These stories address the physical and metaphorical confinement of the characters reiterating how the pursuit of the American dream by a minority in America is different from the white American dream.
Désirée, the epitome of what the American dream can manifest, seeks her dream within her collective family, but is confined by the racial discrimination instigated by her husband, Armand, and her adoptive mother, Madame Valmondé. She is further condemned by Armand for the dark complexion of her son. After Madame Valmondé has not seen Desiree and the baby for four weeks, her reaction to the baby: “This is not the baby!” suggests her disgust with the baby’s appearance. Désirée, who is overcome by innocence, is unable to see that Madame Valmondé …show more content…
Despite his unquestionable black identity, he includes himself within the confines of white identity in order to allow himself to be apart of the American dream. Armand attempts to blame the baby’s non-whiteness on Desiree by taking advantage of her innocence, but fails since Desiree proves to be aware of her race: “It is a lie; it is not true, I am white! Look at my hair, it is brown; and my eyes are gray, Armand, you know they are gray. And my skin is fair...Look at my hand; whiter than yours, Armand.” Unconvinced by Desiree’s assertion of her whiteness, Armand kicks the baby and Desiree out of the house through the means of his internalized racism and does not want to be seen with them in order to protect his image. Desiree, though sure of her race, still conforms to Armand; “Desiree is immersed in her husband's value system and never stands up to him, not even to interpret the meaning of his dark skin or the baby's, much less to criticize his racism, his sexism, or his treatment.” Finally, even though Armand may clearly see the skin difference between him and Desiree, he does not want to admit to it and would rather blame Desiree in order to suppress his blackness. By this, Armand preserves his wealthy, slave owning, internalized racist lifestyle, which are the characteristics one needs in the 19th century in order to be deemed a human and further, …show more content…
Even though Chopin wants to make it seem as though Armand actually was unaware of his black identity, evidence proves otherwise. When first describing Armand’s life and where his family met and grew up, it suggests that “he had not loved her [the mom] before; for he had known her since his father brought him home from Paris, a boy of eight, after his mother died there.” Armand’s time with his mother up to the age of eight insinuates that he is aware of his mother’s African roots. Another instance that implies Armand’s awareness of his black identity is an exchange with Desiree: he “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, without excuse. And the very spirit of Satan seemed suddenly to take hold of him in his dealings with the slaves. Désirée was miserable enough to die.” Armand’s treatment towards his slaves implies a superiority complex that would place him in the superior position despite the fact that many slaves that had fairer skin than him. When Desiree “disappeared among the reeds and willows that grew thick along the banks of the deep, sluggish bayou; and she did not come back again,” Armand was no
Désirée, the epitome of what the American dream can manifest, seeks her dream within her collective family, but is confined by the racial discrimination instigated by her husband, Armand, and her adoptive mother, Madame Valmondé. She is further condemned by Armand for the dark complexion of her son. After Madame Valmondé has not seen Desiree and the baby for four weeks, her reaction to the baby: “This is not the baby!” suggests her disgust with the baby’s appearance. Désirée, who is overcome by innocence, is unable to see that Madame Valmondé …show more content…
Despite his unquestionable black identity, he includes himself within the confines of white identity in order to allow himself to be apart of the American dream. Armand attempts to blame the baby’s non-whiteness on Desiree by taking advantage of her innocence, but fails since Desiree proves to be aware of her race: “It is a lie; it is not true, I am white! Look at my hair, it is brown; and my eyes are gray, Armand, you know they are gray. And my skin is fair...Look at my hand; whiter than yours, Armand.” Unconvinced by Desiree’s assertion of her whiteness, Armand kicks the baby and Desiree out of the house through the means of his internalized racism and does not want to be seen with them in order to protect his image. Desiree, though sure of her race, still conforms to Armand; “Desiree is immersed in her husband's value system and never stands up to him, not even to interpret the meaning of his dark skin or the baby's, much less to criticize his racism, his sexism, or his treatment.” Finally, even though Armand may clearly see the skin difference between him and Desiree, he does not want to admit to it and would rather blame Desiree in order to suppress his blackness. By this, Armand preserves his wealthy, slave owning, internalized racist lifestyle, which are the characteristics one needs in the 19th century in order to be deemed a human and further, …show more content…
Even though Chopin wants to make it seem as though Armand actually was unaware of his black identity, evidence proves otherwise. When first describing Armand’s life and where his family met and grew up, it suggests that “he had not loved her [the mom] before; for he had known her since his father brought him home from Paris, a boy of eight, after his mother died there.” Armand’s time with his mother up to the age of eight insinuates that he is aware of his mother’s African roots. Another instance that implies Armand’s awareness of his black identity is an exchange with Desiree: he “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, without excuse. And the very spirit of Satan seemed suddenly to take hold of him in his dealings with the slaves. Désirée was miserable enough to die.” Armand’s treatment towards his slaves implies a superiority complex that would place him in the superior position despite the fact that many slaves that had fairer skin than him. When Desiree “disappeared among the reeds and willows that grew thick along the banks of the deep, sluggish bayou; and she did not come back again,” Armand was no