Desiree's Baby Literary Analysis
“ Desiree's Baby” “Desiree’s Baby,” is a fictional story written by Kate Chopin. The story features Desiree who is a young broken-hearted, desolate, and blameless woman. Desiree disappears into the woods, but why? Could her husband, Armand, be the one to blame for her vanishment? From the very beginning, Desiree is a girl who has a very mysterious birth because no one knew about her origin.
One day, a woman named Madame Valmonde found the infant Desiree near her “big stone pillar.” Madame Valmonde, not being able to have children of her own, takes her in and raises her as her own.
Desiree grows up to be a beautiful young girl and one day a man named Armand Aubigny sees the 18-year-old Desiree and falls in love with her.
Armand and Desiree
marry and have a baby together. Desiree, along with Armand, believes she was white; when their baby is born everything changes for the worse. The baby is born of a darker skin tone, much darker than his parents. Desiree begs Armand to tell her why the baby had that skin tone; she asks him to tell her what it means and he responds,” It means, that the child is not white; it means that you are not white.” Upon hearing his claim, Desiree becomes incredulous and denies it as true. Armand, at first sight of the baby, becomes cold and heartless, and has no feelings toward Desiree or his baby.
Desiree decides to leave grief-stricken at Armand’s approval for her to leave. Armand completely rejects her and the baby, with this on her mind, Desiree grabs her baby and disappears into the woods, to never be seen again.
Shortly after Desiree’s disappearance, Armand begins the process of burning all of Desiree’s belongings. Along with a very significant letter from his mother to his father, in the letter she writes that she’s happy that her son will never know where his mother came from nor her race. Correspondingly, Armand is of mixed race just as the blameless Desiree was; she was completely oblivious of her origin. Armand has no justification to banish his family like he did, not only did he leave Desiree desolate, but also broken-hearted. Armand is left to wonder what is of Desiree and his baby for the rest of his life.
One day, a woman named Madame Valmonde found the infant Desiree near her “big stone pillar.” Madame Valmonde, not being able to have children of her own, takes her in and raises her as her own.
Desiree grows up to be a beautiful young girl and one day a man named Armand Aubigny sees the 18-year-old Desiree and falls in love with her.
Armand and Desiree
marry and have a baby together. Desiree, along with Armand, believes she was white; when their baby is born everything changes for the worse. The baby is born of a darker skin tone, much darker than his parents. Desiree begs Armand to tell her why the baby had that skin tone; she asks him to tell her what it means and he responds,” It means, that the child is not white; it means that you are not white.” Upon hearing his claim, Desiree becomes incredulous and denies it as true. Armand, at first sight of the baby, becomes cold and heartless, and has no feelings toward Desiree or his baby.
Desiree decides to leave grief-stricken at Armand’s approval for her to leave. Armand completely rejects her and the baby, with this on her mind, Desiree grabs her baby and disappears into the woods, to never be seen again.
Shortly after Desiree’s disappearance, Armand begins the process of burning all of Desiree’s belongings. Along with a very significant letter from his mother to his father, in the letter she writes that she’s happy that her son will never know where his mother came from nor her race. Correspondingly, Armand is of mixed race just as the blameless Desiree was; she was completely oblivious of her origin. Armand has no justification to banish his family like he did, not only did he leave Desiree desolate, but also broken-hearted. Armand is left to wonder what is of Desiree and his baby for the rest of his life.