As hard as it may be to talk about it, race has found a humble abode in literature. Desiree’s baby revolves around race and how it affects its main characters. A woman by the name of Desiree gives birth to a baby boy who is fathered by cruel slave master Armand Aubigny. Desiree makes a startling discovery when she finds out that her baby is of African heritage and this infuriates her husband who kicks them out causing Desiree to end her and her child’s life. Kate Chopin’s clever use of foreshadowing, historical allegory, and irony portray the effects of racism and self-hatred on society.
Desiree gave birth to her baby early in the story, but does not introduce him to her mother until weeks later. Madame Valmonde, Desiree’s adopted mother, is frantically skeptical that the baby is not truly Desiree’s as evidenced by this line, “This is not the baby!” she exclaimed in startled tones (Chopin).” Madame Valmonde’s hesitance foreshadows a rude awakening for Desiree. She is apprehensive about the baby’s identity as she searches his appearance. Her reaction inadvertently predicts the outcome of the story because her questioning the baby’s maternity means that Desiree could not possibly be the black parent.
Our writers can help you with any type of essay. For any subject
Order now
Madame Valmonde would know more than anyone what Desiree’s heritage is. When she asked, “What does Armand say? (Chopin)” Madame Valmonde predicts that Armand would react poorly. If in any event he kept the child, he would have been made a slave. According to Francis Frederic, “Slavery is bad enough for the black, but it is worse…for the mulatto or the quadroon to be subjected to the utmost degradation and hardship, and to know that it is their own fathers who are treating them as brutes (Frederic).” History has proved that more often than not the children of master and slave miscegenation were recognized as slaves.
Chopin does an exceptional job of incorporating a great deal of history into such a short story with allegorical references to miscegenation and discrimination against the black race. During the Antebellum period, it was against the rules of society for a white person to fraternize with black people. This widely recognized yet often ignored rule impacted the black and white communities severely and defined a century’s old fear of the black race. Slave and master relations did happen, and According to Bowdoin “Slave women were forced to comply with sexual advances by their masters on a very regular basis. Consequences of resistance often came in the form of physical beatings (Bowdoin).” Madame Valmonde’s reaction is surprisingly lax considering she is the mistress of a plantation owner. For her to be presented to us as a white woman, it is thought provoking that Madame Valmonde presents an open mind to her grandchild opposite to how volatile Armand reacts later on. According to Bowdoin, “The mistress beat the child and locked her up in a smokehouse…For two weeks the girl was constantly whipped (Bowdoin).” Often times, white mistresses would punish the slave women for being in a relationship with their husbands. The children that came from these relationships were a product of rape, but were often given an advantage over the fully black children. According to Lumen learning, “Planters who had mixed-race children sometimes arranged for their children’s education…Other planters settled property for their children, while others still simply freed their children and their respective mothers’ altogether (Lumen learning).” As it is revealed in the end, Armand is the parent of mixed race, but has inherited his father’s plantation giving him a chance to advance in society. Armand rejects Desiree and his child so vehemently because of this taboo topic of interracial relationship. Armand truly believes that he is white which puts Desiree in a dangerous situation because she is convinced of her alleged mixed-race heritage. For him to accuse her of being black means he believes that being black is wrong and he was afraid of it.
This fear invaded each race differently, forming a pretense of hatred for blackness on both sides. There is this line in the letter, “I thank God for having so arranged our lives that our dear Armand will never know that his mother…belongs to the race that is cursed with the brand of slavery (Chopin).” Mentions of a curse running through the black race have been mentioned in the bible. “Noah had cursed Ham after the Flood was something a great many people believed…Ham’s descendants were black and condemned to slavery (Davis).” Armand had never been exposed to his own black heritage thanks to his parents. His mother is in part to blame for her self-hatred and I presume she married her master according to the letter. Judging by her words, his mother believes it is out of love, but one does not have love in their heart to be able to own another person. To subject a race of people to degradation, subservience, and centuries of trauma for doing nothing more than being in their skin is not love. Yet she sounds honored that her son will never have to know who she is and ultimately who he is himself. The story is an amalgamation of everything wrong with the way that race is perceived.
Mirroring society, the characters were very blunt about where they stood with black and white. White was the beautiful and exceptional race, while black was dirty and undesirable. Armand immediately dismisses Desiree when the truth about their child is revealed. We are told of how cruel he was to his Negro slaves, but never a mention about how he treated the mixed race ones. Mixed race slaves are often put on the sidelines and it is difficult to tell how much harder it was for them emotionally and mentally. Alex Haley documented his grandmothers’ troubled life as the daughter of a white plantation owner and slave mother in the miniseries “Queen”. According to NY times, “Queen is raped, abandoned and run out of town for pretending to be white (NY times).” Mixed race blacks had no definitive identity in a world where their very being was considered illegal. There were no switching sides or accepting both cultures. You could identify as black and find yourself getting being a victim of torturous discrimination. The alternative was to pass as white, considering you possessed the natural features to make you stand in with the rest of them. Like Armand, mixed race blacks who had the ability to pass, did. One example being cartoonist George Herriman, who was not revealed to be mixed until years after his death. According to Kjell Knuddle “To most people he looked white. Only his curly hair might have given him away. It explains why Herriman often wore a hat. Living in a time when black people still had second class status in American society, Herriman took advantage of the confusion (Knuddle).” Herriman risked his life and career by lying about his identity. For someone to have to basically strip themselves of their identity to have a chance at a career, just shows how vile their environment is. The societal influence was very evident in Armand’s reaction to Desiree’s alleged identity. Desiree’s reaction was no better, taking offense to the accusations and making a fatal decision.
Desiree’s life ends in a tragic case of irony. Armand not only has to deal with the loss of his wife and child, but also a life changing discovery. The timing of the discovery is also ironic as he finds out too late in life despite possessing that letter for quite a long time. It is a crushing revelation that Armand discovers too late to repair his family. He has accused his wife of descending from the “cursed race” which damaged her so much so that she felt the need to end her life when it is he who is tainted. It is quite ironic that Desiree, much like Armand’s mother, spared her son a life of subjugation.
Desiree’s baby is a cultural and societal depiction from the mind of Kate Chopin. Chopin demonstrates great knowledge of the way the world of black and white was. There was a difference in both humans beyond skin color. To choose death over life as a black man or woman is heart wrenching yet a reality for many that lived at the time. The struggles of a black person surpassed that of any other race at the time. Chopin displays the factors of long-term trauma that came with the effects of racism and slavery. Each character illustrated the spectrum of personalities as a result of those effects. The fearful in Desiree, the pride less in Armand’s mother, the hateful in Armand, and the compassionate in Madame Valmonde. The main characters of the story are not just individuals, but representatives of a horrific and shameful part of American history.
Facts About Sexism
A central theme in the book revolves around the gender discrimination Janie experiences as a woman. From a young age, she was aware that societal expectations dictated she must fulfill certain roles, such as marrying someone not of her choosing. “She realized that marriage doesn’t equate to love. With her first dream shattered, Janie came of age,” (Huston 25). During this era, women were generally expected to marry men selected by their families. Although Janie harbored the dream of marrying for love, her grandmother had other plans, desiring a spouse for Janie who could provide the life she had never been able to attain herself.
Janie came to understand that for many women, marriage was not about love but practicality. When she wed her first husband, he disrespected her and believed she had no voice or agency. “Upon being prompted to let ‘Mrs. Mayor Starks’ speak, Joe intervened to say, ‘Thank you for your compliments, but my wife isn’t skilled in public speaking. I didn’t marry her for that. She’s a woman; her place is at home,’” (Hurston 43). Joe held conservative views, seeing women as property and believing they should be controlled by men. After his death, Janie relocated to a new town and met Tea Cake, a new character in her life.
Our writers can help you with any type of essay. For any subject
Order now
While he generally treated her with respect as a woman, he failed to do so in this particular moment. “Just like a little girl in her Easter dress. You look nice! He locked the door securely and gave her the key, saying, ‘Come on, I’ll see you to your door and head on down the road’” (Huston 98). Despite Tea Cake’s efforts to treat both genders equally, he unconsciously regards women as weaker than men.
He assumes that women require a man’s assistance to get home safely. He likens Janie to a little girl in her Easter dress, subtly undermining her agency and maturity. While his offer to escort Janie home may be well-intentioned, it could also be interpreted as sexist, or as a ploy to gain entry into her house. A recurring theme in the book is the pervasive sexism, and even a character who seems to be an exception ultimately perpetuates it. The book makes Janie’s struggle with sexism abundantly clear, enabling readers to understand her ongoing battle to live life on her own terms.
In the twentieth century, many believed that woman only belonged in the house and not in the outside world. Many women wanted to be more than a housewife and tried their best to rise above that title.
“Vessels far off at sea carry every man’s hopes with them. For some, these ships arrive with the tide, while for others, they perpetually float on the horizon—never out of sight but never docking—until the observer finally turns away, his aspirations crushed by the passage of time. Such is the life of men. Women, however, selectively forget what they don’t want to remember and hold onto what they can’t forget. To them, dreams are reality, and their actions reflect this belief” (Hurston 1). According to the narrator, society places a greater value on men based on their aspirations, even though these dreams often prove unattainable, symbolized by the ships that seldom reach the shore.
When men realize their aspirations are unrealistic, they get back on their feet and go about their daily lives. Women, on the other hand, close that figurative gap by failing to differentiate between dreams and reality. Their fantasies become realities, and they lead more realistic lives. It also introduces the genie’s determination to pursue and fulfill her dreams. Women in this southern society have little possibilities for what they can achieve in life. Men continually tell them what they are capable of, and being a black woman is even more difficult. “So de white man drops the load and tells the nigger man to pick it up.” He picks it up because he has to, but he does not carry it. He hands it to his ladies. The nigger woman is the mule of the globe as far as Ah can see.” 14 Hurston.
From Nanny’s viewpoint, life is particularly difficult for black women. While white men occupy the highest rung in the social hierarchy and look down upon black men, black men in turn often transfer this burden onto their women. Black women are commonly treated as if they are less than human and don’t belong. In the society where Janie lived, women—especially women of color—were seldom valued. Instances of sexism are prevalent in the communities depicted in the book.
Towards The end of the book, Janie began to gain her independence and separate herself from the sexism that filled her community’s. After Tea cake died, Janie was able to show the knowledge she gained as being a strong independent woman. “Dey gointuh make ‘miration ‘cause mah love didn’t work lak they love, if dey ever had any. Then you must tell ‘em dat love ain’t somethin’ lak uh grindstone dat’s de same thing everywhere and do de same thing tuh everything it touch.
Love is lak de sea. It’s uh movin’ thing, but still and all, it takes its shape from de shore it meets, and it’s different with every shore.” (Hurston 191) Janie lectures Phoeby that love is not a fix thing that is the same for everyone who experiences it. And said it is as food and changing as the sea, only shoot by the shores of me in it meets, society has a normative in and flexible idea of what love is, when actual true love is different for everyone.
Jenny has had many chances that lab but I always lose them somehow. She always seem to have hope for a future love. After losing Tea Cake, Janie was able to find her own independence, bringing the story full circle back to its beginning theme of the horizon, which makes the conclusion gratifying. Tea Cake became mentally unstable and delusional after being bitten by a rabid dog. The first significant decision Janie made on her own was to put an end to Tea Cake’s suffering. “He braced himself against the doorframe, and Janie thought about rushing toward him to grab his arm. However, she noticed him taking aim and heard the trigger click. Seeing the intense look in his eyes, she was overtaken by the same kind of terror she had felt in the water before.
She threw up the barrel of the rifle in frenzied hope and fear. Hope that he’d see it and run, desperate fear for her life. But if Tea Cake could have counted costs he would not have been there with the pistol in his hands. No knowledge of fear nor rifles nor anything else was there. He paid no more attention to the pointing gun than if it were Janie’s dog finer. She saw him stiffen himself all over as he leveled and took aim. The fiend in him must kill and Janie was the only thing living he saw. The pistol and the rifle rang out almost together. The pistol just enough after the rifle to seem its echo.
Tea Cake crumpled as his bullet buried itself in the joist over Janie’s head. Janie saw the look on his face and leaped forward as he crashed forward in her arms. She was trying to hover him as he closed his teeth in the flesh of her forearm. They came down heavily like that. Janie struggled to a sitting position and pried the dead Tea Cake’s teeth from her arm.” (Hurston 184). Death seems inevitable for both Tea Cake and Janie; one must die for the other to live. In the end, Janie chooses to shot Tea Cake wity the intent of killing him.
However, Janie is not completely out of danger; Tea Cake uses his last ounce of strength to try to make a second attempt to kill Janie by biting her. This is a similar to when her first husband, Joe, used his last words before he died to curse Janie and wish death upon her. If Janie did not kill Tea Cake first, he may of killed her. On her own she was able to make this decision with no influence from a man or even her grandma. She was able to rise above the notion of people telling her she could live on her own.
