Desiree's Baby By Kate Chopin Essay

In the fictional story “Desiree’s Baby”, written by Kate Chopin, Désirée is the adopted daughter of Monsieur and Madame Valmondé, who are wealthy French Creoles in antebellum Louisiana. Abandoned as a baby, she was found by Monsieur Valmonde. She later falls in love with the son of another wealthy, popular and respected French Creole family, Armand. They marry and have a child. People who see the baby have the sense it is different. Eventually they realize that the baby's skin is the same color as a quadroon. At that moment in time of the story, this would have been considered a problem for a person believed to be white, Chopin foreshadows the theme of a shocking ending to develop a memorable topic that racism is wrong. Early in the story, the reader learns that the baby might be

Secondly, Armand was the first clue that something else was going on that was not anticipated. This moment becomes more evident when Chopin begins to describe him saying “But Armand’s dark, handsome face had not often been disfigured... her.” If not avoided the reader can draw attention to this quote speculating as to why Chopin described a white man as “Dark”. Not only did the author hint at Armand being biracial but, Throughout the exchanges between Him and Desiree she says “Look at my hand; whiter than yours, Armand.” This can be an indication that he is indeed of a darker skin complexion and might solidify more of the idea that he is not completely white. A you continue reading you get to the point where Desiree decides to end her life with her baby. We can come to that conclusion because in quote “She disappeared among the reeds and willows that grew thick along the banks of the deep, sluggish bayou; and she did not come back again. Using context clues with words like “deep” and “she did not come back