Symbolism in Desiree's Baby by Kate Chopin
"Desiree's Baby" is Kate Chopin's most well-known short story and most anthologized piece of work. The story takes place in southern Louisiana and her writing reflects her Creole-French descent. Chopin begins the story with a descriptive quote, "when she reached L'Abri she shuddered at the first sight of it, as she always did. It was a sad looking place...Big solemn oaks grew close to it and their thick leaved, far-reaching branches shadowed it like a pall" (185). The preceding quote gives the reader an eerie feeling and foreshadows an unpleasant ending to the story. Throughout "Desiree's Baby," Kate Chopin uses symbolism to convey her themes of racial prejudice, unequal gender roles, and social hierarchy in a patriarchal society.
During Chopin's lifetime, African Americans were considered inferior to whites and often worked as slaves for the wealthy, white families in the south. Early in the story the narrator describes the scenery of the plantation, L'Abri, and says, "young Aubigny's rule was a strict one, too, and under it his negroes had forgotten how to be gay, as they had been during the old master's easy-going and indulgent lifetime" (185). This shows Aubigny's egotism and apathy toward his slaves. His treatment of the slaves as possessions rather than human beings reveals that Aubigny has no consideration when dealing with blacks. Chopin allows the audience to see Aubigny's sudden change in character once he falls in love with Desiree as a foreshadowing mechanism. Aubigny's fickleness is shown later in the story after he notices the uncanny resemblance between his child and the slave boys. Aubigny refuses to believe that he comes from African descent and instead forces ...
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...eral important issues in her short story, including the nature of racism, social castes, and the fulfillment of a woman's identity. Chopin portrays Desiree as a woman whose self-worth is controlled by her husband. Kate Chopin is now recognized for her initial examination of sexuality, individual freedom, and exploration of the consequences of actions. Chopin successfully shows the themes of racism, gender prejudice, and social castes by using elements such as symbolism in the short story "Desiree's Baby." Chopin incorporates irony into her story in order to magnify important issues such as discrimination and the rise of feminism in a patriarchal society.
Work Cited
Chopin, Kate. "Desiree's Baby." Literature and the Writing Process. 7th ed. Eds. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. Upper Saddle River: Prentice, 2002.
184-188.
In Desiree’s Baby by Kate Chopin references discrimination in Creole, Louisiana during the antebellum period. Race has continuously left a significant impression on the past and continues in today’s society. African Americans were always seen as the failures, and treated harshly because the color of their skin. They didn't have any voting privileges or equality compared to that of Caucasians. Desiree’s Baby depicts how racial discrimination can control ones way of living even in intimate relationships. Race and birth history is a strong theme throughout. Desiree was adopted into a high socioeconomic status. She herself was not really sure of her origin. The concept of birth history first appears when Desiree is found by Monsieur Valmonde and rumors begin to fly as to who Desiree is and her origin. Madame V...
Harris, Sharon M. "Kate Chopin." Magill’S Survey Of American Literature, Revised Edition (2006): 1-5. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. 19 Apr. 2014.
With an author ahead of her time, Kate Chopin challenged the ideas of how women should be seen socially. Chopin frankly portrays women as emotional, intelligent and sexual beings. While it might seem that Chopin offers positive examples of female characters, in actuality they are complicated, messy and ultimately negative. All of her main female character seem to experience self-awareness, something very important at that time period because while women had feelings and thoughts, they weren't recognized by society, these feelings of independence and discovery are often temporary, still bound to social limitations. In some cases, it requires the Chopin brings attention to women's internal struggles with themselves and who they are told to be in a society that dismisses female autonomy, she doesn't do anything to solve or change them. It often appears that there is a choice between being independent or being married because identity is often lost in marriage and characters are unable to find a balance, making the characters hopeless.
“Desiree Baby” by Kate Chopin is a very thought provoking short story that deals with racism, prejudice, and love. The story takes place in southern Louisiana, where Armand, a prominent landowner, marries a girl of unknown origin named Desiree. The story has a twist when their baby is born and is discovered to be of mixed race. Armand knew all along that he was OF mixed race, and I will prove it by analyzing characterization, diction, and imagery.
When he spoke to her, it was with averted eyes, from which the old love-light seemed to have gone out. He absented himself from home; and when there, avoided her presence and that of her child” (Chopin). Here in this part of the story, Chopin shows how Desiree was being mistreated once the husband found out she might be black. Not only does it prove the rights of women and disobey, but it also proves how the time period the story takes place. What I’m trying to prove is that Kate Chopin common theme is women rights and their role in marriages at her time, it shows all her stories take place around the same generation.
Kate Chopin, an acclaimed American author, made waves during the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century by creating various works that often addressed sensitive issues such as the overbearing domestic roles of women and the ingrained prejudice in society. Her famous short story, “Désirée’s Baby,” reflects this idea as it demonstrates how hypocrisy and prejudice destroy the marriage between the main characters Désirée and her husband, Armand. While these two are the catalysts of the events that took place in the story, another person plays a significant role in their tragedy. La Blanche is a slave at L’Abri who Désirée and Armand mention on three separate occasions, but she never appears nor speaks in the story herself. Despite
Chopin, Kate. "The Awakening." Literature: Thinking, Reading, and Writing Critically. 2nd ed. Ed. Sylvan Barnet et al. New York: Longman, 1997. 607-699.
In the short story Desiree’s Baby by Kate Chopin, there are many examples of foreshadowing that provides the reader with insight on the events to come. Chopin constantly hints at the importance of lineage and origin which informs the readers that it will play a large part within the plot. Significant families in the South take pride in their heritage and name which are seemingly important to Armand; important enough to abandon his wife and child. In the ending, it is revealed to the readers that Armand is the one who is not completely white (Chopin 5). The story does not tell whether Armand knew the entire time or he was just finding out from reading the letter. There are many times throughout Desiree’s Baby that infers that Armand knew about where he came from before he even met Desiree.
In her story, Desiree’s Baby, Kate Chopin underlined the contrast between lust and love, exploring the problem of a man’s pride that exceeded the love he has for his wife. Armand, the main character of the story, is a slave owner who lived in Louisiana during the era of slavery. He married an adopted young woman, Desiree, and together they have a son who eventually became an obstacle in the way of his father’s happiness, thus removing out the true character of Armand. Desiree’s Baby, by Kate Chopin is a love story, love that ultimately proved to be a superficial love, a story that shed light on the ugly relationships between people. “Lust is temporary, romance can be nice,
Toth, Emily. "Kate Chopin and Literary Convention: 'Désirée's Baby,'." in Southern Studies 20.2 (Summer 1981): 201-208. Rpt. in Short Stories for Students. Ed. Jennifer Smith. Vol. 13. Detroit: Gale Group, 2001. Literature Resource Center. Web. 01 Mar. 2014.
... to mind works written by subsequent generations of women novelists. One sees Chopin’s text straining toward, among other elements, the narrative innovations achieved in Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway and The Waves. One is also reminded of the “lyric” novels of the American writer Carole Maso, whose so-called experimental works typically eschew plot and conventional linear narration. In a recent book of essays, Maso admits that her erotic novel Aureole was “shaped by desire’s magical and subversive qualities,” she notes; “[desire] imposed its swellings, its ruptures, its erasures, it motions.” (Break Every Rule, 115). If contemporary authors like Maso are able to access such boundless spheres of narrative play, it may be due in part to the pioneering efforts of writers such as Chopin, who first began to articulate the need for such liberating spaces in the novel.
In 'Desiree?s Baby,' Chopin illustrates her idea of the relationship between men and women by portraying Desiree as vulnerable and easily affected, whereas Armand is presented as superior and oppressive. Throughout ?Desiree?s Baby,? Kate Chopin investigates the concept of Armand's immense power over Desiree. At first, Desiree tries to conform to the traditional female role by striving to be an obedient wife. Later in the story, this conformity changes after Desiree gives birth to her part-black son.
Seyersted, Per. "Kate Chopin." Twentieth Century Literary Criticism. Eds. James E. Person, Jr. and Dennis Poupard. Vol. 14. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1984. 60 vols.
In “Desiree’s Baby,” Kate Chopin writes about the life of a young lady and her new family. In this short story, the fond couple lived in Louisiana before the American Civil War. Chopin illustrates the romantic atmosphere between Armand and Desiree. Chopin also describes the emotion of the parents for their new born. When the baby was born, Armand’s heart had softened on behalf of others. One afternoon, Desiree and the baby were relaxing in a room with a young boy fanning them with peacock feathers. As they were relaxing, Desiree had sniffed a threatening scent. Desiree desired Armand’s assistance as she felt faint from the odor that she could not comprehend. Armand had denied the request his wife sent. Therefore, he cried out that she nor the baby were white. Thus, Desiree took the baby and herself and walked into the bayou and they were never seen again. In this short story, Chopin illustrates the psychological abuse Desiree faces from her husband.
“Desiree’s Baby”, written by Kate Chopin, takes place in the late 1800s, during a time of class and racial conflict. The story highlights just where blacks stood in society by sharing the treatment that blacks got as slaves, as well as the pride that the white citizens have over themselves. Blacks were typically seen in a much lower tier then their white counter parts, and to have them both on the same level is unfathomable. “Desiree’s Baby” uses pride to show that people tend to care more about themselves and aren’t who they say they are.