Desiree's Baby

When Desiree was fully grown Armand one day saw her and instantly fell in love, and they were married despite her unknown background. When Madame arrives she is surprised at how much the child has grown in four weeks, and Desiree tells her how much Armand has changed. She says that Armand is so proud to be a father that he stopped frowning as much and hasn’t punished the slaves once since the baby was born. His happiness makes Desiree feel ecstatic.

It's a mothers love that makes a mothers heart swell up with joy. Desiree was so blinded by the affection she was giving to the baby and how her husband had changed his ways that she never realized the baby was of different color. For instance “he hasn't punished one of them-not one of them - since baby is born”. The Reason for her joy is because i would assume he would treat his workers terribly and

Desiree loved Armand like no other. In the text it states “When he frowned she trembled, but loved him.” Her love is so deep for him that when he has a bad day, it makes her feel bad or as if she did something to him. Her love is so strong; it isn’t enough words to describe it. Well to me that’s how love is suppose to be. A flaw in their relationship is when Desiree knew that Armand wouldn’t love their baby if it was a girl. “Oh, Armand is the proudest father in the parish, I believe, chiefly because it is a boy, to bear his name; though he says not, --that he would have loved a girl as well. But I know it isn’t true. I know he says that to please me.” (2) Desiree said it

The well-known but short story ‘‘Desiree’s Baby’’ by Kate Chopin took place in southern Louisiana in the late Nineteenth century which focused on human relationships. Chopin is best known for her short stories and skill set to make them come alive, usually about the lives of sensitive, intelligent women such as Desiree. In 1936, critic Arthur Hobson Quinn called it “one of the greatest short stories in the language.’’ The short story goes into great depth of a man’s identity, trying to overcome the race of his wife and child and the love he supposedly has for them. We are going to examine why race played such a huge role and also why the love for his family was smaller than his self-esteem.

Although, the father, whose race was Creole, did not love the baby who was a mulatto because he did not understand his own race. Desiree, on the other hand, was Caucasian, yet after Armand saw the baby’s appearance, he accused his wife of not actually being white and sent the baby and Desiree away. Afterwards, Armand burned anything that reminded him of Desiree, in which he found a box of letters that his mom once sent to his dad that read: "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." As a result, Armand now knows his ethnic background and perhaps feels bitter about how he treated his son and

“Desiree’s Baby” illustrates the situation of slaves during the late 1800s. Judging by the way Armand treated his slaves, it is clear to see that these slaves were seen below the rest of society, and having ancestry of a slave was looked down upon. On page 139, the story states, “’Shall I go, Armand?’ she asked in tones sharp with agonized suspense. ’Yes, go. ‘Do you want me to go? ‘Yes, I want you to go.’” Armand was willing to let go of his wife, the mother of his child, just because there was a possibility of Desiree being biracial. Slavery has since been abolished, so it would be to a student’s benefit to understand the relations between slaves and Caucasians at the time.

Without racial comparisons, the story would only be a tragedy, reading as a criticism of hasty racial categorization because of the suffering it brings, but with them it is a depiction of a flawed system that has rewarded a black man. Chopin first contrasts Armand’s tendency to take on “the very spirit of Satan” in dealing with slaves with the more relaxed relationship they had with his father (441). Looking upon L’Abri, Madame Valmonde is troubled to realize that under Young Aubigny’s rule “his negroes had forgotten how to be gay, as they had been during the old master’s easy-going and indulgent lifetime” (440). Additionally, Madame Valmonde’s sadness upon seeing the estate may indicate that Monsieur Valmonde, a white man like Armand’s father, lacks young Aubigny’s cruelty. Armand’s lack of compassion is seen again upon realizing his son’s black heritage. Feeling that “Almighty God had dealt cruelly and unjustly with him” by giving him a quadroon child, Armand asks Desiree and the child to leave L’Abri (442). In contrast, Monsieur Valmonde’s treatment of Desiree as “the idol of Valmonde” depicts his compassion toward a child who may potentially be black (440). Chopin’s racist undertones are realized as the dark-skinned Armand, characterized by volatility and callousness, is meant to be looked upon much less favorably than the story’s compassionate white slave owners.

According to the passage, it’s clear that Armand loved his child, and was happy to be a father. When the baby began to develop his true color Armand’s love died for his child, and he blamed his wife for being the reason that the child was black. He did this because no one knew who Desiree’s real parents were. The truth in the matter is that just because she didn’t know who her parents were doesn’t necessarily mean that she was the cause of her child not being white.

Desiree is an orphan adopted by a white woman marries a white man and they have a child. However, the child shows physical signs of being of African American descent. She goes to Armand, her husband, and says “look at our child. What does it mean? Tell me” to which he responds, “It means, that the child is not white; it means that you are not white” (Chopin 1075). Désirée becomes distressed due to a double consciousness where Désirée knows she is not black but society (Armand) is telling her that she is, and because of all of society’s terrible opinions of black people, she takes what they believe and internalizes it as truth. She laments knowing the way that society will look at her and writes to her mother, “They tell me I am not white. Armand has told me I’m not white. For God’s sake tell them it is not true. You know it is not true. I shall die. I must die. I cannot be so unhappy, and live” (1075). The disconnect between who she thought that she was and the person that outside forces are pushing upon her leads her leads to despair. Armand pushes this pain further when he “no longer loved her, because of the unconscious injury she had brought upon his home and his name” (1075). He cannot see through this veil of her “new skin color” and pushes her away even further. Désirée takes her baby and rather than choosing to see the part of her consciousness

The Antagonist in Desiree’s Baby is Armand his character feels superior and inferior. His darkness even shows when he is cruel to his own wife and child due to the baby’s skin of color. The way he also treats his slaves by always beating on them due to their dark color of skin while the light-yellow slaves work inside the house. Armand is just racist and has no emotion towards his actions he just thinks he is powerful for being white and wealthy as he thinks he is. Desiree is the protagonist she is thoughtful and sincere she is the opposite of Armand. She represents the light even though her child looks of a mixed race she still unconditionally loves the child.

After Desiree and the baby have left, Armand decides to burn all of Desiree’s things. Doing this, he comes across a letter between his own parents where his mother reveals that she is of African-American descent. Desiree was not the reason the baby was mixed, but instead, it was Armand. Armand should not have let his pride for his race get in the way of raising his child and loving his wife. By disowning his child, Armand has now damaged his child’s upbringing which will affect him/her psychologically later in life

"Desiree's Baby" is not a mere tragic short story by which a reader may be entertained by its ironic and catastrophic ending. It is a story of a crime and brutality against women of all generations to come, depicting vividly how a woman may suffer and conceal her anguish for the sake of others. It is a story of innocence slain mercilessly by the unscrupulous power of harshness that directly governs human societies.

Kate Chopin wrote the short story “Desiree's baby” in 1892, when black people where considered second-class citizens. Even though the slaves were freed in 1865 as a directly consequence of the north states victory at the civil war, racial segregation were at it highest, particular because of the “Jim Crow” laws. Black people were free – but their opportunities were not good. Even tough many new schools and churches were built for the black people, racism were a big sinner and black people were treated very bad - especially in the south states. Miscegenation was a cursed word, as the communities saw it as a crime and both the family and the baby were suppressed. Desiree felt that on her own body.

“Desiree’s baby” is a short story written by Kate Chopin. The ambience of this story is appointed in the 19th Century in Louisiana. This history is a love story between Armand Aubigny and Desiree. Chopin’s story talk principally about race issues and also includes elements of sexism. She give priority to the meaning of race during the nineteenth century which was the period of her lifetime, and many of them still strike a nerve in the United States today.

Desiree’s Baby is a short story written in the late 1800’s encompassing the issues of