The human relationship is one of the most complex associations known. Many wonder what drives love, what precipitates hatred, and what induces sorrow. It may be many years before humans find these answers, or perhaps they will always remain questions. In her short story, “Desiree’s Baby,” Kate Chopin introduces the characters of Desiree, an orphan, and Armand, a slaveholder, and the Southern plantation setting in which the story takes place. In “Desiree’s Baby,” Desiree’s adopted mother visits Desiree in her plantation home. Madame Valmonde notices an incongruence about her grandson, the titular character, but she decides to keep it to herself. Desiree’s husband, Armand Aubigny, treats his slaves more humanely, as he is in a better mood since the birth of his son. One day as Desiree walks in on her child receiving a fanning from a young slave boy, she notices that her baby’s skin color matches that of the slave. Worried about the possible consequences of the time period, Desiree writes to her mother and consults her husband. Armand reverts back to his harsh ways and he bluntly tells Desiree that she must not be white. Distraught by this news, Desiree is last seen leaving the plantation with the baby in her arms. Some time later, Armand sits on the edge of a fire as he burns Desiree’s effects. He comes across a letter written by his late mother to his father which reveals that Armand’s mother was actually a black woman. Upon first reading the short story, it is clear that the author criticizes the imperious and harsh nature of Armand Aubigny in his slave-holding and fatherly duties; however, on further examination, Chopin criticizes the strong division between two races in the antebellum South; and ultimately the author analyzes the submissiveness of women who surrender their rights.
Chopin employs biblical allusions and various other techniques to criticize Armand Aubigny’s commanding and overbearing behavior. As Armand begins to notice the oddities in his baby, the narrator describes “the very spirit of Satan” that seems “to take hold of him in his dealings with the slaves” (Chopin 2). This illustrates his change back into his old behaviors towards everyone in his existence. The biblical allusion of “Satan” foreshadows his because Satan is known for total destruction. The aforementioned destructive force, Satan, threatens everyone in Armand’s life because this power is so strong that it cannot be contained. The personification of Satan “hold[ing]” Armand accentuates the rapidity of his change in character. A “hold” implies a forceful touch, so Armand was assertively made to be vicious. The comparison of the anger of Armand to the “hold” of “Satan” highlights the satanic behavior of Armand toward those he loves and those who work under him. Describing the condition at “Young Aubigny’s” plantation, the narrator describes the rule as “a strict one, too, and under it his negroes had forgotten how to be gay, as they had been during the old master’s easy-going and indulgent lifetime” (Chopin 1). This quote highlights the effects of Armand’s leadership on those who he rules. The juxtaposition of “Young Aubigny” and his “strict” rule compares the morals of youth and innocence to the harsh methods of slave-owning in the 1800’s Southern United States. Chopin’s adjacent word structure makes the reader wonder how someone characterized as fresh-faced and naive could treat another human being as property or as below himself. Furthermore, the juxtaposition examines the almost unfounded dislike that Armand possesses for these people that drives him to treat them in such a cruel way. Also, the detail of Armand’s father’s “easy-going” lifestyle foreshadows a situation where not following the philosophies of his father leads to his demise (Chopin 1). In life, parents teach their children how to successfully make their way in the world. If Armand does not follow the teachings of his old man, he will end up no better than him. In her essay entitled “Critical Essay on ‘Desiree’s Baby’,” Rena Korb delves into the thought behind Armand’s actions. She claims that when he believes that Desiree is not white, he shows his “anger at her but also his belief that she is now beneath him and that she is not worthy of his time” (Korb 2). This demonstration of Armand’s belief system reveals his self-proclaimed racial superiority and explains the thought behind his strict nature. Also, the belief that a person of color lies “beneath” Armand explains his ability to be forceful to his slaves and to treat them as if they mean nothing. Korb makes an interesting remark when she notes that a black person is “not worthy of his time.” This also points to another reason why he is incredibly imperious: he dislikes every minute that he spends with his slaves. The more severe he is, the less time he must spend around slaves. This methodology reinforces the assertive traits that Armand displays in his slave-holding duties. The characterization of Armand as discordant in his behavior toward everyone in his life proves his authoritarian rule. However, the majority of Armand’s hatred channels toward the people of color in his life. Characterizing Armand as malicious also criticizes his ideas and thoughts about the hierarchy of race.
Chopin utilizes negative connotation and a variety of other techniques to criticize the demarcation of the black and white races in the pre-Civil War South. When Armand reads the letter from his mother that reveals she was not white, Mrs. Aubigny writes about her hope that her son never realizes that she was part of “the race that is cursed with the brand of slavery” (Chopin 4). This quote reveals the author’s critical views of slavery through the negative connotation of the word “cursed” to describe the plight of the African-Americans (Chopin 1). The word “cursed” invokes a sense of pity from the reader because a curse is not a desired predicament; the slaves did not ask to burden themselves with this malediction. The word also points the blame on the white slave-owners like Armand, her son, due to every curse having an inflicter. Also, the word choice of “brand” depicts a fiery mistreatment due to the branding of cattle, where an imprint is left on the hide by a branding iron (Chopin 1). This word compares the treatment of slaves to the treatment of cattle, a derogatory comparison which lowers the slaves to the level of an animal that is raised to be slaughtered. Whilst discussing the well-being of her family to her mother, Desiree remarks on the pleasant mood of her husband and his treatment of the slaves: “‘he hasn’t punished one of them-not one of them-since baby is born…Oh, mamma, I’m so happy; it frightens me’” (Chopin 2). Chopin expresses her views on slavery through her main character, Desiree. The detail of Desiree’s happiness directly characterizes her jovial emotions, but more importantly portrays the author’s contentedness that the slaves are treated better. This helps the author to directly criticize the practice of slavery and the treatment of slaves. Through the repetition of “one of them,” Chopin indicates that Desiree must reiterate her claim because her mother does not believe her, highlighting that Armand’s ardor for punishing slaves is well-known and accepted. This toleration of a person cruelly disciplining slaves illustrates the convention of that time period. Chopin criticizes this custom when she must repeat that he did not punish them, not that he did punish the slaves. Robert Arner examines the demarcation of racial themes in the short story in his essay, “Pride and Prejudice: Ka
te Chopin’s ‘Desiree’s Baby’.” He notes that the contrast between “light and shadow, whiteness and blackness” reinforce the racial themes of the story (Arner 75). Desiree is seen as the color white, while Armand is surrounded by images of darkness. Chopin inveighs against the societal separation of races because throughout the majority of the story, Desiree is seen as the impure spouse due to her unorthodox parentage, while Armand is seen as racially superior. However, Chopin associates these seemingly misplaced colors to them. This lack of clarity in regards to the relationship between pure and impure and dark and light reveals that Chopin believes a distinct line between two races is unjust. Also, the fact that Chopin employs two neutral colors shows that the author does not believe that one race should reside over another in society. Chopin criticizes the separation between the black and white races by analyzing the relationship between Desiree and Armand, however, while describing this marriage, Chopin touches on a common marital dynamic for this time period.
Through similes and other techniques, Chopin analyzes the compliance of women toward men in the antebellum South and the perception of them as objects for men. Whilst remembering Desiree’s childhood, Madame Valmonde reminisces about when young Armand Aubigny fell in love with Desiree. The narrator notes that it was “as if” love struck him “by a pistol shot” and that his love “swept along like an avalanche, or like a prairie fire, or like anything that drives headlong over all obstacles” (Chopin 1). Chopin prates at length describing the process of how Armand fell in love with Desiree. However, the author never discusses whether or not Desiree loved Armand. Of course in this time period, these situations were extremely one-sided. The sentiments of the wife were not thought of because a woman must consider herself lucky to be wanted by a wealthy plantation owner. This antiquated methodology is further depicted by the simile of a “pistol shot,” with all its force and speed, acting as love hitting Armand. Chopin references the Roman god, Cupid, who hits subjects with an arrow of love. However, the author modernizes the love by adapting the arrow to a bullet. Furthemore, the allusion not only shows Armand’s immediate and inconsiderate love, but it also shows Armand’s excessive adoration due to the fact that Cupid is the god of desire and Armand gave his sweetheart the name Desiree. Chopin uses another simile and anaphora to describe the force of Armand’s love, however, yet again excludes Desiree’s opinions on Armand. The description of the “avalanche” and “prairie fire” of love barreling towards Desiree gives her no possible recourse but to marry him (Chopin 1). As displayed, a partial courting process shows that a wife is merely an object to men in this time period. Desiree, upon realizing an inkling of the truth about her child, runs to her husband for answers. She pleads, “‘Tell me what it means!’” (Chopin 3). Armand replies in a curt manner, “‘it means that you are not white’” (Chopin 3). Chopin’s use of exclamatory syntax highlights Desiree’s feelings of inferiority towards Armand. The fact that she needs to ask Armand to confirm a truth that she already knows proves that she thinks Armand is smarter than her, due to him residing higher on the societal ladder. These thoughts stem from the subjugation of Desiree under Armand and the systemic reduction of women to act as no more than just props in a man’s life. The imperative word choice in Desiree’s request illustrates that Desiree lets Armand paint the truth for her, whether it be true or not. She does not ask him to substantiate her claims, she asks him to tell her what he wants to say. Desiree does not say “Tell the truth,” she essentially says, “What do you want me to know from this information?” This question displays a rudimentary sign of acquiescence which accentuates a systemic, pervasive issue of this time period. In her essay analyzing all of Chopin’s work entitled “Mapping Gender: Feminist Cartographies in Kate Chopin’s ‘Regionalist’ Stories,” Kari Skredsvig studies the feminist features of “Desiree’s Baby.” She notes that Desiree “is little more than a possession to [Armand], as represented by his burning of her corbeille, along with the baby’s belongings, after they leave” (Skredsvig 35). This objectification of Desiree to nothing more than a corbeille proves that she was not worth much to her husband. The corbeille is an arrangement of flowers or fruit that signifies marriage in France. A corbeille further proves that the idea of marriage, represented by the corbeille, is of utmost importance to Armand, not the actual person he marries. Furthermore, he views Desiree as an object that is made to be utilized in any way, or, as Skredsvig notes, a “possession” that is owned or controlled by Armand. Chopin censures the objectification of women in the antebellum South by representing a wife as an object, a husband as an authority over his spouse, and love as a one-sided emotion.
Ultimately, Chopin criticizes the exacting nature of Armand Aubigny, however, she also censures the demarcation between the black and white races; in addition, the author examines the objectification of women in this time period. These themes are relevant to the setting because of the widespread slavery and segregation that occurred in the Southern United States in the 1800’s. The fact that a woman from this time period wrote the short story brings greater weight to her claims about the injustices toward women. Chopin’s work displays universal appeal due to the pervasive racism and sexism that is still experienced today. The story is interesting because it combines an unordinary situation with a setting that aptly creates a thrilling conflict.