In Kate Chopin short story “Desiree’s Baby”, the author focuses on how racism and prejudice played a huge role in the 19th centuries and how it affected love someone had towards another. The author uses imagery to let the readers have a better view on what is happening. The story takes place in Louisiana, where Desiree and Armand met at a stone pillar, the same stone she was abandoned as a baby and found by Madame Valmonde and Monsieur Valmonde. Desiree and Armand fell in love fast “as if struck by a pistol”. But that changed when their baby boy was born, the baby skin color appeared to be “black”. Armand love for Desiree has not been the same since their son was born, which led to a tragedy. The author, Kate Chopin uses symbolism to give readers clues as of why the baby appeared a darker skin tone than his parents. …show more content…
Kate Chopin uses symbols such as the stone pillar, La Branch’s, and the letter Armand’s mother wrote. Desiree was abandoned at the stone pillar as a child, the same stone Armand “had fallen in love with her”. There were no clues as of where and who Desiree had come. Monsieur Valmonde reminded Armand that “she was nameless”. Therefore, Armand believed that Desiree was African American, and he blamed her for their baby having black skin. Desiree finally becomes aware of her son looks when seen one of the La Branch boys. “She looked from her child to the boy who stood beside him, and back again; over and over. "Ah!" It was a cry that she could not help; which she was not conscious of having uttered.” Desiree cannot picture herself having a slave child, which that concerned her. She then questions Armand asking him what does it mean? “he answered lightly, "that the child is not white; it means that you are not white." Desiree does not agree because she doesn’t know how could that be possible if she and Armand are
In the text ‘Desiree’s baby’, Desiree’s identity is impacted after she gets abandoned by her husband Armand. Before the abandonment, Desiree was loved by Armand which can be discovered in the quote ‘When he saw her at the gate, swept along like an avalanche, or like a prairie fire, or like anything that drives headlong over all obstacles’. The use of simile communicates that when Armand saw Desiree, he fell in love with her at first sight. At that moment, he loved Desiree and nothing would stop his way. Soon after Armand found out that the baby is mixed race, he abandons Desiree and the baby. In the quote, ‘Do you want me to go?’ ‘Yes, I want you to go’. The dialogue communicates that Armand wants Desiree to go away or leave him which reveals that he does not love Desiree anymore. In the text, Desiree’s identity has positive to negatively changed from different events or experiences she goes through in her
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
“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.
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:
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...
Imagine finding out that your entire life was a lie, and that every single thing you knew about your identity and your family was completely false! Armand Aubigny, one of the main characters in Desiree’s Baby by Kate Chopin, experiences this exact dilemma throughout this short story. Desiree’s Baby is a story about a young man and woman, who fall in love, but Desiree, who does not know her birth parents, is considered nameless. When she and Armand have a child, they are both very surprised because the child’s skin color is not white as expected. It is obvious that the child is biracial, and immediately, Desiree is blamed for the color of the child’s skin because of her uncertain background. The truth, however, is that it is Armand who has lived his entire life as a biracial person without even knowing his true heritage! This problem frames the rest of the events in the story, and the ultimate demise of both of these characters.
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.
Korb, Rena. "Critical Essay on 'Désirée's Baby'." Short Stories for Students. Ed. Jennifer Smith. Vol. 13. Detroit: Gale Group, 2001. Literature Resource Center. Web. 01 Mar. 2014.
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 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,
“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.
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.
The baby’s skin tone promotes confusion among family members, including Désirée. Months later, Armand mentions the baby’s skin tone to Désirée, suggesting that she is not fully white (423-424). Furthermore, the racial perceptions of Désirée and Armand display feelings of discomfort and isolation, conforming the majorities notion of
“Desiree’s Baby” by Kate Chopin, is a short story written in the 1890’s that depicts racism and the role of women in the late nineteenth century. “Desiree’s Baby” is about a young woman that was adopted at a young age by a wealthy family of status, the Valmonde’s, with no knowledge of her ancestry or background. Desiree marries Armand, a man of status and wealth, and they have a contented relationship until they have a child and shortly after his birth, it becomes apparent that the child is of mixed race. Armand believes that his wife is the one of mixed descent, but the irony is that after Desiree has committed suicide and also murdered the child, Armand finds a letter from his mother to his father in which he learns that his mother was of mixed descent. Chopin strategically uses characterization, foreshadowing, syntax to help illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole.