Kate Chopin’s “Desiree’s Baby” Essay

Kate Chopins Desirees Baby is a short story set in Louisiana in the fresh 1800s. Slavery was still prominent in society, and the color of a per newss skin chose what caste he or she would occupy. Desiree has married Armand Aubigny, a rich bachelor. The origin of Desirees family is shrouded in mystery she was found by her adoptive parents, the Valmondes, when she was young. Years later, Armand and Desiree have a son, whom they both adore. But after three months, their son has gotten darker in skin t angiotensin-converting enzyme. Armand instantly recoils from both him and Desiree. His coldness towards them eventually leads Desiree to the bayou, their son in hand. After weeks of no contact from his wife, Armand burns all of her things, where he stumbles upon a letter from his mother. It reveals that he is the son of a slave woman.The major nucleotide Chopin was using throughout Desirees Baby is the impact society has on race. If a person was white, he or she was considered superior to other races. A white man could vote, own property, and run for council though a white woman wouldnt receive these rights until the 1960s, she was still held in a higher position than a black woman or man. Blacks had little rights given to them, and it still took a nose candy years before they were viewed as equals. Mixed children werent exactly rare some white slave owners thought little of taking advantage of one of their black house-keepers or slaves. If the child had lighter skin, sometimes they were treated better. Such is the case with Armando.By the end of the story, Chopin drops a bomb that leaves her audience with a curtain Armands mother was African-American, meaning Armand was a slaves son. It wasnt Desiree who gave their son his dark skin, it was Armand. Armand was incredibly narrow-minded, as he no longer cares for both his wife or his child because he thought Desirees genes gave their son dark skin. Although intolerance towards blacks wasnt exactly unpopular back in the nineteenth century, Armand takes it to a new level when he doesnt attempt to stop Desiree from leaving. He was smitten with her from the moment he laid eyes on her, and provided at the thought of having a diluted bloodline, his adoration transformed into hatred.Chopin was making a point when she allowed the story to end the way it did. She is noted for writing well-nigh taboo topics that women normally didnt breach, such as womens role as subservient characters to the male-dominated society. Although she was just writing a short story, she also treasured to leave the reader with lasting emotions once the story ended. Desiree killed herself, as well as her son, because she couldnt stand the repulsion Armand felt towards her. With ethnicity being the major theme of this short story, I have chosen that topic as my critical approach. Its clear that Chopin was focusing more on the injustice served to blacks then both sort of injustice women were handed in 1800s society.