woman holding a baby walking out into the bayou

Désirée's Baby

by Kate Chopin

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Désirée's Baby Themes

The main themes in “Désirée’s Baby” are racism, gender, and hypocrisy.

  • Racism: Armand’s cruelty, both toward Désirée and those he enslaves, is based on entrenched ideas of race. Ironically, Armand himself turns out to have Black ancestry.
  • Gender: The misogyny of the society Chopin depicts is clear from Désirée’s experiences both before and after the birth of her child.
  • Hypocrisy: Throughout the story, hypocrisy marks race, gender, and class hierarchies, thus revealing exactly how harsh and arbitrary such divisions are.

Themes: All Themes

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Themes: Racism

Chopin’s story depicts the clear and systematic racism of antebellum Louisiana and, by extension, the United States as a whole. Before leaving L’Abri, Désirée has led the same privileged life as those born into the upper-class South, though she was a foundling. This existence is possible because she is white. Armand, her husband, is the epitome of a vain, cruel plantation owner of the period. He mistreats the enslaved people who work for him,...

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Themes: Gender

Armand treats Désirée as a possession even when he is in love with her and still believes she is white. The dysfunction and oppression of the time period’s patriarchal society—and the way it affects the intertwined aspects of race, gender, and sexual relations—is clear from a simple detail. Désirée tells Madame Valmondé that the baby’s voice is so loud and clear that Armand can hear it “as far away as La Blanche’s cabin.” This is stated in such...

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Themes: Hypocrisy

Hypocrisy encompasses and forms the basis of both race and gender oppression in the story. Though Armand cruelly rejects Désirée for his belief that she has Black ancestry, he evidently has no qualms about having sexual relations with the enslaved Black women on his plantation. Chopin repeatedly refers to enslaved people of mixed-race ancestry, including a woman named La Blanche and one of her sons, a “quadroon” boy, and it is likely that Armand...

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Themes: The Ancien Régime

It’s unclear if “Désirée’s Baby” takes place before or after Louisiana was absorbed into the United States in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. All of the white characters in it (except possibly Désirée herself, whose ancestry is unknown) are of French descent, and Armand was brought up until the age of eight in France, where his mother died. Even in the New World, the French upper classes were attempting to recreate the ancien régime:...

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Themes: Illusion

The characters in “Désirée’s Baby” are all in some sense dominated by an illusory view of themselves and of the outside world. Perhaps the greatest irony is that, although Armand is shown at the end of the story to be of mixed Black and white ancestry, it’s still possible that Désirée herself is also partly of African descent. She knows nothing about who her biological parents are.

In any society where there are people of different...

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Expert Q&A

What are the steps to write a theme statement for 'Desiree's Baby'?

To write a theme statement for "Désirée's Baby," first select a subject, such as prejudice and racism. List the causes and effects of this theme using story details, like how racism results from slavery and leads to family turmoil and identity crises. Formulate a theme statement by expressing what the author conveys about this subject, avoiding plot details, advice, or second-person language. An example might be: Racism in the Antebellum South led to violence and broken lives.

Themes and Conflicts in "Désirée's Baby"

"Désirée's Baby" by Kate Chopin explores themes of racism and identity in the antebellum South. The central conflict arises when Désirée's baby appears to have African ancestry, leading her husband Armand to blame Désirée due to her unknown origins. This racial tension reflects the societal obsession with purity and status. Ultimately, it is revealed that Armand himself has Black heritage, highlighting the destructive nature of racism and societal prejudices that drive the tragic outcome.

Symbols and Themes in "Désirée's Baby"

In Kate Chopin's "Désirée's Baby," symbols and themes explore racial identity and societal norms. The colors white, black, and yellow symbolize societal classes and racial heritage, with Armand's mistaken belief about Désirée's ancestry highlighting racial prejudices. The fire symbolizes Armand's destructive rage and attempts to erase his black heritage. The story's message critiques racism and societal hypocrisy, revealed when Armand discovers his own mixed ancestry. The baby symbolizes warmth through its initial positive impact on Armand, though it lacks further symbolic depth.

Themes of Identity, Rejection, and Impactful Ending in "Désirée's Baby"

In Kate Chopin's "Désirée's Baby," themes of identity, rejection, and love are central. The story reveals societal and personal biases related to race, as Armand Aubigny's rejection of Désirée and their child highlights the destructive power of racial prejudice. The ending irony—Armand's own mixed heritage—underscores the arbitrary nature of racial distinctions and societal judgments. It also emphasizes a feminist perspective, showing Désirée's vulnerability in a patriarchal society where her worth is unfairly tied to racial purity.

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Themes: Racism

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