Desiree's Baby Thesis
During the late Nineteenth century, the United States of America was a war torn nation recently healing from the effects of a civil war. The northern states battled the southern states in what seemed as a never ending bloodshed over the rights and liberties of enslaved African Americans. In the end, blacks were freed from backbreaking slavery and where granted freedom as citizens of the United States of America, and through the 15th amendment were also given the right to vote. But despite the outcome of the American Civil War, there was one group however who metaphorically speaking was still enslaved, and remained enslaved to their fellow man for many years to come. This group was not being discriminated due to the color of their skin, but
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According to the story, Armand Aubigny, who is the father of Desiree’s baby, goes from being “the proudest father in the parish”, to being a cold distant figure who appears to want nothing to do with the child or mother. His attitude is one of displeasure and indifference with Desiree and the baby which ultimately ends up causing a tear in the marriage. In the end, his racist attitude pushes his wife and child away from their plantation and to their death in the Louisiana swamps. Not only does Chopin write him out to be a racist man who abhorred his child for not being completely white, and one who constantly abused his slaves, he was also shown to be a sexist as well. At one point in the story, Desiree secretly mentions to her adopted mother in reference to the baby being born a boy to Armand: “Though he says not, that he would have loved a girl as well. But I know it isn’t true. I know he says that to please me.” During her time, boys where seen to be more important than girls because, like previously mentioned, women at the time were not given many opportunities to contribute to society outside of their domestic responsibilities. Chopin made sure to include topics like sexism and racism in Desiree’s Baby to show readers how very real these occurrences where in 19th century society. Through this story, she shed light on these controversial issues that were, and still are plaguing America. Again proving through her desire to go beyond what was expected of her as a female writer that was she well beyond her
According to the story, Armand Aubigny, who is the father of Desiree’s baby, goes from being “the proudest father in the parish”, to being a cold distant figure who appears to want nothing to do with the child or mother. His attitude is one of displeasure and indifference with Desiree and the baby which ultimately ends up causing a tear in the marriage. In the end, his racist attitude pushes his wife and child away from their plantation and to their death in the Louisiana swamps. Not only does Chopin write him out to be a racist man who abhorred his child for not being completely white, and one who constantly abused his slaves, he was also shown to be a sexist as well. At one point in the story, Desiree secretly mentions to her adopted mother in reference to the baby being born a boy to Armand: “Though he says not, that he would have loved a girl as well. But I know it isn’t true. I know he says that to please me.” During her time, boys where seen to be more important than girls because, like previously mentioned, women at the time were not given many opportunities to contribute to society outside of their domestic responsibilities. Chopin made sure to include topics like sexism and racism in Desiree’s Baby to show readers how very real these occurrences where in 19th century society. Through this story, she shed light on these controversial issues that were, and still are plaguing America. Again proving through her desire to go beyond what was expected of her as a female writer that was she well beyond her