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What meanings do the names Désirée, La Blanche, and L'Abri hold in the story?
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In "Désirée's Baby," names carry symbolic meanings reflecting themes of identity and irony. "Désirée" means "desire," suggesting Armand's initial passion and possibly his hidden wish to conceal his African heritage. "La Blanche," meaning "the white one," is ironic as it refers to a character with mixed ancestry, highlighting racial identity issues. "L'Abri," meaning "shelter," is also ironic because Armand's plantation fails to provide safety for Désirée and her child.
The names in the story "Desiree's Baby" have interesting meanings in the story, especially the names Desiree, La Blanch, and L'Abri. All three are French names, relating to the French ancestry of Armand. France is a place where the racial discrimination that existed in Louisiana was not as severe. This accounts for the fact that Armand's mother, who was of mixed race, remained in France rather than coming to live in Louisiana on the plantation.
Desiree means "desire." When Armand fell in love with Desiree, he was infatuated to the extent that her unknown family heritage was not a concern. However, in an alternate interpretation of the story, one where Armand has already read his mother's letter long before the bonfire scene, we could imagine that Desiree represents Armand's "desire" to keep his own African heritage hidden. By marrying a woman whose parentage was a mystery, if their offspring showed...
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signs of Armand's African heritage coming through, he would have an excuse for the baby's looks and would not have to reveal his own mixed blood. (To support this interpretation, note that the story never says that when Armand finds his mother's letter among Desiree's letters that he has never read it before.)
"La Blanche" means "the white one." The name is somewhat ironic in that La Blanche is called "yellow" in the story, meaning she was of mixed African and Caucasian blood. She was possibly a quadroon (1/4 black) or an octaroon (1/8 black). The name stands for the argument within the story about who is white, Desiree or Armand. When their baby begins showing features consistent with African heritage, Armand insists that those qualities have been passed on to the child through Desiree, but at the end of the story we learn that Armand's mother was partially black. We have no way of knowing whether Desiree had any African heritage because she was a foundling, but she is definitely lighter complected than is Armand.
"L'Abri" means "shelter." It is the name of Armand's plantation. It, too, is ironic in that Armand should have been the one to provide shelter and security for Desiree and their son. However, when he has reason to believe Desiree is part black, he sends her away from his "shelter."
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