Chopin has been described as a local colorist, and certainly most of her stories are set in a particular geographical area that she examines socially and physically. Unlike such local colorists as Sarah Orne Jewett and George Washington Cabel, though, Chopin did not write to preserve the past, nor did she focus on the conflict of past and present that characterizes the typical local color story. Further, her work shows no nostalgia for a previous era. Only five of her stories lack a contemporary setting, and “Désirée’s Baby” demonstrates no fondness for the antebellum period.

The carefully defined setting is, rather, a laboratory. What happens when one puts certain characters in a particular world? Like a scientist, Chopin observed their reactions and reported her results without obvious emotion. Significantly, she called this story “Désirée’s Baby,” not “Désirée,” as though seeking to deflect sympathy from the central character. Also, the baby is the crucial ingredient in this experiment: Give Armand and Désirée a child of color and then watch how they behave.

They behave badly, each blaming the other. Neither knows the truth, but because Armand is the more powerful, Désirée is disgraced and banished. Chopin does not moralize; she merely reports. That clinical detachment makes the final lines all the more forceful, as the reader grasps the enormity of Armand’s mistake.

"Desiree's Baby" is a work of social realism situated in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, shortly after the Civil War. Known as a local colorist, Chopin uses the setting to establish the story's tone and develop its characters. The narrative serves as a cultural examination of Natchitoches Park, a place inhabited by Creoles—people of French descent and native birth, often with mixed French and African-American heritage. Creole French culture, itself a blend resulting from the intermingling of races and peoples, heavily influences the story. Chopin emphasizes that the residents of this Southern town take great pride in their heritage.

The Creoles of Natchitoches Park symbolize the Southern aristocracy, starkly contrasting with the slaves who toil on the plantations. Chopin crafts a world of opposites, a clear division between Black and white that not only differentiates the townsfolk but also illustrates the schisms that devastate lives and lead to sorrow. Armand Aubigny perceives a strict boundary between Black and white, associating Black with evil and white with virtue. The distinctly French culture, separate from the culture of the slaves, helps define Natchitoches Park as an insular community where people hold narrow views and depend on long-established norms. Armand exemplifies a man whose thoughts and actions are dictated by his time and place. Like many Southern landowners in this small Louisiana town during this period, Armand uses appearances to distinguish between Black and white, evil and good.

This Southern town serves as an apt backdrop for the rise of an arrogant plantation owner who measures power by skin color and the extent and quality of his possessions. Armand is a planter, profoundly influenced by the prestige of land ownership. The story unfolds in the late nineteenth century, just after the Civil War, during a time when the South continued to grapple with deep social divisions. These divisions existed between Blacks and whites, landowners and slaves, and men and women. Through her vivid portrayal of the setting, Chopin successfully highlights the tragedy of these separations. The racial politics of the era, pervasive in small-town Louisiana, eroded the self-worth of all those oppressed by their gender or skin color.

The late nineteenth century witnessed numerous social changes. Although Chopin addresses issues long before they became focal points of political discourse, she was astute enough to identify these problems as they affected individuals in small Southern communities. Natchitoches Park serves as a backdrop where Chopin can highlight and examine social issues rooted in the legacy of the slave system. The tragic lives of both Armand and Desiree starkly reveal the horrors of slavery. Besides showcasing how racial prejudices can wreak havoc, the story also underscores that slavery led to racial mixing, challenging the notion that physical appearance alone defines race.

"Desiree's Baby" delves into both the essence of slavery and the nature of love. Within the insular Creole community, societal norms and biases can overshadow genuine affection. The setting is crucial in advancing Chopin's theme of love because, in this era and location, both women and Black individuals are viewed as inferior. Armand's love for Desiree is possessive, while Desiree's love for Armand stems from the identity and belonging he provides her. The story's setting underscores Chopin's message that women of this period were oppressed just as much as Black people.

Kate Chopin delves into both the social and physical attributes of this Louisiana community. Unlike local colorists such as Sarah Orne Jewett, William Faulkner, and George Washington Cable, Chopin does not emphasize the historical importance of the past. Instead, she concentrates on the social relevance of the present, shaped by its historical background. She situates her characters within a social context and analyzes their thoughts and behaviors accordingly.

One of the key elements that make Chopin's stories so lifelike is her use of local color. Her deep understanding of the community she writes about allows her to craft convincing characters. Chopin heavily employs imagery and symbolism to add depth to her characters and validate their emotions. She uses color imagery to underscore the social divisions between Black and white individuals and employs biblical imagery to draw parallels between Desiree and God, and Armand and Satan. This association links darkness with evil and lightness with good. Additionally, she uses natural disaster imagery to expose the violent nature of the passion shared by Desiree and Armand. Armand's passion is particularly uncontrolled, akin to a natural force, making it both destructive and potentially catastrophic. Chopin describes Armand's passion as being "swept along like an avalanche, or like a prairie fire, or like anything that drives headlong over all obstacles." The fire imagery reappears in the story after Desiree leaves, and Armand tries to erase her memory by burning her belongings. At this moment, Desiree is clearly an obstacle to Armand. The fire not only symbolizes Armand's passion but also his determination to destroy anything that threatens his ideal world.

It is ironic that Armand constructs a world centered on his white supremacy, condemns Desiree for disrupting it, and then ultimately causes its destruction himself. Chopin's use of irony is evident throughout the story. For example, there is irony in the name of Armand's mistress, La Blanche. Although she appears white, she is actually of mixed race. She is a slave, and the child she has with Armand will never receive his father's respect or enjoy the privileges of white Southern society. There is also irony in the fact that Armand, who is dark and evil, sees himself as white and good, while Desiree, who is light and good, is cast out as dark and evil. Through these ironies, Chopin deconstructs traditional value assignments and dualistic thinking, which reduce human beings to simplistic categories and overlook the complexities of character and human interaction.

Through subtle foreshadowing, Chopin hints at a tragic conclusion, but she keeps the specifics of the tragedy hidden until the story's end. The interplay of dark and light imagery, the contrast between evil and goodness, and the ironies that emerge throughout the narrative all come together when Chopin delivers an ironic twist. Some critics commend Chopin for crafting a surprise ending, while others argue that the conclusion is predictable. The irony that Armand's heritage influences the baby's skin color metaphorically underscores the notion that male dominance in objectifying humans contributes to social injustice.

Since it is Armand, not Desiree, who has Black ancestry, we must question whether Armand is aware of his mixed heritage and whether it matters. Given Armand's powerful position as a white, aristocratic male landowner, he certainly possesses the authority to blame Desiree and exile her. The truth of his ancestry does not impact his social standing because he can easily hide it. However, by incorporating this twist, Chopin highlights the futility and ambiguity of a social system of oppression built on stark dualities and deceptive appearances.

Chopin addresses themes that were considered too controversial for her era. In "Desiree's Baby," she delves into a woman's quest for identity, examining her sense of belonging during a historical period when women and Black people were still fighting for the rights and privileges granted to white men. Desiree seems to lack an identity of her own, a fact made evident early in the story. She is a foundling with no known origin. She adopts the identity of the Valmondes when they take her in, and later, she assumes the identity of Armand Aubigny when she marries him.

When Armand Aubigny becomes enamored with Desiree, he falls in love "as if struck by a pistol shot." This metaphorically deadly attraction is tightly linked to her physical allure. Armand is capable of intense passion but not genuine love. He exists in a society where ownership defines social hierarchy, and women, like land and slaves, are viewed as possessions. Chopin challenges us to consider if a young woman can truly have her own identity in such an environment. As a foundling, Desiree knows nothing of her origins and adopts the identities of those who care for her. Slaves were given their masters' surnames, and masters often fathered mixed-race children with their slaves. As Armand's wife, Desiree occupies a role similar to that of a servant. She is so reliant on her husband's approval that, when he rejects her, she feels she no longer has a place in society. Consequently, she chooses to withdraw from society rather than stay in a world where she feels incapable of establishing her own identity and place.

"Desiree's Baby" also explores various forms of love. In stark contrast to Armand's fleeting passion for Desiree is the unwavering maternal love Madame Valmonde has for Desiree. Madame Valmonde's love is unconditional. Unable to have children of her own, she regards the baby girl she discovers by the roadside as a divine gift, referring to her as a blessing from "a beneficent Providence." Similarly, Armand's mother appears to love him unconditionally. These mothers do not let societal norms dictate their emotions. Armand, however, does. His love for his child is unable to endure the blow to his social conscience, just as his love for his wife cannot withstand it. Whether Desiree allows social pressures to dictate her feelings is unclear, but she certainly lets them influence her actions. She decides to end her and her baby's lives, believing she lacks the power to challenge the social system or regain the respect she feels she has lost. In this way, Desiree mirrors the tragic choice of many female slaves who chose death for themselves and their children over a life of slavery.

Although Armand's mother never appears in the narrative, she still influences the story; she passed away in Paris when Armand was just eight years old. Armand's mother, a proud Frenchwoman, instilled a deep sense of pride in his heritage. This mindset contributes to Armand's development into Chopin's archetype of the Southern aristocrat. Armand transforms into the harsh landowner and slave master, asserting his dominance over those he deems inferior.

Chopin's characters are often critiqued for being stereotypical. Armand epitomizes the conventional Southern plantation owner, convinced of his right to exert control over his slaves, wife, and child. In contrast, Desiree wields no power as she believes she has none, remaining passive and subservient while Armand reigns supreme. Throughout their marriage, Armand undergoes changes that impact everyone around him. Initially, he is brutal to his slaves, but after the birth of his child, he becomes kinder. However, upon discovering his child's mixed heritage, he reverts to his old ways, mistreating the slaves once more and becoming neglectful and cruel towards Desiree. If Armand embodies the stereotypical slave owner, Desiree embodies the typical Southern wife. She highlights the societal expectations placed on her as the household's mistress and as an adornment to her husband. Her behavior must reflect well on her husband, adhering to societal standards and community norms. When Armand marries Desiree, he claims her status as a foundling is irrelevant; he believes that by "acquiring" her, she becomes his possession. Armand sees himself as the master and owner, which allows him to discard Desiree when he feels she has tarnished his social standing. His life is governed by social pride.

Miscegenation is a recurring theme in several of Chopin's short stories, highlighting the legacy of slavery and the despair felt by minorities in a system defined by strict racial divisions. After learning of his child's ancestry, Armand equates his wife Desiree with his mistress La Blanche. Both women are seen as possessions, and the belief that Desiree has Black heritage makes her more easily discardable. Desiree's baby, much like La Blanche's child, will never belong in Armand's world; both will be social outcasts, denied the privilege of carrying Armand's name.

By portraying a world starkly divided into Black and white, Chopin delves into the theme of good versus evil. Is Armand inherently evil, or is he merely a product and victim of a corrupt society? Armand adheres to societal norms and maintains his status within Southern aristocracy. Consequently, when Armand faces the truth about his heritage, he must grapple with these issues. He appears tormented and bewildered, making him as tragic a figure as Desiree. Chopin's use of irony allows her to highlight how the loss of identity affects Armand as well. If Armand's sense of self is tied to his belief in racial superiority, then the revelation of his mixed ancestry at the novel's end strips him of his identity, just as his mistreatment of Black slaves robbed them of theirs and his rejection of Desiree deprived her of hers. Armand is as much a tragic figure as Desiree, who walks into the bayou, disappearing into social oblivion.