Symbolism In Desiree's Baby

In the short story “Désirée's baby’, Kate Chopin uses the setting, tone, and symbols to give the characters their identity as well as setting the emotional transition of love. The story investigates the issue of a man's pride defeating the affection he has for his significant other and race. The reason for this paper is to look at why Armand's pride was greater and more than the adoration for his better half, and how race changed everything. By letting the setting be in Louisiana year 1892 helps develops the main character personality. For example, after seeing Désirée for the first time Armand says he does not care of Désirée not having a name “when he could give her one of the oldest and proudest” (1). Armand is stubborn and full of pride. As the man of the house he thinks he has everything figured out. . Even as a child he sees how society works so he must follow the rules because that is all he knows. Moreover, he is bias towards black people as well. Even as a slave owner his “rule was a strict one” (1). Which
The bonfire is one of the main symbols representing Armand's anger for Désirée and destruction of their families. Fire sometimes destroys and renew. In the beginning when Armand saw Désirée his passion was hot for it felt "like a prairie fire"(1) he loved her so much. Then Armand wanted to destroy Désirée and their family because in his eyes they have broken his rules. For Armand these rules and social standards keeps his life from falling apart. Without it he is nothing so he must burn everything in order to bring back the old him or so he thought. As well as conserving order he hates Désirée now for the fact that she tainted his family name with her blackness. Yet just as he wanted to destroy his new life with he finds out new information about him that he will never forget. This shows the huge mistake that he has made and claims him responsible for the destruction of his own