ipl-logo

An Analysis Of Desiree's Baby By Kate Chopin

708 Words3 Pages

The Pain of Loving You Everyone yearns to be accepted in life. One may slide right into their destined position, while another chooses to reconstruct their existing personality because they believe "they don't quite fit.” In "Desiree's Baby", a short story by Kate Chopin, a woman named Desiree takes her need of belonging to drastic measures. When Desiree, a young woman, finally finds peace through a marriage with a handsome plantation owner, her spirit is crushed when he rejects the fact that he ever fell in love with her. She transforms her husband’s decision into one that abetts her into taking her own life. Desiree has grown up with the pain of knowing she was abandoned by her birth parents. With the brokenness of an orphan inside of her, she grows up "little more than a baby herself" (1) craving attention because her basic need for love and belonging is never truly satisfied. Due to her childhood, Desiree's motivation in life is her desire to find a pure love that will not abandon her in times of struggle and accepting her for who she is. …show more content…

The origin of the name Desiree is French and contains the meaning "to be desired" (Desiree). Desiree's quest in life was to find someone who desired her for who she is. She believed that she had found this elusive concept with Armand; when all along she had a loving home at Valmonde's. Even Madam described her as "beautiful and gentle, affectionate and sincere, - the idol of Valmonde" (4). The disregard of family happens in life all too often.

Show More
Related

Comparison Of Loving V. Virginia And Desiree's Baby

784 Words | 4 Pages

Armand’s father had brought him home from paris, when he was eight, after his mother died. He came from a wealthy family. According to the Armand’s father thought of Desiree didn’t seem like he was happy because the way he grew up, he wanted someone from the same wealth as them. After they had gotten married and they were expecting a baby, the day had come of the birth of the child Mrs. Valmonde was surprised about the baby when she saw it because perhaps the kid didn’t look like one of the parent’s. “ Marriage, and later the birth of his so had softened Armand Aubigny’s imperious and exacting nature greatly.”

Read More

Desiree's Baby Argumentative Essay

570 Words | 3 Pages

This meant that she had no desire to live. Many believe that she is just prolonging her agony by living, and therefore came to the conclusion that her actions were justified, and that killing herself and her baby was a valid option that makes sense. In this time period, nobody who was white wished to marry a mixed woman, or even to be around a mixed woman. Therefore, Desiree would be an outcast. Many believe that this could easily be solved if she just, perhaps, moved to the North and met new people, or reunited with Armand.

Read More

Foreshadowing And Allusion In Desiree's Baby By Kate Chopin

1203 Words | 5 Pages

“Desiree’s Baby” is a short story written by Kate Chopin. In “Desiree’s Baby,” Desiree is found by the Valmonde’s family, not knowing what her origin was, they took her in. Desiree grew into a gentle and loving young woman. The young owner of the neighboring plantation, Armand Aubigny, fell in love with her at first sight. Armand Aubigny and Desiree got married and had a child together.

Read More

Critical Lens In Kate Chopin's The Story Of An Hour

1247 Words | 5 Pages

To the untrained eye, a story could be viewed one-dimensionally; a tale might only appeal to emotion while logic is left out in the cold. Equally, logic may be forgotten while emotion is heavily focused on. However, through the use of Critical Lenses, readers can begin to see greater depth in literature. As readers find connections through Critical Lenses, they become more educated on various topics, more aware of social, political, and even logical abstractions. Instead of failing to retain the intent and content of the material, they even can remember details of stories more vividly when truly examining literature rather than reading it once for entertainment (or chore).

Read More

Tone In Desiree's Baby

1072 Words | 5 Pages

“Desiree’s Baby” is a short story by Kate Chopin. “Desiree’s baby” is a story about a family in the era where the colored were neglected and treated poorly. Desiree was abandoned and left as a baby. When she was adopted she grew up in a very wealthy family. Armand and Desiree have known each other ever since they were little so when they grew up they got married.

Read More

Examples Of Irony In Desiree's Baby

1267 Words | 6 Pages

Surely, only an opposing, selfish, and insensitive person could send their wife and child away upon realizing that they both were mixed race. In Kate Chopin’s “Desiree’s Baby”, however, protagonist, Desiree, is altered over just a few days as she goes from being thankful from the happiness of her husband and baby into saddened and betrayed by her lover. The story eventfully shows how racism and denial both play a part in the way the future may turn out. From the time that the story begins, one can see that the love between Armand and Desiree is what they say to be a dream come true. It’s the love that everyone asks for.

Read More

Literary Devices In Desiree's Baby

1326 Words | 6 Pages

“Desiree’s Baby”, is a short story written by Kate Chopin. This short story is about a woman named Desiree, abandoned at a very young age, who grew up to fall in love with Armand Aubigny. Armand was born into a very wealthy family, who fell in love easily, very strict and owners of slaves. Desiree then conceived Armand’s child, who instantly changed the way he thought once the child was born. Desiree’s mother, Madame Valmonde, was scheduled to see the baby in L’Abri since she had not seen it in four weeks.

Read More

Theme Of Irony In Desiree's Baby

1210 Words | 5 Pages

“Desiree’s Baby was written by Kate Chopin and she talks about the issues people had back then with racism and gender. She demonstrated those problems by using literary devices such as symbols, conflict, and irony. I advise everyone to read this story for the fact this kind of conflict is still happening today and we need to work together for a change. Overall this was a great story and it teaches you many great lessons. Take a look

Read More

Unconditional Love In Desiree's Baby

1012 Words | 5 Pages

During the era in which this short story was written, southern authors had a major influence on the way the culture was going to grow with racism, and also the way people loved each other. Kate Chopin, a traditional author who believed in southern ways, exemplifies how race and the characteristics of conditional love played a role in her story. In “Desiree’s Baby,” the author, Kate Chopin, provides an illustration of conditional love exemplified by the character, Armand, towards his wife and child; furthermore, Chopin provides instances of irony, elements of surprise, foreshadowing, and symbolism to prove that Armand’s love for both of them was not the unconditional love typically felt and portrayed by women, such as Desiree, during this era. Throughout the story, the readers notice different times where Chopin uses elements of surprise. One major surprise is when Armand opens the letter from his mother and finds out that he has African American in his bloodline.

Read More

Desiree's Baby Literary Analysis

1283 Words | 6 Pages

One of the many short stories by Kate Chopin is “Desiree’s Baby.” In this story, Desiree was found as a toddler under the shadow of a stone pillar by Monsieur Valmonde. He and his wife took the child in and years later, under the same shadow of the stone pillar, Desiree met her husband, Armand Aubigny. Not long after marriage, they had a child. Soon after the baby was born, Armand uncharacteristically became nice to all around him including his slaves.

Read More

Feminist Analysis Of Kate Chopin's The Storm

513 Words | 3 Pages

Feminist analysis of The Storm The rise of the Women’s Movement during 1890’s encouraged many to grant all human beings the same fundamental rights despite one's gender. Traditionally, sexual passion, in a woman's aspect of life, was considered inappropriate and wrong in societal views. Yet, Chopin boldly addresses sexual desire in a woman with a strong feminist tone in The Storm, empowering female sexuality.

Read More

Compare And Contrast Desiree's Baby And The Story Of An Hour

568 Words | 3 Pages

In “ Desiree’s Baby” and “ The Story of An Hour” written by Kate Chopin the audience analyzes the themes of love and marriage presented by the author in a unique style that is different from other authors during this time period. The similarities that the two short stories address include both of the women who happen to be young wives living under a male dominated culture as well as being under the control of their husbands whom they loved. However, the themes of the two stories are different. In “Desiree’s Baby” the theme portrays cruelty that is expressed through racial prejudice as well as being “blinded” by the ones you love, as compared to “ The Story of An Hour” which gives the reader a chance to explore the issue of forbidden joy in independence, and oppressiveness in marriage.

Read More

Theme Of Racism In Desiree's Baby

1280 Words | 6 Pages

He hardly knew Desiree, yet he married her anyway and had a son. Another literary device that is used in “Desiree’s Baby” is situational and dramatic irony. For example, like Jeniffer Smith states in Short Stories for Students that “ Several critics of “Desiree’s Baby” have charged that the ending is a trick ending, or an O. Henry ending, so-named after the short story writer famous for the reversals that came at the end of his stories”(Smith 73). Chopin is well known for using these endings in her stories. Just like in the “Story of an Hour” Chopin uses situational irony to keep the reader entertained and to shock the reader in the end.

Read More

Literary Analysis Of Kate Chopin's The Story Of An Hour

913 Words | 4 Pages

Literary Analysis “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin introduces us to Mrs. Mallard as she reacts to the sudden death of her husband. Chopin describes Mrs. Mallard’s emotions as sad, yet happy that her husband has been killed. Kate Chopin’s “ The Story of an Hour” argues that when a person is controlled and made to live under another person their mental state of mind is affected. The story also argues that when that person is freed from the controlling person their true self can finally be achieved. Kate Chopin portrays these themes by the use of character development; plot control, and irony throughout the story.

Read More

Indirect Characterization In Desiree's Baby By Kate Chopin

1067 Words | 5 Pages

In “Desiree’s Baby”, Madame Valmonde was a really loving mother with Desiree even though she was not the mother. “Madame Valmonde bent her portly figure over Desiree and kissed her,

Read More

More about An Analysis Of Desiree's Baby By Kate Chopin

Related Topics

Open Document