In the short story “A Desiree’s Baby,” a child dropped off while individuals pass on by grows up to marry Armand Aubigny, after a woman that goes by the name of Madame Valmonde takes her in as her own. The purpose of the story is based off on a child that belongs to a woman named Desiree and a man named Armand. However, as their child begins to grow something odd begins to draw attention to Armand. The author’s point in this story is to describe the understanding of racism and discrimination in Louisiana. Armand Aubigny is a plantation owner, who is married to a woman without an identity. Aubigny is a rude and a judgmental character due to his actions against the plantation workers, even against his own wife and son. For example, “a very spirit …show more content…
). He is also a dynamic and round character believing that he is the most flawless person. He is dynamic because he changes throughout the story. He feels one way in the beginning and another way at the end. However, this is not the real reason he is a dynamic character. The real reason is that he was racist towards the slaves, but he is not discriminatory towards his wife. One of the conflicts in the story would be Aubigny with Desiree, his wife, because of the skin color of their baby. Aubigny is upset with her putting all blame towards the happening of that outcome. He is surely confident “the child isn’t white, meaning you are not white.” From being joyous with the baby in the beginning of the story to being completely dull and ashamed proves his roundness. Armand’s appreciation towards Desiree is not there anymore, she senses it and her feelings about it are not on good terms. Desiree figures she should question her presence around Aubigny and his home. For instance, “yes go!” was his command to her. He mentioned her horrid action has put shame and disappointment to his name and background. That being said has led to other conflicts, such as decision making for Desiree’s baby and herself. Not being sure with her feelings towards the command, discomforted her …show more content…
He was also showing a white person’s presence was more dominating and valuable than an Africans presence being nonexistent unless they were showing respect to a white person. For example, all there was around the time Chopin’s had written this story were lives that were meaningless and not useful to the white ancestry. However, if they had them up for auction to be owned in only a use that would benefit them in all ways they’d gain that value and purpose; barely even then though whites would be somewhat thoughtful. Some white individuals tried showing some type of kindness and generosity but at the same time they somehow still managed to do it in a way where they stayed disgusted with the slaves. Racism was terrible especially with the very high classed white people. On the other hand, Armand wasn’t even a bit kind of thoughtful or any sense of generous to
There is a lot to talk about Armand character in the short story of Desiree’s baby. In the beginning of the story, he is such a great person he loves Desiree. This quote “beautiful and gentle” shows that Armand is fall in love with her. However, his character change, when he found out that baby wasn’t white. His character of being a good husband to a cruel husband. The story clearly explains his initial character and final character. I believe he is not pitiable at all because he shows his cruelty character toward Desiree and not only that, he cares about his social standing, which motivates him. When he bought “fine clothing and layettle” this shows a symbolic object of wealth and his possession of Desiree. He wouldn’t act in a cruel way if
“Desiree’s Baby” can represent a timeframe status of how slavery and race were a factor that defined people. Armand was very ambiguous by the tone he would had towards Desiree and by his action. Desiree was faithful to her husband, in the other hand we are able to understand or presumed that La Blanche’s boy looked very alike as Desiree’s baby, which most likely Armand might be the father of both kids. Armand was in love at first, but then his pride and ambiguous.
. In the beginning, Armand Aubigny saw Desiree “lying asleep in the shadow of the big stone pillar (1)” and fell in love with her, yet his love was destructive because he was “swept along like an avalanche, or like a prairie fire (3).” Armand was in love with Desiree with their marriage and the birth of their son “softened Armand Aubigny‘s imperious and exacting nature (14)”. When Desiree had the baby, happiness started to fill the air but when Armand found out that the baby was not fully white, he became distant. Desiree began to feel as if her husband’s body was taken over by “the very spirit of Satan (15).” As Armand’s happiness begins to fade, he tells Desiree and the baby to leave as he is left empty and alone.
The characterization of Armand showed that he knew all along about his ethnicity. Armand wanted to cope with his insecurities and feel to his slaves, which is evident in the following example: “…young Aubigny’s rule was strict and under it his Negroes had forgotten, how to be gay as they had been during their old master who was easy going and indulgent in his lifetime” (Chopin 708). Armand was afraid people in the community might get to know about his secret. For example, when Desiree is confronting him, she asks, “Do you want me to go?” (710). Armand replies, “Yes I want you to go” (710). Armand immediately makes up his mind to allow her t...
In the story of “Desiree’s Baby” by Kate Chopin, there are many literary themes that can be analyzed such as love, racism, gender inequality, and miscegenation. What this analysis will focus on is primarily on the central male character, Armand Aubigny, and on his views towards racism. More specifically, what this essay will aim to prove is that Armand Aubigny looked down upon the African race to the point where he hated them. One of the biggest driving points to aid this idea is how his family name shaped his behavior and actions according to the societal normalities of his time period. Another important aspect that will be considered is his very relationship towards his slaves in how he treated them cruelly even to the point where he is described as “having the spirit of Satan” (Chopin 3). In addition to this, the reader will also see Armand’s negative reaction to being aware of the implications of his son and wife having mixed blood in where he practically disowns them. With all this culminating to Armand finding out the ugly truth that the race he had treated so horribly is actually a part of his very own blood as well.
... be part of that race. He did not want his well looked upon family name to be ruined. He was portrayed as a man who had it all. He had a reputation to keep maintained and Armand being part black would have ruined it. He owned a plantation and was a slave master. Racism did play a major role because when Armand found out that the baby was mixed everything changed such as Armand’s mood and Desiree’s happiness. She seemed to be very jolly and happy. Armand was also content. He was pleasant to the slaves. After he saw his child growing to be mixed it changed his whole attitude. He did not love the child genuinely because love is unconditional. He was more concerned about the race of the child. This was a great short story to read and it gave me insight on the importance and seriousness of our society back then. I am glad we have overcome these terrible racial matters.
Armand feels like he is the victim of betrayal by his wife Désirée. As the baby gets older it is clear that the baby is not white. Armand’s attitude quickly makes him assume that Désirée is not white giving Armand a feeling of deception. He denounces his love for Désirée and the child and casts them out of the house and his life. Désirée is stricken with grief about her treatment by Armand. She cannot believe how a man who loves her so much could treat her with such hostility and cruelty. Désirée develops a negative attitude towards herself and her baby. She is upset that she cannot change how Armand thinks of her because of her baby. This attitude causes Désirée to walk out of Armand’s life forever to her demise. Core beliefs also give to human behavior in “Samuel” and “Desiree’s
This story is more on the racist side other than being enslaved in marriages. Even though is more on the racist side you can connect it with Kate Chopin Common theme. The story is mainly about a married white couple who haves a black child. Again at this time period there is still a lot of slavery going on, so the husband blames the wife, Desiree, for being black since she was originally adopted. After the husband finds out that there’s a possibility that his wife have black heritage in her. “Then a strange, an awful change in her husband’s manner, which she dared not ask him to explain. 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 was Desiree being mistreated once the husband found out she might be black. Not only does it proves the rights of women and was it disobeyed but 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 era, it shows all her stories are taken place around the same generation. “Desiree was happy when she had the baby and Armand was as happy and nice to the slaves then before but after he saw his child growing to be mixed it changed his whole attitude” (Griffin). This shows how the story takes place during slavery time, since the husband had
...asks Armand if she should leave and Armand tells her to go, “he thought Almighty God had dealt cruelly and unjustly with him…” (Chopin 4). Armand was angry because the worst expected thing had happened and he knew it was his fault. He felt like he was being punished because of his true color.
That was the way all the Aubignys fell in love, as if struck by a pistol shot…The passion that awoke in his that day, when he saw her at the gate, swept along like an avalanche, or like a prairie fire, or like everything that drives headlong over all obstacles.”(47). Most often, such love does not last, it is like a fire that ignite some dry straw but it is consumed very quickly. The true love was the one between Armand’s father and his wife, which was of black race. To be with her, he left his plantation and his important name in Louisiana and went to live in France, a land foreign to him, just to offer an easier life to his wife, “But, above all, she wrote, “night and day, I thank the good God for having so arranged our lives that our dear Armand will never know that his mother, who adores him, belongs to the race that is cursed with the brand of slavery.” (Chopin 52). To show his love for Desiree and their baby, Armand could do the same thing his father did many years ago, but his attitude towards Desiree looks like in fact his love was just one who pass away went something wrong happened in their life, when life 's challenges arise. The true love is when you can’t live without another person, when his/her happiness is your happiness, “This was what made
He is so humiliated at the fact that his partner and child are African-American, that he abandons them. However, it turns out Armand is biracial. He discovers a letter his mother wrote to his father writing, “But, above all,” she wrote, “night and day, I thank the good God for having so arranged our lives that our dear Armand will never know that his mother, who adores him, belongs to the race that is cursed with the brand of slavery. ””(Chopin, 446). Due to his ignorant internalized racism, Armand lacks agency in his life and loses his family.
Armand becomes furious because he believes that Desiree?s race is what alters the color of the baby. After that incident, Armand displ...
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.
...the theme that weak individuals succumb to societal norms regardless of their own feelings. Armand shows that he is a weak character, yet there are signs that some of his beliefs are progressive. However, because of the weakness in his personality, Armand is unable to express these beliefs. Rather, he is forced to destroy something of great importance to himself simply because he is too weak to stand up for his beliefs. Through the ironic ending in which Armand discovers that he is the donor of the black gene, Chopin teaches the danger of being a weak individual: Armand is punished for his weakness by Desiree, a woman he once loved, leaving while at the same time bearing the knowledge that he is of a race that he himself hates. Chopin presents the challenge to all humans to strive for individuality and self-esteem, lest they too fall victim to their own weaknesses.
In conclusion, Chopin’s story explains how life in the late 1800s treated black people, as well as where white people traditionally stood on the social ladder in comparison. Most rich whites owned slaves that were treated poorly, much like Armand’s before the marriage and after the child grew. It also explained that having any black in the family was shameful