How Is Armand Presented In Desiree's Baby

Yet it is not until Armand believes that Desiree is black that he fully dominates her simply by thinking that he is superior.  At this point, “when he spoke to her, it was with averted eyes, from which the old love-light seemed to have gone out” (317).  Armand feels that he is too superior to Desiree to devote his full attention to her.  Since he no longer expresses his love for Desiree, she feels further pushed into a slave-like position in the relationship, and, “was miserable enough to die” (318).

It was not until the very end of the story that she finally came realize who and what she looked like. She never noticed how similar they appeared and was shocked to realize that maybe her husband only loved her because of how similar she looked to the girl. Now she has to keep living with the thought of her husband only being with her because she looked so much like the girl. In the story “Desiree’s Baby”, Desiree was also faced with a troubling problem. Though she was white and her husband had the appearance of being white, their baby is black. It was not through the fault of Desiree that her baby was part black, but through the fault of her husband, Armand. Armand sends them away to Desiree’s mother’s but instead they head into the forest. Desiree and her baby disappear and are never heard of again. Soon after, Armand realizes that it was his fault that the baby is part black. When opening a letter, he reads, “I thank the good God for having so arranged

The time period in which “Desiree’s Baby” is set plays a vital role in the condescending tone of the story. “Desiree’s Baby” is based in a time period of slavery and segregation. This shows the tone of judgement though the form of judging one's skin color. This quote from the story, “It was an October afternoon; the sun was just sinking. Out in the fields the negroes were picking cotton.”

And then there is Desiree, who is married to Armand. The two have a child; and months after being born the relationship turns volatile . After Armand’s mood changes “ Desiree was miserable enough to die”(3). After asking Armand what he thinks on the skin color of their child, and he tells her that it is beause the baby is not white, and she is not white. In notes that he finds Armand reads "But above all," she wrote, "night and day, I thank the good God for having so arranged our lives that our dear Armand will never know that his mother, who adores him,

Armand’s desperate hope to have a son rather than a daughter is an example of gender bias. Armand judges the worth of his own child based on its gender to carry his proud family name, Aubigny. In this story, Desiree is treated as a trophy wife with no responsibility or power because she is a woman. Desiree was treated as a slave being at complete mercy of Armand, “When he frowned she trembled, but loved him. When he smiled, she asked no greater blessing of God.” This passage showcases the level of control Armand assumed over Desiree. After the birth of her child, Armand views his trophy as impure and unwelcome in his home. The conflict of a colored child being born into a prominent family is too much for Armand to handle. The racial bias forces Desiree to leave the plantation and return to her mother. Desiree is a victim of her society’s mistreatment and prejudice; however, Armand could also be viewed as a product of this society.

The characters of Desiree and Armand are opposites of each other. Armand cares more for his name and status than the love of a woman who cares deeply for him. He doesn’t see or doesn’t care that his relationship with Desiree goes deeper than the color of his child’s skin. He

Desiree's life is full of indescribable and pitiful events; first, she was lift alone when she was a baby, nameless and no one knows who her family are - this generally refers to the personality of a woman which is, metaphorically, has no presence in the society. Moreover, throughout the story no decision is made by her but

This quote shows how stereotypes impact society by proving to us even though Desiree didn’t look different that the whites she really was. Armand nor anybody else judge her for being different until the baby got older, making it obvious that one or both parents was part African-American. In addition, in the poem, (Labels), The

The story, “Désirée’s Baby”, depicts a married couple, Désirée and Armand, to be happy at first with their newborn child. However, as the child begins to grow, Armand cuts himself off from his wife and baby until eventually, Désirée noticed that her child is in fact, mixed race. While the blame is but on the mother for being the reason the baby is not white, the way that each character is described in the story

They have a child of their own. Many people sense that the child is a little different and eventually they realize the skin color is similar to that of a quadroon, the baby is part African. Desiree is adopted and doesn’t know her real parents therefore Armand instantly believes the baby

Foster and LeJeune’s critique discloses the idea that Desiree’s flee into the bayou is her first act of independence since she had been with Armand. “Chopin presents Desiree-as a character- illustrated how the human spirit often suffers from powerlessness.” (Short Story Criticism, vol.171 Foster and LeJeune,pg 155) From the time that Desiree and Armand tied the knot, she was no longer her own person, but solely Armands property. “Armand never calls Desiree by name; thus , he never affords her a title.” (Short Story Criticism, vol.171 Foster and LeJeune,pg 155) This emphasizes the Desiree’s identity becomes lost within the male's identity even moreso once Desiree bares Armand’s child which shows African American characteristics. The idea of Armand’s child not being purely white, altered Armand’s character towards Desiree which left Desiree with no choice other than to leave his side with her child. “As Chopin narrates: She [Desiree] disappeared among the reeds and willows that grew thick along the banks of the deep, sluggish bayou: and she did not come back again.” ( Short Story Criticism, vol.171 Foster and LeJeune,pg 157) Foster and LeJeune stated “It is by fleeing that she avoids such loss when she escapes to the “reeds and willows”.” ( Short Story Criticism, vol.171 Foster and Jeune,pg 157) This insinuates that Desiree’s choice to leave, was a her choice to disembark her state of oppression and embark on her new life independence from

One of the first notable feature in “Desiree’s Baby is the naturalistic feeling weaved throughout the entire story. Desiree a young woman is damned by her own society just because of her possible African heritage. At this time in America having one-eighth African heritage was enough to put you on the bottom of the social caste system, especially if you were a female.

Desiree?s words show that her life depends on the race, notions, and social class of her husband and consequently, she feels obligated to obey his every desire. Desiree is presented as vulnerable to whatever Armand wants and tells her to do when she says, ?Do you want me to go?? (177). Desiree displays through her actions that in many ways, her happiness only comes from pleasing her husband. Therefore, Desiree must decide whether to live completely separate from Armand, or to live with him in constant fear and unpleasantness. Desiree achieves personal freedom and independence from Armand when ?she disappeared among the reeds and willows that grew thing along the banks of the deep, sluggish bayou; she did not come back again? (177). It is not even an option and is unheard of that Armand, being a male holding a respectable background, could possibly be black. Consequently, Desiree feels compelled to leave because she wants to please him. When Desiree decides to kill herself and her child, she shows that she is sensitive and vulnerable to her husband?s thoughts and actions.

First, Desiree’s identity changes constantly throughout her life. In the story, Desiree goes from being abandoned and having no identity, to being taken in by a loving family, to taking the identity of Armand’s wife, and then back to having no identity. Having taken on so many identities clearly affects her at the end of the story when she decides to kill herself because of her inability to try to find a new identity and see life outside of Armand. One quote that shows an identity change is, "Desiree, truly belongs nowhere. Found abandoned in front of the gates to the valmonde plantation," (Essays 3). As a child Desiree was abandoned and had no identity, but when she was taken if by that

Desiree is recognized as a foundling by everyone she meets except her parents. This becomes a central part of her identity, she was raised by a white family, is surrounded by white members of society, marries a white man, but shockingly does not have a white baby. She does not notice the physical qualities of her child immediately, but instead focuses on her husband’s sudden change in behavior. Once she realizes the issue at hand, Desiree goes to Armand, her husband, to make amends or clarify the situation. For