Kate Chopin’s short story, Desiree’s Baby, is set in Louisiana in the mid nineteenth century on two white-owned plantations. The story discovers the psychosomatic bearings of slavery and racial discrimination. The physical abuse and violence that was a part of slavery are present only on the borders of the story which was disguised in Armand Aubigny’s “strict” dealings of his slaves. Armand sees certain things in his lifetime, Desiree, their son, and his slaves, but as ordinary properties, “those that either mirror well or poorly on him.” (Wolff, Cynthia Griffin) His self-centeredness is simply demonstrated in his firm instruction of his slaves and his acquisition of Desiree. Desiree’s guidance softens him a little bit, and he starts to be
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As he begins to burn all of Desiree’s possessions, he discovers a letter that was mailed from his mother to his father stating, “ I thank the good God for having so arranged our lives that our dear Armand will never know that his mother, who adores him, belongs to the race that is cursed with the brand of slavery.” (Chopin, 182) Upon reading this it takes me back to remembrance of when earlier in the novel it also states “Armand’s dark handsome face” (Chopin, 179) and when Desiree says, “look at my hand, whiter than yours, Armand” (Chopin, 180) Chopin builds up Armand as a mixed race character who looks white and upholds, if not imposes, the ‘rank’ to prove the falseness of Louisiana values. Armand is one of the main characters who upheld this white privilege, because he looks white, although he is part black. This short story has a strong racial theme that depicts the circumstances when slavery did exist and to show how people lived in the middle of it. Analyzing this story with a post-colonial lense, it shows that the story has in fact a racial discrimination and a white privilege issue. Armand’s choices was the reason for his family to fall apart, therefore emphasizing how society the thought of the color “black” as evil and how it represents slavery, while “white” is rich and how it represents a slave owner, therefore the higher
As he begins to burn all of Desiree’s possessions, he discovers a letter that was mailed from his mother to his father stating, “ I thank the good God for having so arranged our lives that our dear Armand will never know that his mother, who adores him, belongs to the race that is cursed with the brand of slavery.” (Chopin, 182) Upon reading this it takes me back to remembrance of when earlier in the novel it also states “Armand’s dark handsome face” (Chopin, 179) and when Desiree says, “look at my hand, whiter than yours, Armand” (Chopin, 180) Chopin builds up Armand as a mixed race character who looks white and upholds, if not imposes, the ‘rank’ to prove the falseness of Louisiana values. Armand is one of the main characters who upheld this white privilege, because he looks white, although he is part black. This short story has a strong racial theme that depicts the circumstances when slavery did exist and to show how people lived in the middle of it. Analyzing this story with a post-colonial lense, it shows that the story has in fact a racial discrimination and a white privilege issue. Armand’s choices was the reason for his family to fall apart, therefore emphasizing how society the thought of the color “black” as evil and how it represents slavery, while “white” is rich and how it represents a slave owner, therefore the higher