. 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. 2. There was an “air of …show more content…
“ and it was he who dealt out to a half dozen negroes the material which kept this fire ablaze” shows that he was in contact with African Americans and foreshadows his ethnicity. Also, the old letter from his mother to his father proves that he is not fully white because she states, “I thank the good God for having to arranged out 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.” 6. Armand’s treatment of his wife would be condoned by society today because there are plenty of couples who go through hard times and kick each other out. The husband could ignore the wife, yet society would not care because that type of situation is normal. A healthy relationship would not survive if it had the traits that Desiree and Armand possessed, but society would not care. 7. Desiree ask her husband for his permission to go because she loved him and did not want to leave. Even through the times of his anger and his “averted eyes”, she stood by his side. “When he frowned she trembled, but loved him” shows that she was too afraid to leave him behind. When Desiree left with his command, this merely reflects her character because she was selfless and was willing to put up with his Satan vibe. 8. French was the language spoken in Valmonde because they migrated to Louisiana for the search of a better life and freedom. This
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
In the text ‘Desiree’s baby’, Desiree’s identity is impacted after she gets abandoned by her husband Armand. Before the abandonment, Desiree was loved by Armand which can be discovered in the quote ‘When he saw her at the gate, swept along like an avalanche, or like a prairie fire, or like anything that drives headlong over all obstacles’. The use of simile communicates that when Armand saw Desiree, he fell in love with her at first sight. At that moment, he loved Desiree and nothing would stop his way. Soon after Armand found out that the baby is mixed race, he abandons Desiree and the baby. In the quote, ‘Do you want me to go?’ ‘Yes, I want you to go’. The dialogue communicates that Armand wants Desiree to go away or leave him which reveals that he does not love Desiree anymore. In the text, Desiree’s identity has positive to negatively changed from different events or experiences she goes through in her
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...
Most marriages were arranged due to the appeal of social hierarchy: high class women were expected to marry wealthy plantation owners. In this story, it was apparent that the characters' love for each other was rare, and that their love was powerful—so powerful that it pushed Desiree into death for not having the love of her husband: "He was paying Him back in kind when he stabbed this into his wife's soul. Moreover he no longer loved her, because of the unconscious injury she had brought upon his home and his name" (541). On one hand, if the love they had was so instant and powerful, how could he not stay by her side. Rather, he blamed Desiree and removed the baby and her from the house without determining the truth. This leads me to question her value to him. It seems as though that his love for her was worth much less than his reputation as a planter. One look at a mixed baby left him cold and heartless, and she was not to blame: "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" (542). So, it is not Desiree who should be punished for Armand's family history, but the cold truth is that women are blamed for the appearances of their children, and a quick look at even the most precious baby, made a man turn on his great love. This shows to say that shifting blame without absolute certainty can have devastating effects, and some will do anything to save their
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.
Desiree is a "beautiful and gentle, affectionate and sincere young woman."(p. 31) Armand, a young plantation owner, falls in love with her "as if struck by a pistol shot."(p.31) Armand's love for her is described as a "prairie fire, or like anything that drives headlong over all obstacles."(p.31) Armand and Desiree marry and have a baby early in
... 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
Years went by with no word from Armand, and Desiree grew tired of waiting for him. Her hair turned a light brown and her eyes a stormy grey, evidence of the toll of what Armand had did to her. Their child however, had grown into a beautiful boy, with dark hair, golden brown eyes and russet colored skin. Desiree mentioned nothing of Armand to the child. Whenever asked by the child she just said with fake smile on her face “he will call for us when he is ready for us to come back”. Monsieur Valmonde who grew tired of seeing Desiree so sad, decided to get her a place of her own, so that she wouldn’t be stuck on the plantation. He found them a small house in the woods, not far from the cotton fields, and close to the big stone pillars where Desiree was found many years before. The house was used once a place where slaves would hide from their former master, but now since Monsieur was running the plantation; it was just an old, battered, falling-apart house. Monsieur told his field workers to come to fix it up, and told them good to make it a home for the child and Desiree. When Monsieur showed her the finished product Desiree gave a real smile, one that hasn’t been seen since her child’s birth.
Although Armand truly loved Desiree, his love wasn’t stronger than protecting his family’s status. He knew from the beginning that it was he who was not white. Hoping that his child would not come out black, he still took precautions by marrying a woman with an unknown origin to put the blame on. He hated himself for what he truly was and he was not going to let anyone know his secret and have that kind of power over him. It was never Desiree’s fault and she ended up suffering when it was really Armand’s doing.
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
When Désirée had the baby, her mother noticed immediately that something was wrong with the baby; Madame Valmonde screamed “This is not the baby!” It wasn’t until when the baby was 3 months old that Désirée noticed the appearance of the baby and demanded an answer from Armand. Armand noticed this early already, so he told Désirée that she was at fault for the baby being black, “It means,” he answered lightly, “that the child is not white; it means that you are not white” (424). Désirée believed this because no one knew of her past. This distinctly shows how Désirée’s character lives to learn how close racism and male dominance can get in Southern life. For instance, when Armand says, “The child is not white; it means that you are not white” (424). This is when Armand realizes his wife is not the same as he is, and from this moment on, wants nothing to do with either her or their child. In the beginning of the story, Armand was deeply in love with Désirée, and still was, until the moment he realized their baby was not white. This is a glimpse of how life was in the South. Chopin offers a compelling vision of the class-based and racial prejudice of the South. As many critics would agree, Chopin’s stories have “the freshness which springs from an unexplored field—the quaint and picturesque life among the Creole and Acadian folk of the
In the fictional story “Desiree’s Baby”, written by Kate Chopin, presents a story of a woman, Desiree, and her husband, Armand, who has a baby with secret’s of on of their origins. With Desiree abandoned as a baby, with no name or origin, everyone suspected her to be the fault of creating a baby of color. It wasn’t until it was too late, that Armand found out the truth of why the baby was black.
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.