Kate Chopin’s “Desiree’s Baby”, Essay Example

Desiree Aubigny, the protagonist of Kate Chopin’s “Desiree’s Baby” is a perfect example of the manner in which individuals were treated if they were not of the White race. At the beginning of the novel, Desiree appears as a blessing to Madame Valmonde, who could not have any children by herself. Despite the fact that Desiree is clearly white in the novel, she is still accused of being of the mixed race. The fact that Desiree’s husband, Armand Aubigny, is not cognizant of the actuality that it is him that is of the mixed race, he treats his wife as if she were a disgrace to him towards the end of the novel.

Despite the fact that there is nothing to indicate that Desiree is of the mixed race throughout the novel, Armand believes that she is indeed part black when stating: “’It means,’ he answered lightly, ‘that the child is not white; it means that you are not white.’” (Chopin) After saying this, Armand forces his wife to depart, even though he is not sure of her real descent. Even though Armand later discovers that he is the one that is of the mixed race towards the end of the novel, the manner in which he treats Desiree simply because he assumes that she is not white illustrates the manner in which individuals who were not white were mistreated.

The novel clearly states that Desiree was white when stating “The young mother was recovering slowly, and lay full length, in her soft white muslins and laces, upon a couch.” (Chopin) Regardless of all of these indications that Desiree is white, Armand does not catch on that he is the one that is part black. It can be assumed by the reader that Armand might have simply been in denial that he was not fully white.

The moment Valmonde found Desiree, the novels states that Valmonde thought that “the girl grew to be beautiful and gentle, affectionate and sincere.” (Chopin) The fact that a white lady is thinking this about a young girl implies that Desiree was completely white. Despite these clear indications, Desiree is still shun away from her husband and eventually ends up where the novel began. The novel is one that explains the “class-based and racial prejudice” (“Kate Chopin’s Short Stories “Désirée’s Baby”) that existed in the times of the novel. Because of the circumstance that Desiree is put in, she turns to “social isolation” (“Kate Chopin’s Short Stories “Désirée’s Baby”) towards the end of the novel because Armand shuts her out of his life. The reason as to why Armand decided to come to such a conclusion towards his wife was because of the way in which society deemed it a “distinctly derogatory connotation” (“Kate Chopin’s Short Stories “Désirée’s Baby”) if any sexual relations happened between two individuals of different race. Although the conclusion to the story is a sad and surprising one, the novel serves its purpose in portraying the manner in which individuals were unjustly treated in previous times simply because of their descent or what they looked like. If Armand had approached the situation different and would have been accepting that either of them was not completely white, none of the events that resulted would have taken place and they could have continued to life a satisfactory life.

The fact that Desiree’s husband, Armand Aubigny, is not cognizant of the actuality that it is him that is of the mixed race, he treats his wife as if she were a disgrace to him towards the end of the novel. Even though Armand has no proof that Desiree is the one who is of the mixed race at any point in the novel, he still assumes the worst and belittles her as a human being.

Works Cited

Chopin, Kate. “Kate Chopin: A Re-Awakening – Desiree’s Baby.” PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. PHS Online, n.d. Web. 3 July 2015.

“Kate Chopin’s Short Stories “Désirée’s Baby” Summary and Analysis | GradeSaver.”Study Guides & Essay Editing | GradeSaver. GradeSaver, n.d. Web. 3 July 2015.