...Desiree's Baby - A Short Story by Kate Chopin "Desiree's Baby'', is about a young lady who was nameless and abandoned as a child. Desiree was a child who's future was uncertain until she was found by the Valmonde family. During this time of the Valmondes' life, they had not been blessed with any children, therefore they took in Desiree and raised her as their own child. From the very beginning of the story, I knew that this would be something that I would enjoy. The Valmonde's taking in this child as their own, is two blessing in one. Desiree gets the love and support that she needs from parents; and the Valmonde's get a child that they are now able to give love and support to. Growing up to become a a beautiful lady, she attracted the attention of Armand Aubigny Armand was a neighboring plantation owner and bearer of one of the finest names in Louisiana. If I were in Desiree's shoies, I would have thought I was something by dating one of the well-known plantation owners. By this time, Desiree's father was reminding Armand that they didn't know were heritage, but still he insisting on persuing her anyway. Which by the way, that sometimes happens when you find someone that you really like. Regardless of what anyone has to say or tell you about that person you are going to still want to be with them. As time went on, Desiree and Ahmand became united in holy matrimony. To their union a child was born. Now, the problem begins. It wasn't until there was a question about the baby's...
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...Desiree’s Baby Why does race matter in a relationship? Great figures in history have noted that race should never play a role in any relationship. Allowing race to impact a relationship could easily cause it to fall apart, leading to both sides being hurt in the end. In Kate Chopin’s short story “Desiree’s Baby”, the race of Desiree and Armand’s child cause Armand to turn a cold shoulder to his wife and his child, eventually driving Desire to suicide. By analyzing the racism in the story, it becomes clear that heritage, setting, and social norms play a major role in the motives of the story. Armand’s family was old and wealthy and was very important to the Louisiana plantation. He was light skin and handsome. His mother died when he was eight years old, so he does not remember the skin tone of his mother. He just assumed she was Caucasian. Armand states his name was “One of the oldest and proudest in Louisiana” (Chopin, 650) Therefore, Armand was born into wealth. On the other hand, Desiree was abandoned and was taken in by the Valmonde’s family. The Valmonde’s had not been blessed with any children, so they took in Desiree and raised her as their own child. The Valmonde's taking in this child as their own, is two blessing in one. Desiree gets the love and support that she needs from parents, and the Valmonde's get a child that they are now able to give love and support to. Growing up to become a beautiful woman, she attracted the attention of Armand Aubigny. Armand...
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...Unsuccessful Marriages Ultimately Leading to Death in Kate Chopin’s Stories In Kate Chopin’s novel The Awakening and her short story Desiree’s Baby, they are both led by female characters in the nineteenth century. In both works, it creates an interesting setting considering the fact of societal roles and the way women were treated in this time period. Although in different locations, both women: Edna from The Awakening and Desiree from Desiree’s Baby can relate their struggles in their marriage. In both novels, it is evident to the audience that both couples lack a strong connection and at least one partner has a detachment from the other. In The Awakening and in Desiree’s Baby, Edna and Desiree’s relationship with their husbands negatively...
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...Armand’s Character in “Desiree’s Baby” Armand in “Desiree’s Baby’ (80) starts out with him falling in love with Desiree at an early age. They have a baby and the baby’s, and the color of the baby is the color of his slaves. Armand’s feelings change after the baby is born. Armand’s character in “Desiree’s Baby” (80) is a question regarding his personality, mentality, and temper toward the “Race that is cursed with the brand of slavery” (84). Armand’s first character is his Personality. His personality, in the beginning, was exceptionally loving and had fallen in love with her like “as if struck by a pistol shot” (81). What awoke in him was like a prairie fire, an avalanche or over any obstacle. He...
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...Through the fictional story Desiree’s Baby, written by Kate Chopin, we follow the story of Desiree, a young woman adopted by Monsieur, who found her under a stone pillar. After being raised by Monsieur and his wife, Madame Valmonde, Desiree marries deep pocketed Armand Aubigny; eventually, having a child with Armand. However, Desiree’s life unfolds drastically, as she learns her baby is not as pure bred as she had assumed. This revelation, along with Armand’s cold shoulder upon also learning of his baby’s true origins, leads to the suicide of Desiree, via drowning; along with her baby, however. Furthermore, Armand, having been the one to lead to Desiree’s suicide due to his stubborn prejudice, learns his mother was of African descent. Chopin...
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...If a student has straight A’s in class, it is suggested that they are responsible. In some cases the student may just procrastinate, but they would never admit to it and there is more to that person than what is in their academic record. Désirée’s Baby by Kate Chopin and The Lottery by Shirley Jackson provide evidence for the explicit and implicit viewpoints of looking beneath the surface of a person, a culture, or a society. The question explicitly states it is important to look at what happens beneath the surface of a person. This point can be supported by Chopin’s story in Desiree’s Baby Armand’s love was described “Monsieur Valmondé grew practical and wanted things well considered that is, the girls obscure origin. Armand looked into her...
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...In the story Desiree's Baby, Desiree, and Armand experience passionate feelings for and get hitched, they are both white and live in a southern town when slavery was still around. When they had their baby things begin to get unpleasant between them, the reason being, the baby was conceived dark. It was fascinating to me that it was naturally expected this needed to do with the mother, Desiree, and nothing to do with Armand, the father. Desiree went frantic she denied being dark, “It is a lie; it is not true, I am white! Look at my hand; whiter than yours, Armand,” she laughed hysterically.” (Chopin 506). However, was yet appalled in the way he had a child that was conceived dark. At last, when Desiree kept in touch with her mom and her mom...
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...The Open Boat and Desiree’s Baby The main theme of Stephen Crane short story, The Open Boat is survival. There are several different sub themes throughout the short story. I was intrigued by this story because this astonishing tale is true. This author was indeed fighting for his life at sea. One of the thematic concerns is that the sea does not care if the men live or die. A singular disadvantage of the sea lies in the fact that after successfully surmounting one wave you discover that there is another behind it just as important and just as nervously anxious to do something effective in the way of swamping boats. (Ch.1) If I am going to be drowned -- if I am going to be drowned -- if I am going to be drowned, why, in the name of the seven...
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...plantations and women in the south were beginning to fight for freedom. An analysis of Kate Chopin’s story “Desiree’s Baby” uses plot structure to build up suspense for the climax, to get the audience situated on the same suspicion, and to create an ironic ending, so that she can show the audience her point of view on how women always seemed to be the culprit. Kate gives a brief description of each characters, but the way she describes Desiree makes the audience immediately aware that her past might affect her in some way down the line. Chopin built up this suspense for the climax of the story. “The prevailing belief was that she had been purposely left by a party of Texans”. (80-81) Chopin explains that Desiree’s past remains unclear and since it is not concrete, it leaves her past open to discussion. Chopin builds suspense...
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...In both “Desiree’s Baby,” by Kate Chopin and “Lamb to the Slaughter,” by Roald Dahl their characters, both want to make their husband understand their situations and are being judged incorrectly, causing a tragic accident without letting the other explain themselves before acting impulsively. A close examination of “Desiree’s Baby” and the fictional story “Lamb to the Slaughter” both share tragic endings in order to demonstrate different impulsive emotions and different heart breaks reactions. In “Desiree’s Baby,” Armand wants Desiree to leave because he thinks that she has lied to him over her being part of a white race family “Shall I go Armand? Yes,go. Do you want me to go? Yes, I want you to go.” Armand wants Desiree to leave not knowing it was going to cause an accident. She disappeared among the reeds and willows that grew thick along the banks of...
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...The theme is isolation. The political theme is gender and class. Gender because Emily is mocked and pitied because she is an old woman who isn’t married. Class because she is old and alone and doesn’t know what’s going on so society isolates her. Race can be a theme but it its only expressed through one character. The political theme supports the over all theme because people discriminate based on gender and class and that can lead to isolation. This forecasts a negative view of political systems in our society. 2. Desiree’s Baby. Armand Desiree’s husband holds the power in this story. I also think he enacts the gaze. In the story Desiree was found on the side of the rode when she was a child. She doesn’t have a background or a family. Armand’s family doesn’t want him to marry her because she has no background. Desiree is controlled by her position in the story. Desiree can’t really expect or ask for anything because according to society she doesn’t have...
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...In addition, in the story, “Desiree’s Baby” The story begins with Desiree, a young girl who is married to the slave master, Armand, and her baby. Desiree’s adoptive mother, Madame Valmonde, sees something in the baby that she was unable to see. Desiree finally realizes what is “wrong” with the baby, the baby is of mixed race. Armand is extremely unhappy with this and he assumes that she is the reason and he wants both Desiree and the baby to leave. Desiree and the baby wade into the swamp, never to return while Armand discovers that it is him who is of mixed race. Armand was so prejudiced against African Americans that he sent his own wife and child away, the bitterness he held destroyed all of the love in his heart. The extreme intolerance even for his wife and child is evident when the author writes, “Moreover he no longer loved her, because of the unconscious injury she had brought upon him home and his name.” (Chopin). This quote supports the definition of stereotype through the fact...
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...A World Alone Society can either be superb or atrocious influence to people. Humankind is breaking apart because people are becoming shallow thinkers. Four stories that describe that problems cause the general public to break apart are: Desiree’s Baby, The Flowers, The Lottery, and The Sniper. People being critical and judgmental are a few problems that causes to tear the humanity apart. Do not let others influence your relationship by reason of being different. In the short story, “Desiree’s Baby” by Kate Chopin, it is about a lady who made a family with a handsome man, but when they had a baby, he started to regret having a family and kicked them out. Chopin writes, “Young Aubigny’s rule was a strict one too and under it his negroes had...
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...Desirees Baby by Kate Chopin and Lamb To The Slaughter by Roald Dahl are similar in many ways. Both have a strong female lead character who is so in love with their significant other. Both stories take unexpected dark turns and end with some irony. The sense of irony in Desiree’s Baby is at the end when Armound is reading his mother's letter, “... belongs to the race that is cursed with the brand of slavery.” He got rid of his wife and child because he thought they were cursed with the slave race. The irony in Lamb To The Slaughter is when the detectives are eating the leg of lamb one says “ is probably right under our noses…” she used the leg or lamb to kill her husband. The two stories are different in the way they take their dark turn. In Desiree’s Baby her baby starts bearing the skin of a black baby. The turn the sends desiree to her death “ that the child is not white; it means that you are not white.” this then leads to them fighting and ultimately desiree’s suicide. The turn in Lamb To The Slaughter is similar but very different. We do not know what is said but only assume that Marys husband is leaving her. “Listen, he said ive got something to tell you.” not being able to handle the being apart she snaps and kills him “... she swung the big frozen leg...
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...actions are driven by the men in the story reveals that men are oppressive and dominant and women are vulnerable, gullable and sensitive. Chopin also shows that females, like Desiree and Eleanor, undergo a transformation from dependent and weak to stronger women free from their husbands by the end of the story. In the short story 'Desiree's Baby,' Kate Chopin reveals her idea of the relationship between men and women by showing instances of inferiority and superiority throughout the story. In 'A Point at Issue,' there are many instances where the idea of hypocrisy and the attitudes that the main characters display and how their actions affect each other's lives, show the impact that men have on w... As I read "Desiree’s Baby" by Kate Chopin, I couldn’t imagine living in an era where my value as a human being was determined by my skin color. I ask myself if I would have been considered an Afro-Cuban and treated like a slave just because my father is a "Quadroon" (1/4 African)? Would my father’s skin color, heritage and ethnicity make me an "Octaroon" (1/8 African) regardless of the fact that my skin is lighter than most Caucasian’s? "Desiree’s Baby" by K. Chopin is set in the early nineteen hundreds, just before the American Civil War. In that era, slavery was legal and people who had traces of African descent were treated worse than insects. It was an era when a human’s value and social status were measured by the color of their skin. Chopin writes about the importance of...
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