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Desiree's Baby | Reading Pointers for Sharper Insights

Reading Pointers for Sharper Insights

To fully appreciate Chopin's short story, consider the following points:

Historical Note:

Birth and breeding were extremely important to the Southerner of the 19th century. A person's name gave social class and prestige to the family, in addition to showing if a person's background included any ancestors who were black. The climax of “Désirée's Baby” hinges upon this societal prejudice.

Theme:

The story centers on both the presumed inferiority of women, dependence on a husband, and the deleterious and irrational effects of racism.

Motifs:

  • Désirée's mother symbolizes unconditional love and acceptance—a contrast to Armand's erratic love.

  • The quadroon boy stands for Armand himself as well as Armand's son. It is no accident that the quadroon boy, fanning the baby, is the same color as Désirée's child.

  • The letters show both the instructive and the destructive use of communication. Chopin uses the letters to reveal important information by Désirée's and Armand's mothers.

Unique Elements in Chopin's Story:

  • the contrast between Armand's superficial love with Désirée's devotion

  • the mystery and suspense created by the backgrounds of the main characters not being fully revealed

  • the mystery of what happens to Désirée

  • The use of color is a technique that she uses throughout to draw visual pictures of her characters. Colors tell the stories of their background.

  • Throughout the story, Chopin skillfully withholds information from the reader but creates a situation where the reader can deduce logically what is happening. (Examples: the mother's visit and her reaction; the neighbor's visits; Désirée sending the boy from the room, etc.)

  • Language of death is strategically placed within the story depicting the types of deaths in the story. Think about the various types of death that are depicted within the story.

  • quadroon – a person having one quarter African ancestry