Analysis of Desiree’s Baby by Kate Chopin - 1328 Words

Desiree’s Baby and Southern Social Structure The short story Desiree’s Baby by Kate Chopin provides a sobering depiction of how the dark forces of prejudice and social hierarchy tore apart a plantation owning family in the state of Louisiana. Desiree’s character is that of a lady who carries the burden of being submissive to a domineering husband, a role she keeps until the very end of the narrative. Desiree is portrayed as an agent of light so to speak throughout the plotline but is seriously blinded by her doglike allegiance to her husband Armand, who is in essence her master and her livelihood. The struggle for female independence is a signature theme in a number of Chopin’s works and was a struggle for women in the South during this†¦show more content†¦Desiree’s decision to take the life of her child and her own is motivated by a desire to protect her son from the situation he has been born into and her own somewhat selfish inability to envision a new life. Desiree had an outlet from th e hellish atmosphere on the plantation in the form of her loving mother, Madame Valmonde, who offered asylum and support in a letter that instructs Desiree to return home with her son (Chopin 418). She chose to ignore this olive branch because it simply did not compute with her that a life existed outside of her marriage with Armand and thus she chose death for both herself and her child (Korb). Desiree’s demise is rooted in the fact that her unknown familial ties made her completely helpless and unable to provide proof that she was indeed not a part of the African American race further illustrating the power of familial status that existed at the time and its ruthlessness towards those who were considered lowly people. The racial elitism that existed in Southern culture at the time served as the foundation for the social structure on the Aubigny Plantation and Chopin details how this societally engrained prejudice cruelly affects both servants and master. â€Å"Young Aubigny’s rule was a strict one, too, and under it his negroes had forgotten how to be gay, (Chopin 416)†. This excerpt from Desiree’s Baby implies that Armand Aubigny fits the stereotypical description of many slave owners of the time andShow MoreRelatedAn Analysis Of Armand Aubigny s Desiree s Baby 1538 Words   |  7 PagesArmand Aubigny’s Pride in â€Å"Desiree’s Baby† by Kate Chopin Through history, we have always yearned independence and equality as human beings. Undoubtedly, Kate Chopin is an extraordinary example She has landed a commendable place among American writers worthy of recognition. Born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1850, Kate was raised by strong women who taught her the value of an education. Her family gave her a revolutionary vision and a feminist personality, but it was her talented and passionate skillsRead More Kate Chopins Desirees Baby Essays1394 Words   |  6 PagesKate Chopins Desirees Baby This essay will focus on the short story by Kate Chopin and its use of symbols, setting and characters. Desiree’s baby was perhaps one of the best stories I’ve ever read. Analyzing it was not easy at all. Its use of symbols was very hard to comprehend. At first, it doesn’t make sense. But as you think criticallyRead MoreAn Examination Of How Kate Chopin s Work1298 Words   |  6 PagesENGL 1102 – Comp/Lit Essay 2 (Mulry) Sellers, James R – 920022413 Due Date: April 20, 2015 An Examination of How Kate Chopin’s Works Taken Together Contribute to our Understanding of Her Time and the Place of Women in Society Looking at themes present in his short stories and novels, Kate Chopin presents examples of female strength and an assertive rebellion to the social norms during the late 1800s. By seeking to transparently and boldly portray the risquà © behavior of her lead characters, whichRead MoreDesirees Baby Analysis Essay1415 Words   |  6 Pagesessay will focus on the short story by Kate Chopin and its use of symbols, setting and characters. Desiree’s baby was perhaps one of the best stories I’ve ever read. Analyzing it was not easy at all. Its use of symbols was very hard to comprehend. At first, it doesn’t make sense. But as you think critically, all the symbols, and setting and the characters in this literature plunge together in one amazing story. Literary Analysis on Kate Chopins Desirees Baby â€Å"Tell me what it means!† she criedRead MoreThemes And Summary In Desirees Baby, By Kate Chopin1242 Words   |  5 PagesSummary: The story of â€Å"Desirees Baby† by Kate Chopin opens up with Madame Valmondà © going to visit Desiree and her infant. On her journey to L’Abri, a plantation owned by Armand Aubigny, she reminisces about Desiree’s youth. Desiree was an abandoned baby found by Monsieur Valmondà ©. Madame Valmondà © trusted Desiree was sent to her by God as she was not able to have her own children. Eight years has passed and Armand Aubigny, the son of a wealthy cruel master, suddenly falls in love with DesireeRead MoreDesirees Baby Literary Analysis1989 Words   |  8 PagesKate Chopin’s stories Desirees Baby, The Story of an Hour, At the Cadian Ball, and A Pair of Silk Stockings, were written in the 19th century in times when women had no rights, and had to portray an image of a loving wife. They were considered selfish if they thought otherwise, and their job was to make their husbands happy at all times. This was the century of a turning point for women, in which t hey had desires test their limits imposed on their sex. 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As Chopin takesRead MoreDesirees Baby by Kate Chopin Essay1239 Words   |  5 PagesImagine finding out that your entire life was a lie, and that every single thing you knew about your identity and your family was completely false! Armand Aubigny, one of the main characters in Desiree’s Baby by Kate Chopin, experiences this exact dilemma throughout this short story. Desiree’s Baby is a story about a young man and woman, who fall in love, but Desiree, who does not know her birth parents, is considered nameles s. When she and Armand have a child, they are both very surprised because