Racism In Desiree's Baby By Kate Chopin

A Baby: Born from a Tainted Love Kate Chopin,an American author of short stories and novels, depicts the life of Armand and Desiree ’s baby in a racial community that focuses on the color of an individual in the standards of superiority ideals. It is clearly emphasized that in Kate Chopin’s, literary works she explores the notion of gender roles, attitudes towards race, and by particularly focusing on a woman's identity which are truly highlighted in the short story, “Desiree's baby”. Desiree's baby symbolizes Armand's and Desiree's love tainted by racism, demonstrating a notion that the offspring produced from the foundation of love is consumed by the racial superiority in a society clearly underlying the perception of colour in a hierarchy

One of the first notable feature in “Desiree’s Baby is the naturalistic feeling weaved throughout the entire story. Desiree a young woman is damned by her own society just because of her possible African heritage. At this time in America having one-eighth African heritage was enough to put you on the bottom of the social caste system, especially if you were a female.

How can racism and arrogance destroy a whole family? In the short story "Désirée 's Baby" written by Kate Chopin reflects on how racism played a huge role before the American Civil War. Désirée was abandoned by her family when she was young and was adopted by, Madame Valmonde, a rich white family. One day Armand Aubigny was passing when he saw Désirée next to a stone pillar, where he falls in love with her instantly . They get married and have a baby boy. After three months later, her husband discoveries that the baby is not white and assumes that Désirée is from a black family. Armand didn 't want to bring shame to his family lineage and decides to kick Desiree and her baby out. One day while he was trying to burn Desiree things, to destroy memories and evidence, he discoveries a letter that was from his mom to his dad stating that his real mom is a black woman. Chopin 's short story "Désirée 's Baby" shows how judging people, being arrogant and selfish, and the consequences of racism could ultimately lead to the destruction of Désirée 's family.

The short story “Desiree’s Baby: by Kate Chopin is my favorite story so far in what we read in class. Why? Well because Chopin Shows how far a man will go just to save his family’s name and reputation. This interested me because I couldn’t believe a man would go that far keep his reputation and how Chopin address real life issues and shows how one emotion can be your down fall at the same time.. The man in Desiree’s baby who took his words and actions to far is named Armand Aubigny . Chopin made Armand make his decision based on assumptions, racism, anger and male dominance.

The story, “Desiree’s Baby” by Kate Chopin offers insight on racial prejudice as well as class distinction in Southern America during the late 1800s. Desiree, a new mother is accused of having slave blood by her husband, who treated slaves poorly. The irony of the situation is that Desiree was not the one who had an ancestry of slaves, but it was her husband, Armand. This story offers both an interesting plot as well as factual elements that can be related to the history at the time, making it the perfect story to teach in American Literature.

Many of Kate Chopin’s short stories deal with women in search of love, self-knowledge, and a sense of belonging, however, in “Désirée’s Baby” we see a much more apparent theme of miscegeny, slavery, and racism. In her critical essay on “Désirée’s Baby,” Rena Korb asserts that “Désirée’s Baby” mainly focusses on a woman seeking only a place of belonging. Upon reading “Désirée’s Baby” one could come to the conclusion that this story is much more concerned with expressing the effects of slavery and degradation of a race in all aspects of society. Désirée and Armand have their own view of African Americans especially when it comes to miscegenation, the treatment of them and even their own ideas of association with them.

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’s Baby” is a well-known short story by Kate Chopin. The story is about a young girl named Desiree, whose life had been turned around by a man that brought so much joy and love throughout her life. She married Armand and had a beautiful baby boy, and suddenly everything began to change throughout their relationship. Throughout “Desiree’s baby” Kate Chopin uses representation of harmfulness, prejudice, the difference in gender roles and society to carry out her themes. Kate uses many techniques of foreshadowing and irony to carry out the story of describing Desiree and Armand’s Connection. In Kate Chopin’s “Desiree’s Baby”, the author uses both foreshadowing and irony to demonstrate the harmful effects of racism in Louisiana before the civil war.

She was likewise instructed by ladies, practically ruling out thought on a customary marriage. There is, most likely, being raised and taught by ladies had an impact on her perspective of singularity. Kate was not noted as the conventional, contemporary lady as she smoked cigarettes, did not fit in with contemporary clothing, and was truly candid. She needed to live unreservedly, as she did notwithstanding when married. She additionally gave her children, however, much opportunity as could be expected. Her works, for example, "The Storm", "Story of an Hour" and "Desiree's Baby" mirror the parts of ladies in the public eye. They represent points, for example, the "confined" feeling a lady may have in a marriage, or the need to express female sexuality and longing. There is additionally a typical subject of gender roles and the individuality of a lady in these stories. Chopin is thought to be one of the first women's activists. She expounds on the physical and passionate enduring that ladies endure because of society. She delivers issues identified with the sexual and profound mistreatment and restraint of

Kate Chopin did not quite conform to the roles of society, instead she chose to embrace her free spirit and many of the qualities are directly seen her works of literature. Her characters in Desiree’s Baby are multifaceted and complex. Chopin’s stories challenge society’s views at the time they were written and prove to be daring and explicit for her generation. Some of the tragedies and personal losses she experienced in life fueled her passion for writing. Larabee stated in her article, that Chopin spent the first part of her life learning how to write and the second part writing (61).

However, if the mother was pale and the child was not, the roles could be very different. In the case of Desiree, Armand wanted nothing to do with her and wished for her to leave the house. He could not believe his wife was not as pure as he and wanted to get rid of her sins from his home once she was gone. He knew very well that Desiree had no name, no background, and no story beyond the one give to her, but agreed to be with her when she was white. With the questioning of her whiteness, all love for her disappeared and he could only see her as tainted.

Kate Chopin is a writer of the late 19th century. She wrote about the life as she observed it and her feelings. Chopin’s stories are very short and a third-person point of view was always used. It is said that Chopin’s writing style is more like the writers in the twentieth century because unlike her contemporaries, she wrote in a direct and understated style and she suggest women’s independence and freedom which make her one of the first feminist writers though that was not her intention. Besides, Chopin employs lots of foreshadowing and symbolism and irony with masterful skill and she was flexibility in the use of language.

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.

In “Desiree’s Baby”, Armand’s treatment of African Americans was compared to “the very spirit of Satan” (Chopin 2) which is alike the reality of the treatment of African Americans during the late 1800’s. Armand’s treatment of African Americans reflected his views of them. During the late 1800’s, African Americans were commonly terrorized by white supremacists and hate groups such as the Ku Klux Klan to diminish their recently assumed rights (“African American History...”). The Ku Klux Klan lynched almost twenty thousand African Americans throughout their reign of terror (“Black History.”) which reflected

As master of the L'Abri plantation, he is a strict taskmaster who treats the slaves harshly—so much so, the narrator says, that the “negroes had forgotten how to be gay.” As a husband, Armand clearly rules the home. “When he frowned, Desiree trembled,” the narrator observes. “When he smiled, she asked no greater blessing of God.” Although his manner softens after the child is born, his demeanor remains in question. As Desiree observes, “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.” In other words, Armand judges the worth of the child according to its gender in addition to its race. A male meant that the proud Aubigny name and aristocratic heritage would endure, perhaps for many generations. However, when Armand discovers that the child has Negro blood, he becomes sullen and cruel, and he makes it known that his wife and child are no longer welcome at L'Abri. He even tries to erase their memory by burning all their clothing and household items.