads Armand down a dark path, and self hatred that he can not escape.

The fact that Armand doesn’t accept his heritage is shown throughout that passage. Even with evidence of Armand being black. “ It was part of an old letter from his mother to his father. He read it. She was thanking god for the blessing of her husband's love:- But above all she wrote, “ night and day, 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”( Desiree’s Baby 287). This is evidence that Armand is black and has black blood coursing through his veins.

Armand not accepting his heritage is layed about throughout the passage.

“ Young Aubigny’s rule was a strict one, too and under it his negros has forgotten how to be gay, as they had been during the old master’s easy-going and indulgent lifetime”( Desiree’s Baby 284). This quote emphasize the way Armand treats the slaves. He is more cruel to them unlike his father in the past. Why would Armand be so cruel to the slaves? He was never taught by anyone to mistreat them they way he does. This has a deeper meaning that Aremand is mistreating the slaves because of his self hatred towards himself for being black. Expressing it by beating on the slaves, and treating them

unfairly.

Another example is when the baby is within three months old. “ when the baby was about three months old, Desiree awoke one day to the conviction that there was something in the air menacing her peace”( Desiree’s Baby 285). “ Then A strange, and awful change in her husband’s manner, which she dared not ask him to explain. When he spoke to her, it was with averted eyes, from which the old love-light seemed to have gone”( Desiree’s Baby 285). Within three months the babies skin color would have set in. Armand is disgusted with the fact that his child has black blood coursing through his veins. Armand knows that he may be the cause of his child having black genes. He puts it off and makes it as though Desiree is the cause of all of it.

When Ardmand found out the news about his child being black. He became more of a monster towards the slaves. Expressing the fact of how he doesn't accept the fact that he himself has black blood in his veins. “ He absented himself from home: and when there, avoided Desiree’s presence and that of her child. Without excuse. And the very spirit of Satan seemed suddenly to take hold of him in his dealing with the slaves”( Desiree’s Baby 286).

Desiree’s Baby is a passage that is more than just a love story with a traject ending. It is a passage with many themes hidden throughout the passage. Each theme has a special meaning to it, and the readers can interpret it in anyway they see fit. That is why I believe that the theme throughout the passage is that Armand doesn’t accept that fact that he is black. Admand shows the reader examples of his self hate by Treating the slaves worse than his father did. Not accepting the fact that his child is black, and instead blaming it on Desiree.