The Power Of Emotions In Desiree's Baby

Mothers will sacrifice practically anything, often including their own safety, to ensure the health and overall well-being of their children. Conversely, a man who has been wronged or cheated may stop at nothing to enact revenge on the one who crossed him. This is because they are led and overcome by two of the most powerful and impactful human emotions: love and hate. Although they are opposites, they share the incredibly strong power to vastly impact decision making. People will do unbelievable things for those they love, and unspeakable things to those they hate. In Desiree’s Baby, Kate Chopin shows us first hand the impact that both emotions can have on people and their decision making. The characters in Desiree’s Baby end up in unfortunate and regrettable situations because of their overwhelming love and extreme hate, which Chopin uses …show more content…
Whether it is a friend, family member, spouse, or enemy, there are always decisions to be made. When love and hate are involved, they tend to take over and everything else, such as logic and common sense, can go out the window. In Desiree’s Baby, Armand is constantly blinded by his emotions. At the beginning, his love for Desiree overrules anything else, and at the end, his hatred for the black race takes over. It is not until the very end of the story when he realizes how big of a mistake he has made, and how wrong he was to let his hatred overcome him and let him lose his family and everyone he loved. Armand was clearly the character most filled with hate, and at the end, he is the one with the most amount of regret. Those who are led by love, such as Armand’s parents, end up happier and in better lifelong situations. Chopin uses the characters in Desiree’s Baby to show her audience that if you fill your life with love rather than hate, you will end up living a happier, more meaningful, and more fulfilling life