In Kate Chopin’s short story “Desiree’s Baby” Chopin highlights racism in southern American she also emphasizes disparities in women’s rights in that time period. Chopin does this by focusing on characters like Armand and Desiree and how they reacted to having a Bi-racial baby. Chopin story also uses the historically content and setting to further her point. Desiree’s Baby takes place In Louisiana before the civil war. Throughout the story there are racist themes that show how bias and prejudiced people were at the time. When Madame Valmonde sees Desiree’s baby she is shocked only because she notices that the baby looks African American. At this time in history most African Americans are slaves and not many families would accept a
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Desiree was adopted by Madame Valmonde and does not know her origins. She is raised by Valmonde and is described by the narrator as "beautiful and gentle, affectionate and sincere” (Chopin). She falls in love with Armand and gets married. Armand Grew up never knowing his mother and was raised by his father. All through the story Armand is very arrogant and is a brutal plantation owner. He later married Desiree’s despite not knowing her origins. Desiree once called Armand the proudest man in the parish, because he had a son that could carry out his name. However, as soon as Armand found out his son was Bi-racial he rejected him and his wife and assumed that Desiree had Black Lineage. The Irony of the Story was that Armand was the one with African American heritage. This Is Ironic because Armand based the worth of a person mainly on a person race and gender, and throughout the story accused Desiree’s of being the one with Black heritage. Since the story takes place before the civil war there are bias elements all through the story. I think Chopin wanted to symbolize the prejudiced and inequalities of both race and gender in southern America around the time before the civil war. Chopin does this by highlighting how little Influence Desiree had on her marriage. Another way she emphasizes bias is when Armand rejects his own son simply because of the color of his skin, and …show more content…
It was also around the time women’s right movements were protesting throughout the U.S. I think these historically events inspired Chopin to write a story about, prejudices and a women’s role in marriage. “Desiree’s Baby” is set before the civil war in Louisiana were racial intensions are still very bad. In the story Armand is describe having a slave plantation and being a very strict slave owner. Which is consistent with what has going on around that time. In the story it also show Desiree constantly taking care of her baby and doing something else. This is also consistent with how marriages were at this time. Women were mostly stay at home mothers with no other responsibility or say in their marriage. In conclusion Kate Chopin wrote “Desiree’s Baby” and highlighted the historically issues of her time. Through describing how a typically family in the south would have reacted to having a Bi-racial
Desiree was adopted by Madame Valmonde and does not know her origins. She is raised by Valmonde and is described by the narrator as "beautiful and gentle, affectionate and sincere” (Chopin). She falls in love with Armand and gets married. Armand Grew up never knowing his mother and was raised by his father. All through the story Armand is very arrogant and is a brutal plantation owner. He later married Desiree’s despite not knowing her origins. Desiree once called Armand the proudest man in the parish, because he had a son that could carry out his name. However, as soon as Armand found out his son was Bi-racial he rejected him and his wife and assumed that Desiree had Black Lineage. The Irony of the Story was that Armand was the one with African American heritage. This Is Ironic because Armand based the worth of a person mainly on a person race and gender, and throughout the story accused Desiree’s of being the one with Black heritage. Since the story takes place before the civil war there are bias elements all through the story. I think Chopin wanted to symbolize the prejudiced and inequalities of both race and gender in southern America around the time before the civil war. Chopin does this by highlighting how little Influence Desiree had on her marriage. Another way she emphasizes bias is when Armand rejects his own son simply because of the color of his skin, and …show more content…
It was also around the time women’s right movements were protesting throughout the U.S. I think these historically events inspired Chopin to write a story about, prejudices and a women’s role in marriage. “Desiree’s Baby” is set before the civil war in Louisiana were racial intensions are still very bad. In the story Armand is describe having a slave plantation and being a very strict slave owner. Which is consistent with what has going on around that time. In the story it also show Desiree constantly taking care of her baby and doing something else. This is also consistent with how marriages were at this time. Women were mostly stay at home mothers with no other responsibility or say in their marriage. In conclusion Kate Chopin wrote “Desiree’s Baby” and highlighted the historically issues of her time. Through describing how a typically family in the south would have reacted to having a Bi-racial