Desiree's Baby Literary Analysis
Joshua Harrell
Mrs. Royal
ENG 232 oN
2/3/14
A Response to Desiree’s Baby The literary work of Kate Chopin in “Desiree’s Baby” is very unique and very capturing at that. Kate Chopin’s message in the story is very clear and consists of very hasty and belligerent decisions and judgments made by the characters involved. The most captivating thing about this story is the fact that the author takes a very complex and unstable storyline that should be told in a much longer fashion, and portrays it in only a few pages. The storyline’s span is a few years yet she captures all of the most intriguing and intense moments of the story in only a few pages. This is a remarkable feat to accomplish for any author.
Chopin took very diverse topics such as hate, racism, and a very strict social environment to the next level in the story. Also, the topic of love and the ideas behind it are thought about and discussed intensely in a very short amount of time. These ideas are being discussed because of one individual, who is, Desiree’s baby. The reason for this is because the baby has a very unusual appearance. The problem is that the baby has a slightly darker look to it, …show more content…
which gives the appearance that the child has some black in it. This gives the idea to both the parents, and the individuals in the neighborhood that the baby has a mixed background. Seeing as though both parents believe that it is not due to them, their feelings and actions toward each other change, drastically. Chopin portrays the parents’ feelings toward each other in a very remarkable way throughout the story.
At the beginning of the story it could be understood that Armand and Desiree had a very loving and affectionate relationship. They both cared the world about each other and would give everything they had to make sure that they would never lose one another. Then, in only a matter of paragraphs, Chopin changes the way they feel about each other. Desiree’s thoughts toward Armand changed, and the same could be said about how Armand felt about her. Desiree felt as if she had been lied to by everyone, even her husband. She still cared about Armand extremely yet she could not help the feeling that she was extremely terrified of him. She feared a future without him as well as she feared his anger, but more than that, she feared his silence. Armand showed no affection or attention to Desiree after he said these defining words, “It means, that the child is not white; it means that you are not white.” (Chopin 554) What this means is that Armand has came to his own conclusion that the baby is not white because Desiree is not white. This conclusion on the part of Armand is a very hasty one that comes with a price.
Once that statement was said, you can tell that Armand has no care for Desiree any longer.
Armand feels like he has been lied to all along and that she never truly cared about him. He felt like she had brought shame upon himself and his family name. Because of the feelings Armand was having, he did nothing to stop Desiree as she walked out the door. Even the realization that Desiree was carrying his child away with her did not affect Armand. All he wanted was to be left alone. It was then a few weeks later that Armand learned the truth behind it all in a letter written by his mother. This letter was written to his father, and proclaimed that Armand would never know that he comes from a race with the history of slavery. Armand hides this letter from everyone, including himself, by letting it turn to
ash.
Chopin has portrayed an entire story, characters, and emotions in only a few pages. This is very unrealistic and very surprising for many book and stories of authors of her time period. Chopin uses her own intriguing and fascinating authoritative mindset to help her overcome this feat. She uses a unique way of writing to help the audience understand the emotions that come from this story. She explains the feelings and thoughts of the characters in a matter of pages. All of this can help bring one to the conclusion that Chopin’s tale of “Desiree’s Baby” is a very remarkable story that presents a very mixed and controversial viewpoint on race and prejudice.
Works Cited
Chopin, Kate. "Desiree 's Baby." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. By Nina Baym. 8th ed. Vol. C. New York: W. W. Norton &, 1979. 551-55. Print.
Mrs. Royal
ENG 232 oN
2/3/14
A Response to Desiree’s Baby The literary work of Kate Chopin in “Desiree’s Baby” is very unique and very capturing at that. Kate Chopin’s message in the story is very clear and consists of very hasty and belligerent decisions and judgments made by the characters involved. The most captivating thing about this story is the fact that the author takes a very complex and unstable storyline that should be told in a much longer fashion, and portrays it in only a few pages. The storyline’s span is a few years yet she captures all of the most intriguing and intense moments of the story in only a few pages. This is a remarkable feat to accomplish for any author.
Chopin took very diverse topics such as hate, racism, and a very strict social environment to the next level in the story. Also, the topic of love and the ideas behind it are thought about and discussed intensely in a very short amount of time. These ideas are being discussed because of one individual, who is, Desiree’s baby. The reason for this is because the baby has a very unusual appearance. The problem is that the baby has a slightly darker look to it, …show more content…
which gives the appearance that the child has some black in it. This gives the idea to both the parents, and the individuals in the neighborhood that the baby has a mixed background. Seeing as though both parents believe that it is not due to them, their feelings and actions toward each other change, drastically. Chopin portrays the parents’ feelings toward each other in a very remarkable way throughout the story.
At the beginning of the story it could be understood that Armand and Desiree had a very loving and affectionate relationship. They both cared the world about each other and would give everything they had to make sure that they would never lose one another. Then, in only a matter of paragraphs, Chopin changes the way they feel about each other. Desiree’s thoughts toward Armand changed, and the same could be said about how Armand felt about her. Desiree felt as if she had been lied to by everyone, even her husband. She still cared about Armand extremely yet she could not help the feeling that she was extremely terrified of him. She feared a future without him as well as she feared his anger, but more than that, she feared his silence. Armand showed no affection or attention to Desiree after he said these defining words, “It means, that the child is not white; it means that you are not white.” (Chopin 554) What this means is that Armand has came to his own conclusion that the baby is not white because Desiree is not white. This conclusion on the part of Armand is a very hasty one that comes with a price.
Once that statement was said, you can tell that Armand has no care for Desiree any longer.
Armand feels like he has been lied to all along and that she never truly cared about him. He felt like she had brought shame upon himself and his family name. Because of the feelings Armand was having, he did nothing to stop Desiree as she walked out the door. Even the realization that Desiree was carrying his child away with her did not affect Armand. All he wanted was to be left alone. It was then a few weeks later that Armand learned the truth behind it all in a letter written by his mother. This letter was written to his father, and proclaimed that Armand would never know that he comes from a race with the history of slavery. Armand hides this letter from everyone, including himself, by letting it turn to
ash.
Chopin has portrayed an entire story, characters, and emotions in only a few pages. This is very unrealistic and very surprising for many book and stories of authors of her time period. Chopin uses her own intriguing and fascinating authoritative mindset to help her overcome this feat. She uses a unique way of writing to help the audience understand the emotions that come from this story. She explains the feelings and thoughts of the characters in a matter of pages. All of this can help bring one to the conclusion that Chopin’s tale of “Desiree’s Baby” is a very remarkable story that presents a very mixed and controversial viewpoint on race and prejudice.
Works Cited
Chopin, Kate. "Desiree 's Baby." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. By Nina Baym. 8th ed. Vol. C. New York: W. W. Norton &, 1979. 551-55. Print.