Introduction
In Kate Chopin’s Désirée’s Baby,” Désirée and Armand Aubigny undergo significant transformations as they struggle with issues of identity, love, and race. The story initially showedDésirée as a quiet lady who loved a happy marriage to Armand. However, the revelation of her child’s mixed racial heritage drastically changes her character and confuses her.
Although Armand is introduced as a loving spouse, he rejects Désirée and their child in favor of social status and expectations. These changes highlight the story’s themes of identity and the destructive effects of racism on people and communities. Désirée and Armand experience significant changes shaped by identity, love, and societal expectations, showing the story’s racial discrimination theme.
Character Analysis
Désirée
During her early years, Désirée was considered a kind and enigmatic person. Her history was a mystery, but the Valmondé family claimed to have found her as a toddler and raised her. She was described as “beautiful and gentle, affectionate and sincere,” closely connecting her to those around her (Chopin 240). Her involvement in the story centers on the loving marriage she shares with Armand Aubigny. She loved her husband very much and did all she could to make him happy.
The baby was initially a symbol of their love, then a catalyst for a troubling discovery about her racial background, causing her life misery due to her husband’s accusations. Désirée summoned some unexpected bravery and categorically rejected the claim, noting her characteristics and emphasizing her whiteness. Armand’s unkind response, saying, “As white as La Blanche’s,” was deeply hurtful, and he walked away, leaving her alone with their child (Chopin 244). From a place of love, security, and contentment, her character declines into confusion and despair.
Désirée’s distress and need for answers become evident as she knows the shocking truth of racism. Her grief was evident when she addressed Armand, who was still focused on his paperwork. She gets increasingly desperate and sad as she understands that Armand no longer loves her and their relationship is breaking. Désirée shouted out to him in a bitter tone, but he ignored her. The wife begged him in an emotional voice, but he did not answer (Chopin 243).
She stood up and approached him, her voice trembling as she pleaded, “Armand, look at our child. What does it mean? Tell me” (Chopin 243). He removed her fingers and pulled her away despite her desperate grasp on his arm. She pleaded with him; however, Armand concluded that the child was not white and that she was not white either. This touching scene perfectly captured her confusion and desperate explanations during the shocking reality. It showed how, despite love and innocence, one’s fate may be determined by identity and societal expectations.
Armand Aubigny
Armand Aubigny was introduced as a wealthy and well-respected member of society but developed racist tendencies over time. He came from a wealthy family in Louisiana and had a privileged childhood (Chopin 241). In the first scene, Armand is shown as a devoted spouse passionately in love with Désirée. “Oh, Armand is the proudest father in the parish, I believe, chiefly because it is a boy,” reflected Désirée’s belief that the husband is very proud and happy about their child (Chopin 242). As time passed, Armand prioritized social position and family reputation above love when asked about their child’s racial identity. His abrupt rejection of Désirée’s appearances showed how he changed his character. He said, “It means… that the child is not white; it means that you are not white,” perfectly illustrating racism (Chopin 244). The terrible response from Armand was to have his family’s reputation and social status above his love for Désirée.
Armand’s actions and thoughts throughout the story are driven by a desire to maintain the family’s reputation. His need to protect his family’s honor causes him to reject Désirée and their child after learning of their diverse background (Chopin244). Armand’s decision to distance himself from them is marked by his cruel response to Désirée’s plea, emphasizing the child’s non-whiteness. “When he spoke to her, it was with averted eyes, from which the old love light seemed to have gone out,” showing how Armand’s attitude toward her wife had dramatically changed (Chopin 242). Armand’s abandonment of Désirée and their child proves he is prepared to sacrifice love to conform to social norms.
Theme: Race and Identity
Race and racial identity are vital themes in Kate Chopin’s Désirée’s Baby, influencing the characters’ storyline and relationships. The story delves into the potentially devastating effects of racial discrimination in an environment where race is a significant indicator of one’s socioeconomic status (Chopin 242). Armand immediately rejects Désirée and their child on the idea that their ethnic heritage is not entirely white after the birth of a baby with a darker complexion.
Armand’s behavior is shocking as the author writes, “He absented himself from home; and when there, avoided her presence and that of her child, without excuse” (Chopin 243). It is a devastating illustration of how racial prejudice can undermine the ties that bind a family together. The story shows how easily someone may be excluded and discriminated against based on race.
The story examines how race affects enslaved people’s lives and the professions that they undertook. The author wrote, “Out in the still fields the negroes were picking cotton,” showing the nature of the professional duties that the enslaved people did (Chopin 245). The cotton pickers in the fields were all Black, highlighting the intensity of the racial divide in society. As the remark about how “the very spirit of Satan seemed suddenly to take hold of him in his dealings with the slaves” shows, he treated the enslaved individuals on his plantation cruelly (Chopin 243). It raises concerns about how enslaved individuals were mistreated and exploited and how much freedom they lacked.
Symbolism: The Bonfire
Armand Aubigny, after knowing the baby had mixed racial heritage, ordered the burning of the baby’s cradle, clothing, and Désirée’s letters. These items symbolize the love, hopes, and familial connections Armand’s racial prejudice destroyed. The author wrote,” In the center of the smoothly swept backyard was a great bonfire” (Chopin 245). There was symbolism in this event, representing the end of the family and the baby’s existence. The father rejects the baby’s mixed-race background and identity, symbolized by the burning fire. It expressed disappointment with motherhood and the end of her aspirations for her own family. Therefore, it represents the father’s rejection of his connection with his child and wife.
The fire dramatically symbolizes how prejudice and hatred may break apart communities and families. Armand’s disownment of his wife and child originates from his need to comply with societal conventions and insistence on preserving his family’s honor. The devastating impact of racism and the subjective nature of racial classifications are revealed in the scene.
Armand’s rejection of his child and his readiness to destroy his possessions indicated how deeply ingrained the racist views of his culture have become in his mind. The scene is a powerful symbol of the devastation racism can do to individuals, families, and communities. The bayou was another symbol employed in the narrative to stand for the mysterious and unknown. It was surrounded by “reeds and willows” and was described as “deep” and “sluggish” (Chopin 245)
Foreshadowing and Irony
Literary devices such as foreshadowing are used to build suspense in the story. When Madame Valmondé first meets Désirée and her infant, she comments on the child’s dark skin. She noticed the baby’s dark complexion and remarked, “This is not the baby!” (Chopin 243). This innocuous remark foreshadows the revelation that the baby is not connected to Désirée.
Armand’s father uses foreshadowing when he informs his son that their family name is among the most ancient and noblest in Louisiana (Chopin 242). It builds up the eventual reveal that Armand’s mother’s family is of African descent. This clever use of foreshadowing stimulates the reader’s interest and highlights the story’s inquiry of identity and the complications of race. It represents the unclear parts of Désirée’s identity, especially her race.
The story’s central issue of racial identity is emphasized via irony. For example, Armand’s father is described as having “one of the proudest and oldest names in Louisiana,” yet he was of mixed race (Chopin 242). This irony helps stress that racial categories are socially constructed and often have no connection with one’s ancestry. It is discovered that Armand has African ancestry from his maternal side.
Another ironic turn of events is when Armand sees that his newborn has dark skin; he immediately blames Désirée for his child’s mixed-race origin (Chopin 243). The humorous part is that Armand, who is subsequently shown to be of mixed race, is the one who passed on the “taint” of mixed blood to their child. The foreshadowing and irony in the story build suspense and emphasize how racial categories exist in society.
The story’s significant irony is highlighted by the destruction of Désirée’s possessions in a fire. In anger, Armand destroyed these items, including the baby’s cradle and all remaining evidence of their once-vibrant relationship and shared existence (Chopin 245). He thought he was eliminating traces of Désirée’s non-white background by throwing these possessions into the fire. The real irony, however, is that Armand is the one who emerges to have African blood on his mother’s side, a truth that has been kept secret for decades. This senseless destruction was a terrible representation of his prejudice and lack of knowledge.
Conclusion
Identity, love, and the destructive power of racism are the three main themes of the story, all reflected by Désirée and Armand Aubigny. At first, Désirée presented as loving, happy, and cherished in her marriage with Armand. However, when it was discovered that her child had mixed-race ancestry, her self-confidence was destroyed, and she became hopeless. To illustrate the harmful impact of racism, Armand abandoned love in favor of cultural expectations and the desire for social position. The symbolic bonfire and Armand’s heartless abandonment of his family are potent reminders of the destruction caused by discrimination.
Work Cited
Chopin, Kate. The Complete Works of Kate Chopin. Edited by Per Seyersted, Louisiana State University Press, 2006.