Significance Of Je's Baby By Kate Chopin

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Kate Chopin’s story “” places a lot of importance on the fact that Désirée’s baby isn’t white because the story takes place in Louisiana during the time of slavery. Being that both parents believed to be white, there would be no reason for their son to not be white. I Also think that the baby not being white would cause a lot of talk in the town; people might start rumors that maybe Armand was not the father. Even though it was Désirée’s origins that were unknown, it was stated that Armand was actually darker than her. “Look at my hand; whiter than yours, Armand,” (page 118, sec 25) Being that Armand wasn’t aware of his own origins at the, he didn’t for a second think that the child could have been “not white” because of him. Instead he blames it entirely on Désirée because he knew the Valmonde’s were not her birth parents.
I believe that Chopin was making a statement about color and race, and the prejudice that came with it during the times of slavery. I also think she wanted to make it known that slave owners did sleep with their slave; and in those times sexual relations between people of different races was frowned upon, so it was kept a secret.
I think that Désirée was so easily blamed for the child’s skin color because she was the one whose origins were unknown. Armand knew before marrying Désirée that the Valmonde’s weren’t her birth parents, but at the time he looked passed it because he was so in love. “…the girl’s obscure origin. Armand looked into her eyes and

Desiree's Baby

unseemingly beating the slaves. First being happy when the baby is born, a sudden animal soon releases once the unwanted truth begins to unfold. “Thomas Jefferson…

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Desiree's Baby is a short story written by Kate Chopin. The story begins with a visit from Madame Valmonde, who is Desiree's adopted mother. Madame Valmonde thinks back about how Desiree became part of her family. Desiree had been abandoned by her real parents, and Monsieur Valmonde had found her and brought her home. They had no other children, they felt that “Desiree had been sent by God”. Chopin uses foreshadowing and irony in many ways to show that issues of race can tear apart a family when…

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Use Of Irony In Desiree's Baby

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Marxist Critique of Desiree's Baby Essay

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Theme Of Love And Marriage In 'Desiree's Baby'

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Desiree's Baby: Who Killed Desiree?

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Essay on Response to story "Desiree's Baby"

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Desiree's Baby Kate Chopin Analysis

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Words 351 - Pages 2