Desiree's Baby Research Paper

The Future of Désirée’s Baby “Désirée’s Baby” was a tragedy that did not need to be a tragedy. Désirée became victim to the forces of patriarchy and racism that were especially rampant during the late 1800’s. During this particular period, differentiating between black and white was not only a cultural must but also a legal one. One drop of Black was enough to consider someone a slave and relations of any kind between blacks and whites were illegal. Patriarchy, also, was extremely powerful. Women did not have a name of their own and they were completely dominated by the men in their life. The man’s word was the woman’s law. Désirée’s fell victim to these forces and as an extension, so too did her baby. Desiree’s baby was a mixture of white …show more content…
She was regarded as being “the idol of Valmondé” (1072). She was “beautiful and gentle, affectionate and sincere” (1072), the total embodiment of femininity. Although the Valmondés loved Désirée and raised her as if she were their own, this love was superficial and based on idolization. When it became time for the Valmondés to prove that they loved Désirée as more than an idol, they rejected her. In the letter Madame Valmondé wrote in response to Désirée’s distress, she says “come with your baby” [1075], making it clear to Désirée that her adopted family only loved her for as long as it was convenient to them. Désirée’s baby, at least until its “color” decided to show, gave her the opportunity to be a part of a true family. The love that she had for her baby was unconditional and she was looking forward to making a home with Armand. Her baby represented a chance to love and be loved as a human and not an object. Désirée’s baby gave her validation that the Valmondés were not able to give …show more content…
Instead of giving the baby its own identity, Chopin instead uses the baby to show how two opposing forces can exist in one object. By not giving the baby his own name, readers are forced to focus more on how Désirée and Armand each project their own desires onto him. The baby represents the mixture of both races and ideas, between races that are usually positioned against each other and ideas that seem different but are actually similar. Although Désirée’s background remains a mystery throughout the entirety of the short story and Armand is well aware of his own, both individuals sought some form of validation from the