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Giuliana Hejtmanek
Mr. Williams
Honors American Literature
April 29, 2015
Desirees Baby
Kate Chopin often projected her views on sensitive social issues in her writings,
oftentimes advocating for womens rights. In her short story The Story of an Hour, Chopin
projects the oppression women in the late 1800s experienced, by depicting a married woman
rejoicing at the death of her husband. However, in her 1892 short story, Desirees Baby,
Chopin reflects on the class-based racial prejudice pervading life in antebellum Louisiana, and
outlines its absurdity. Chopin focuses on karma and the ironic execution of consequences for the
prideful and racist, by resolving what would otherwise be a tragedy in a wonderfully satirical
way. Despite the morbidly humorous outcome of the tale, its underlying message is an important
one concerning
The two main characters in Desirees baby, Desiree and Armand, both have rather
obscure origins and dont truly know their race. Yet, their light skin and Caucasian appearance
resulted in the both of them living a comfortable and privileged life, one that they could be
stripped of for simply having an ancestor with a darker complexion. When Desirees and
Armands child grows up to resemble one of their quadroon slaves, the one with the more
obscure origin suffers the consequences- Desiree. The mere accusation of containing African
blood tears causes Armand to despise a woman he once loved, it tears apart their family, and

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potentially resulted in the death of Desiree and her baby (though this is not mentioned explicitly
in the story, its implied). However, in the very last paragraph of the story, Armand encounters a
letter that his dead mother sent to his father. It read, Night and day, I thank the good God for
having arranged our lives that our dear Armand will never know that his mother, who adores
him, belongs to the race that is cursed with the brand of slavery (Chopin 5).