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Desiree's Baby

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Setting Significance in “Desiree’s Baby” Kate Chopin’s short story, “Desiree’s Baby”, takes place in Creole Louisiana during a time period set in between the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. The location of the story is historically recognized as the Antebellum South. Wealthy and white, plantation owners during the time period were known for their ownership of slaves as well as their cruel behaviors towards them. Racism was very prominent throughout the time period in all of the south as displayed by Desiree’s husband, Armand. The setting of this story directly relates to the themes of racial prejudice, the oppression of women, and white male domination. The time period alone affected the outcome of the story. Desiree, unlike most women of her era, was lucky enough to marry for love, yet even love was not …show more content…

These symbols were made present during many setting changes in the story. For example, when Madame Valmonde arrived at the L’Abri, she described it as, “…a sad looking place… Big solemn oaks grew close to it…” (Chopin 504), suggesting that the plantation was indeed dark, dusty, and also foreshadowing death. Another symbol subtly added by Chopin is the effect of the weather. The hot weather arrived at a setting change and was described when Desiree and her child are lying on the bed being fanned. This weather change could easily be overlooked but actually has meaning. In any literature, heat can symbolize arriving close to a realization or generating new ideas. This symbol portrays Desiree’s sudden realization of her baby’s skin color, which then leads her to the bayou. Swamps and bayous in literature have been known to symbolize decay and darkness. After running from the mansion Desiree runs into a bayou to her assumed death, which could have been foreshadowed by these changes in

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