Nineteenth century Louisiana held a lively French and Cajun inspired culture and the largest slave market in the United States, slaves were sold by the thousands. White plantation owners competed to have the most prosperous farm in addition to having a flawless family. This perception of perfection was most sought-after; the reputation of a man was placed above his wife, child, and everything else. In Kate Chopin 's short story "Desiree 's Baby," the author uses Armand 's internal conflict concerning racism and his relationship with Desiree to assert that there is a struggle in finding balance with one’s societal image.
In contemplation of why Armand made the decisions he did regarding Desiree, his internal oppositions must be understood. …show more content…
According to this racial system, anyone with the slightest bit of black ancestry was to be considered black (Shen). For this reasoning, it explains the motive for Armand disowning Desiree and their baby. Armand explicitly follows the system by saying “that the child is not white; it means that you are not white” (Chopin 3). When he comes to the realization that his son is of colored descent, he is quick to get rid of him solely due to race. Armand was raised with the mentality of being black is considered as inferior, so he does not want color to taint his societal image. Armand’s parental affection is determined by race: it totally disappears as soon as he finds his son to be colored (Shen). He puts his pride and image above his parental duties. When Desiree pleas to explain herself by saying “Look at my hand; whiter than yours, Armand” (Chopin 3) he is quick to disregard it, as he sees himself as perfection that is incapable of doing wrong. He must agree with the fact that Desiree is caucasian, however he cannot prove that, for her origin is obscure. With racial prejudice and psychological confusion as the sources of his cruelty, Armand had no choice but to turn from Desiree and the baby (Foy). Racism led him to discard his family, when the irony of it all is that his …show more content…
They remained a constant in her life, even after they found out that the baby was biracial. At the point when Desiree told her mother of Armand’s malice, Madame Valmonde welcomed her child back by saying “My own Désirée: Come home to Valmondé; back to your mother who loves you. Come with your child” (Chopin 3). By saying this, the Valmonde family is free from racism. They love Desiree wholly and are more concerned for her wellbeing over their image. In contrast to Armand who put his image above all else. Perhaps the stem of Armand’s impulse to achieve perfection and elope with Desiree is the Absence of his mother. Having been eight years old when his mother died, He grew up without the love and affection of a mother (Foy). This affection could only be fulfilled by a wife who adored him; he found this in Desiree. The achievement of a “perfect wife”permitted him to continue his journey towards complete perfection, however this plan did not include black blood. At age eight, Armand should have been old enough to remember his mother. The only reasonable conclusion is that he rejected the idea of his mother being black and forced himself to forget, for the reason that to be considered black is to be considered of the lowest class. Holding the Aubigny name, that was highly venerated, Armand denied his roots to protect his image and maintain his
In contemplation of why Armand made the decisions he did regarding Desiree, his internal oppositions must be understood. …show more content…
According to this racial system, anyone with the slightest bit of black ancestry was to be considered black (Shen). For this reasoning, it explains the motive for Armand disowning Desiree and their baby. Armand explicitly follows the system by saying “that the child is not white; it means that you are not white” (Chopin 3). When he comes to the realization that his son is of colored descent, he is quick to get rid of him solely due to race. Armand was raised with the mentality of being black is considered as inferior, so he does not want color to taint his societal image. Armand’s parental affection is determined by race: it totally disappears as soon as he finds his son to be colored (Shen). He puts his pride and image above his parental duties. When Desiree pleas to explain herself by saying “Look at my hand; whiter than yours, Armand” (Chopin 3) he is quick to disregard it, as he sees himself as perfection that is incapable of doing wrong. He must agree with the fact that Desiree is caucasian, however he cannot prove that, for her origin is obscure. With racial prejudice and psychological confusion as the sources of his cruelty, Armand had no choice but to turn from Desiree and the baby (Foy). Racism led him to discard his family, when the irony of it all is that his …show more content…
They remained a constant in her life, even after they found out that the baby was biracial. At the point when Desiree told her mother of Armand’s malice, Madame Valmonde welcomed her child back by saying “My own Désirée: Come home to Valmondé; back to your mother who loves you. Come with your child” (Chopin 3). By saying this, the Valmonde family is free from racism. They love Desiree wholly and are more concerned for her wellbeing over their image. In contrast to Armand who put his image above all else. Perhaps the stem of Armand’s impulse to achieve perfection and elope with Desiree is the Absence of his mother. Having been eight years old when his mother died, He grew up without the love and affection of a mother (Foy). This affection could only be fulfilled by a wife who adored him; he found this in Desiree. The achievement of a “perfect wife”permitted him to continue his journey towards complete perfection, however this plan did not include black blood. At age eight, Armand should have been old enough to remember his mother. The only reasonable conclusion is that he rejected the idea of his mother being black and forced himself to forget, for the reason that to be considered black is to be considered of the lowest class. Holding the Aubigny name, that was highly venerated, Armand denied his roots to protect his image and maintain his