Desirees Baby, by Kate Chopin Essay example - 1137 Words

Throughout time, humans struggled with issues of conformity and individuality. In the modern world, individuality is idealized, as it is associated with strength. Weak individuals are usually portrayed as conforming to society and having almost no personal ideas. In â€Å"Desiree’s Baby†, a short story, the author Kate Chopin deals with the struggles of African descendants in the French colonies during the time of slave labor. The protagonist is a white woman named Desiree who is of unknown origin and birth as she was found abandoned as an infant at an aristocrat’s doorstep. Eighteen years after her discovery, she and a fellow aristocrat, Armand Aubigny, fall in love and get married. They soon have a child, yet conflict arises when the child†¦show more content†¦From this, the reader understands that Armand is attempting to assume a persona of the powerful aristocratic slave-owner. However, in this attempt, Armand demonstrates his very weakness: he is in secure and so must prove his strength. Another example of Armand’s weakness lies in his attempt to destroy all evidence relating to his relationship with Desiree. Armand feels that a marriage to a potentially black woman could be damaging to his to his place in society so he burns all of the evidence of her presence in his life: â€Å"In the centre of the smoothly swept back yard was a great bonfire, â€Å" (Chopin 13). Although it is true that during the setting of the story, such a marriage could have been damaging, if he truly were a strong character, he would have defended his own beliefs and maintained his marriage. A final example of Armand’s weakness is in his discovery of a letter from his mother to his father and the reactions implied by the author. The letter carries details about Armand’s own race and how he is actually black. Armand’s implied reactions are that he will in fact take no action: despite the fact that Desiree was not of Africa n descent, she will live her life in the belief that she is. This is the ultimate example of Armand’s weakness as he is too fearful of establishing his own identity to truly do so. Armand has been shown to be a weak, socially malleable character because of his internalShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of Desiree’s Baby by Kate Chopin1328 Words   |  6 PagesDesiree’s Baby and Southern Social Structure The short story Desiree’s Baby by Kate Chopin provides a sobering depiction of how the dark forces of prejudice and social hierarchy tore apart a plantation owning family in the state of Louisiana. Desiree’s character is that of a lady who carries the burden of being submissive to a domineering husband, a role she keeps until the very end of the narrative. Desiree is portrayed as an agent of light so to speak throughout the plotline but is seriously blindedRead MoreDesirees Baby by Kate Chopin Essay1239 Words   |  5 PagesImagine 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 s he and Armand have a child, they are both very surprised becauseRead MoreSymbolism In Desirees Baby, By Kate Chopin1120 Words   |  5 Pagesbut while leaving the reader guessing, hints are included to guide an inference. In Kate Chopins â€Å"Desirees Baby† she explores the ideas of racism and the idea that women are under men and are the cause of all problems, she also includes symbolism to portray a deeper meaning which is present in her other works. Although it is not blatantly said in the story, it can be inferred that Desiree killed herself and her baby near the end of the story. There is a sense of uncertainty yet prominent foreshadowingRead MoreEssay on Desirees Baby by Kate Chopin1317 Words   |  6 Pages Desirees Baby by Kate Chopin Desirees Baby is a short story written by Kate Chopin. It is set in 19th century Louisiana. The story starts with Madame ValmondÃÆ' © going to visit DesirÃÆ' ©e and her baby. She thinks back on her memories of DÃÆ' ©sirÃÆ' ©e as a baby: It made her laugh to think of DÃÆ' ©sirÃÆ' ©e with a baby. Why it seemed but yesterday that DesirÃÆ' ©e was little more than a baby herself. This quote tells us two things. The first is that Madame ValmondÃÆ' © must Read MoreForeshadowing And Symbolism In Desirees Baby By Kate Chopin701 Words   |  3 PagesIn the short story called â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† written by Kate Chopin, the author used many different literary elements to describe and build up many characters. But two of the one that stands out the most was the foreshadowing and symbolism. These elements helped to build up Desiree Valmonde, one of the main character in the short story. First thing first is the foreshadowing, since it was the first thing most of the reader noticed. After the couple-Armand Aubigny and Desiree Valmonde- got marriedRead MoreThe Concept Of Race In Dà ©sirà ©es Baby By Kate Chopin762 Words   |  4 Pages In her short story named â€Å"Dà ©sirà ©e’s Baby†, Kate Chopin gives readers an inside view of the concept of race in the pre-Civil War era of Louisiana. Chopin’s protagonist, Dà ©sirà ©e, clashes with societal standards because of her mixed-race child and unknown racial origins. Race becomes a major conflict throughout the story and drives Dà ©sirà ©e’s husband to blame her for the child. The ironic ending of the story not only gives a surprising twist but also makes a stand against the concept of biologicalRead More Symbolism in Desirees Baby by Kate Chopin Essay944 Words   |  4 PagesSymbolism in Desirees Baby by Kate Chopin Desirees Baby is Kate Chopins most well-known short story and most anthologized piece of work. The story takes place in southern Louisiana and her writing reflects her Creole-French descent. Chopin begins the story with a descriptive quote, when she reached LAbri she shuddered at the first sight of it, as she always did. It was a sad looking place...Big solemn oaks grew close to it and their thick leaved, far-reaching branches shadowed it likeRead MoreThemes And Summary In Desirees Baby, By Kate Chopin1242 Words   |  5 PagesSummary: The story of â€Å"Desirees Baby† by Kate Chopin opens up with Madame Valmondà © going to visit Desiree and her infant. On her journey to L’Abri, a plantation owned by Armand Aubigny, she reminisces about Desiree’s youth. Desiree was an abandoned baby found by Monsieur Valmondà ©. Madame Valmondà © trusted Desiree was sent to her by God as she was not able to have her own children. Eight years has passed and Armand Aubigny, the son of a wealthy cruel master, suddenly falls in love with DesireeRead More Desirees Baby by Kate Chopin Essay examples873 Words   |  4 PagesDesirees Baby by Kate Chopin Desirees Baby, by Kate Chopin, is a story about the effect love and pride have on our actions. Love changes people for the better. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and enduresRead MoreAnaylsis of Desirees Baby by Kate Chopin Essay881 Words   |  4 PagesProf. J. Wynter â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† In Desiree’s Baby, Kate Chopin shows how over valuing of white race and status can destroy a relationship and a family. Race and status are intangible ideas humans make up to segregate one another and should not be valued higher than a human life, but this is not the case in Desiree’s Baby.† Destructive behavior begins when the child is three months old; rumors of the baby’s race spark Armand’s imperious exacting nature. He notices the baby appears to be of