Desiree's Baby Literary Analysis

The story “Désirée’s Baby” by Kate Chopin can be difficult to understand when and where the story takes place. “Désirée’s Baby” tells the story of a mother, Madame Valmondé, her daughter, Désirée, her baby and the daughter’s husband, Armand Aubigny, this story focuses on Désirée and Armand’s relationship after having the baby. When their baby begins to take on a darker color of skin, Armand accuses Désirée of being African American and does not want to be with her anymore. Désirée writes to her mother and Madame Valmondé wants her to come home to her. Désirée confronts her husband and ask if she should leave when he agrees, she disappears into the Bayou with her baby, never to be seen again. In a turn of events, Armand Aubigny finds out that

During this time period, “—any person with one drop of black blood was deemed black” (Shen 5). This explains why Armand was so quick to turn away the mother of his child. Another example is in the essay, “ Semiotic Subversion in “Désirée’s Baby”” Ellen Peel writes, “ institutions based on apparently clear dualities: master over slave, white over black” (Peel 2). “Désirée’s Baby” shows us that Désirée husband, Armand, is a plantation owner this is supported through the text, “ his negroes had forgotten how to be gay” (Chopin 1) the text from the story is showing the readers that under Armand’s ruling they forgot how to be happy. This gives the hint of this time period the author writes about was during slavery and when white, rich men ruled the South. During the story of “Désirée’s Baby” another example of slavery being a prominent part of the story is when Désirée realizes that her baby is of mixed races. One of Armand’s slaves is fanning the baby, and Désirée finally begins to notice the similarities between her baby and the slave, “She looked from her child to the boy who stood beside him, and back again; over and over” (Chopin 2). When she speaks to her husband about this he accuses her of being the reason their son is a mixed race. Later on in the story he agrees with Désirée that she should leave. The blatant

He uses luxury items so he can take her as his own possession. He uses this ability to put the blind fold over Désirée’s eyes, so he can continue his affair with his slave, La Blanche. This is discussed about in the essay “Masterplots II: Short Story Series” with the quote, “ Armand spends much time in the cottage of a slave named La Blanche” (Rosenblum 1). This shows the reader how much authority that Armand has because of his wealth and his race. He can do these things because he has the money to smooth over Désirée if she were to find out. Also Désirée was just a woman that had no real last name because of her adoption. He knew she had nothing to turn to but disgrace if she left him, and he used this to finally push her away in the end. Armand looked down on those who were not wealthy, but this was normal during the Antebellum period. Your name and money was how you got somewhere in the world. The last attributor to the story’s settings being in Louisiana is the characteristics of the