DESIREES BABY

By KATE CHOPIN

SUMMARY OF DESIREES BABY

Dsire is the adopted daughter of Monsieur and Madame Valmond who are wealthy Creoles in Louisiana

Discovered by Monsieur Valmond lying in the shadow of a stone pillar near the Valmond gateway.
She is courted by another wealthy, well-known and respected scion of a Creole family, Armand. They appear very devoted to one another and eventually have a child.

People who see the baby get a sense that something is unusual about it. Eventually they realize that the baby's skin is the same color as a quadroon (one-quarter African) slave boythe baby is not white. At the setting of the story, this would have been considered a terrible taint.

Because of Dsire's unknown roots, Armand immediately assumes that she is part black although Dsire tries to deny the accusation.

Madame Valmond suggests that Dsire and the baby return to the Valmond estate. Armand, scornful with Dsire and no longer in love with her, insists on her going.
Armand then proceeds to burn all of Dsires belongings, even the child's cradle, as well as all of the letters that she has sent him during their courtship. With this bundle of letters is also one written from his mother to his father, revealing that Armand is, in fact, the one who is part black.

LITERARY CRITICISM
SOCIAL CRITICISM
GENDER CRITICISM HISTORICAL CRITICISM CULTURAL CRITICISM

SOCIAL CRITICISM
Around nineteenth century, the white were the dominant society that made the coloured as slaves. It was believed that the white were blessed by God while the coloured were cursed with their skin colour, thus they became slaves and the inferior society. White men were on top of the social hierarchy, followed by white women and then the coloured society.

GENDER CRITICISM
Throughout this short story, it can be seen that women once had no rights to go against their husband.
Even though Armand himself was from the coloured race, he probably would not face any consequences to be a coloured man or being cruel to his wife. Women were seen as the weaker gender during this century. So, even though Desiree was innocent, nobody would stand on behalf of her. Unfortunately it was Desiree and her child that would suffer due to Armands accusation.

HISTORICAL CRITICISM
Armand has coloured slaves serving in his house. Around the nineteenth century, the coloured were made as slaves in America by the white who settled there. Also, during this era and Louisiana region, large plantations were common plus slavery had yet to be abolished. There were no workers, just slaves Kate Chopins family also held slaves in the 1850s. Now making the coloured as slaves does not exist anymore. It was an October afternoon; the sun was just sinking. Out in the still fields the negroes were picking cotton.

CULTURAL CRITICISM
During early years of American independence, the British influence could still be seen in American culture; keeping the coloured as slaves.
This was due to the belief that the coloured was equal to evil while the white was equal to good and just. This belief was supported by Christian ideology. Moreover, wealthy people who were not blessed with children would take care of any child that they liked, like the Valmonde took care of Desiree and the Aubigny took care of Armand, Desirees background was unknown while Armand came from the coloured race.

REFERENCES
Kate chopins biography.(2012). Retrieved on20 February 2012, from http://www.katechopin.org/index.html#Vo gue A Review of Diserees Baby . (2012) Retrieved on 20 February 2012 from http://www.mannmuseum.com/a-reviewof-quot-desiree-s-baby-quot/