Theme Of Identity In Desiree's Baby

In the very beginning Desiree was left on a stone pillar at the Valmonde estate; it is also here that Armand Aubigny sees her and falls instantly in love with her. The stone pillar is a symbol of firm, forced male dominance in a patriarchal society. It is how men were of superior to anybody else. Desiree grew into a beautiful and gentle-hearted young woman and soon found a wealthy suitor asking for her hand. This young suitor was Armand Aubigny. He had known of Desiree’s past but was in love and did not care. Armand Aubigny’s character in this story was racist and despicable but the young bride was in love and looked past his faulty character.

Desiree knew her outcome either way if the word spread, that Armand could either turn her and her child into a slave since he technically owned her or he could have her killed. She then makes the decision to wander into the

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

Disregarding Monsieur Valmonde’s caution to consider Desiree’s uncertain ethnicity, Armonde calls for corbeille, or wedding gifts, from Paris, insisting that Desiree’s background was not concerning to him as “he could give her one of the oldest and proudest names in Louisiana” (Chopin 422). With this statement, Chopin reveals Armand’s belief that his name alone would give Desiree a respectable and unquestionable identity.

And then there is Desiree, who is married to Armand. The two have a child; and months after being born the relationship turns volatile . After Armand’s mood changes “ Desiree was miserable enough to die”(3). After asking Armand what he thinks on the skin color of their child, and he tells her that it is beause the baby is not white, and she is not white. In notes that he finds Armand reads "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,

In the story “Desiree’s Baby” it shows how Armand is impulsive when he fell in love with Desiree instantaneously. It was at the same pillar where Monsieur Valmonde, her adopted father, found her and her new life begun and ironically it is the same place Armand fell in love with her, signifying another

Desiree’s decision to take the life of her child and her own is motivated by a desire to protect her son from the situation he has been born into and her own somewhat selfish inability to envision a new life. Desiree had an outlet from the hellish atmosphere on the plantation in the form of her loving mother, Madame Valmonde, who offered asylum and support in a letter that instructs Desiree to return home with her son (Chopin 418). She chose to ignore this olive branch because it simply did not compute with her that a life existed outside of her marriage with Armand and thus she chose death for both herself and her child (Korb). Desiree’s demise is rooted in the fact that her unknown familial ties made her completely helpless and unable to provide proof that she was indeed not a part of the African American race further illustrating the power of familial status that existed at the time and its ruthlessness towards those who were considered lowly people.

Yet it is not until Armand believes that Desiree is black that he fully dominates her simply by thinking that he is superior.  At this point, “when he spoke to her, it was with averted eyes, from which the old love-light seemed to have gone out” (317).  Armand feels that he is too superior to Desiree to devote his full attention to her.  Since he no longer expresses his love for Desiree, she feels further pushed into a slave-like position in the relationship, and, “was miserable enough to die” (318).

Desiree?s words show that her life depends on the race, notions, and social class of her husband and consequently, she feels obligated to obey his every desire. Desiree is presented as vulnerable to whatever Armand wants and tells her to do when she says, ?Do you want me to go?? (177). Desiree displays through her actions that in many ways, her happiness only comes from pleasing her husband. Therefore, Desiree must decide whether to live completely separate from Armand, or to live with him in constant fear and unpleasantness. Desiree achieves personal freedom and independence from Armand when ?she disappeared among the reeds and willows that grew thing along the banks of the deep, sluggish bayou; she did not come back again? (177). It is not even an option and is unheard of that Armand, being a male holding a respectable background, could possibly be black. Consequently, Desiree feels compelled to leave because she wants to please him. When Desiree decides to kill herself and her child, she shows that she is sensitive and vulnerable to her husband?s thoughts and actions.

“Désirée’s Baby” is a story of love, prejudice and rejection, a story with noble beginnings that

am’ and the extension can be endless. And what a human life is but an

The names in “Desiree’s Baby” are ironic in themselves. Desiree, for instance, means to be desired. However, Desiree was undesired by her birth parents and is later undesired by her beloved husband. L’Abri means “shelter,” and is anything except a shelter for Desiree as it is the place of her degradation and demise. Armand chooses his pride over his love for Desiree and sends her away only to realize that he is at fault. Desiree’s life, along with the life of her child, comes to a sorrowful end when she has done nothing wrong. Chopin uses these ironies to carry her theme throughout the story and allow the reader to understand her message of the innocent having to suffer because of the actions of the

Desiree's life is full of indescribable and pitiful events; first, she was lift alone when she was a baby, nameless and no one knows who her family are - this generally refers to the personality of a woman which is, metaphorically, has no presence in the society. Moreover, throughout the story no decision is made by her but

Desiree is betrayed by Armand because he has too much pride. I believe pride is what keeps Armand from loving Desiree the way she wants to be loved. The betrayal endured from her husband causes her to be depressed and feel hopeless. Desiree told her mother, “I cannot be so unhappy, and live” (541). She has a happy life and a family she adores and cannot live with anything less. I disagree with the hopelessness portrayed by Desiree but understand the depth of her pain. Desiree’s husband is a prideful man who chooses name over love and family.

Foster and LeJeune’s critique discloses the idea that Desiree’s flee into the bayou is her first act of independence since she had been with Armand. “Chopin presents Desiree-as a character- illustrated how the human spirit often suffers from powerlessness.” (Short Story Criticism, vol.171 Foster and LeJeune,pg 155) From the time that Desiree and Armand tied the knot, she was no longer her own person, but solely Armands property. “Armand never calls Desiree by name; thus , he never affords her a title.” (Short Story Criticism, vol.171 Foster and LeJeune,pg 155) This emphasizes the Desiree’s identity becomes lost within the male's identity even moreso once Desiree bares Armand’s child which shows African American characteristics. The idea of Armand’s child not being purely white, altered Armand’s character towards Desiree which left Desiree with no choice other than to leave his side with her child. “As Chopin narrates: She [Desiree] disappeared among the reeds and willows that grew thick along the banks of the deep, sluggish bayou: and she did not come back again.” ( Short Story Criticism, vol.171 Foster and LeJeune,pg 157) Foster and LeJeune stated “It is by fleeing that she avoids such loss when she escapes to the “reeds and willows”.” ( Short Story Criticism, vol.171 Foster and Jeune,pg 157) This insinuates that Desiree’s choice to leave, was a her choice to disembark her state of oppression and embark on her new life independence from