Symbolism In Desiree's Baby, By Kate Chopin

Having a baby is supposed to bring the mother and father full of joy and happiness. Even more so, the baby is said to look like the parents, given the same nose as the mother, or the same eyes as the father; perhaps the same skin tone of the parents. During the years of the mid 1860’s it was a time in which slaves and slave owners were clearly distinguished. If your skin tone were of some or any way darker than normal (black) you would become a slave. Slave owners essentially bought and traded slaves as though they were property and were in no way treated at human beings. Thus, showing a clear rank in society; the more slaves you owned, the richer it made you seem. If you were a slave, you were uncared for and treated as though you were dirt. In Desiree’s Baby, Kate Chopin expresses that different ethnicity was still a controversial topic by using irony, foreshadowing, and symbolism. Kate Chopin was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1850 and died in 1904 (Toth para. 3). She wrote numerous short stories and published two novels. Though she is considered a famous classical writer in modern day, she had a horrible reputation while she was alive. She lived through the American Civil War and saw how difference and disputes had caused the country to go to war with itself. At the age of nineteen she met Oscar Chopin, whom she married in 1870 …show more content…
The husband, Armand is a slave owner and his wife, Desiree and their child all live together. Yet, as the child grows older, Desiree’s mother begins to see that the baby’s skin tone is much darker. Armand than believes that Desiree is of mixed race, she isn’t a ‘pure’ white person like he is; so he sadly sends her away with the child. Yet, the irony of the story is that later, Armand finds a letter from his mother who she wrote years ago, saying that she is of mixed race; thus is probably the reason why his child came out with such a dark skin