Literary Analysis Of Desirees Baby - 1022 Words

In Kate Chopin’s short story, â€Å"Desiree’s Baby,† Armand Aubigny experienced the happiest marriage one could ever hope for with Desiree. They even have a romantic â€Å"love at first sight† experience. But then all of this is thrown away because of Armand. â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† has a significant impact on its readers because of the irony of Armand’s actions. Chopin describes this through his complex characterization which may explain why racism is able to thrive for centuries. One charming feature of Armand’s character is his love for Desiree and his son. Desiree was adopted by the Valmonde family when she was a toddler. The speculation about her appearance was that she either came to the Valmondes by herself or she was left purposely by the Texans,†¦show more content†¦Or perhaps Armand caught on habits from his peers or the culture he was raised in. All we really know is that he was not as merciful to his slaves as his father. â€Å"‘And momma†¦ he hasn’t punished one of them- not one of them- since baby is born’† (178). Because Armand had a passionate love for his newborn son as well, the joy of having a son caused him to have more compassion to his slaves for the time being. Armand is softened through his greatest pride- his son. When the baby is three months old, Armand suddenly turns cold towards his wife and baby. He ignores them and provides no explanation. â€Å"He thought Almighty God had dealt cruelly and unjustly with him; and felt, somehow, that he was paying Him back in kind when he stabbed thus into his wife’s soul... This was his last blow at fate† (180). Whether or not Armand blames God or fate for the child’s black ancestry, his thoughts may provide an explanation for his actions toward black people. Though his line of exact thinking is not clear, one explanation might be that hurting his wife was like getting back at God or fate. Maybe he used all the wrong things going on in his life as an excuse to be cruel to his slaves and keep some kind of sadistic balance in his life. Feeling though she could not bear his silence anymore, Desiree confronted him. â€Å"‘Armand,’ she called to him, in a voice which must have stabbed him, if he was human† (179). Chopi n gave Armand a very subtleShow MoreRelatedLiterary Analysis Of Desirees Baby854 Words   |  4 Pages Desiree’s Baby by Kate Chopin Kate Chopin was a strong intellectual woman, but was she a racist? From my knowledge of reading â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† I believe that she is not a racist, but the story is and it contains a big factor of prejudice, but there is so much more to the story than just prejudice. This story contains motherhood, genetic inheritance, and of course racism. A true mother doesn’t see their child’s imperfections or their short comings. Madame Valmonde takes in this little girl inRead MoreDesirees Baby Literary Analysis1989 Words   |  8 Pagesstories Desirees Baby, The Story of an Hour, At the Cadian Ball, and A Pair of Silk Stockings, were written in the 19th century in times when women had no rights, and had to portray an image of a loving wife. They were considered selfish if they thought otherwise, and their job was to make their husbands happy at all times. This was the century of a turning point for women, in which they had desires test their limits imposed on their sex. Critics of her stories list the analysis of assumptionsRead MoreAn Analysis Of Armand Aubigny s Desiree s Baby 1538 Words   |  7 PagesArmand Aubigny’s Pride in â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† by Kate Chopin Through history, we have always yearned independence and equality as human beings. 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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 becauseRead MoreAn Examination Of How Kate Chopin s Work1298 Words   |  6 Pagesinterest in feminism and suffrage did not have to do with a lack of confidence in women nor did it have a lack to do with a lack of any desire for freedom. She simply had a different understanding of freedom.† (Jhirad) Kate Chopin was, through her literary works, a champion of female independence. As a married woman, she made efforts to avoid the typically expected gender stereotyping of her day, living with a flare of impetuousness (Jhirad). As a mother of six children, she embodied the strength thatRead MoreEssay about Desirees Baby2009 Words   |  9 Pagesperson. Kate Chopin exemplifies these roles very accurately within her story, Desiree’s Baby. In the short fiction story, Desiree’s Baby, the author Kate Chopin incorporates many motifs, symbols, and imagery to describe gender assumptions and racial roles for both men and women in the 1800s by narrating the story of an adopted mother named Desiree, with no known lineage, and her prideful husband Armand. The most notable literary devices Chopin incorporates to convey her message about these well defined