The Concept Of Race In Désirées Baby By Kate Chopin

In her short story named â€Å"Dà ©sirà ©e’s Baby†, Kate Chopin gives readers an inside view of the concept of race in the pre-Civil War era of Louisiana. Chopin’s protagonist, Dà ©sirà ©e, clashes with societal standards because of her mixed-race child and unknown racial origins. Race becomes a major conflict throughout the story and drives Dà ©sirà ©e’s husband to blame her for the child. The ironic ending of the story not only gives a surprising twist but also makes a stand against the concept of biological race. While the racial issues of â€Å"Dà ©sirà ©e’s Baby† were set in the past, these social concepts still occur today in the modern era. The concept of race in the pre-Civil War era develops a major conflict between the characters†¦show more content†¦And my skin is fair,† (424). Dà ©sirà ©e’s reactions to the realization of her baby’s mixed-race and the accusation of not being fully white are d ue to the way race was defined in pre-Civil War Louisiana. Throughout the story, race is defined solely by skin color and those that were not purely white were ridiculed, shamed, abused and treated the same as African-American slaves. Dà ©sirà ©e, Madame Valmonde, and Armand were distressed upon knowing the baby’s mixed-race heritage because of the social impact it would have on their lives. Although the ending of the story may only seem to be an ironic twist of events to some readers, I believe that it also attempts to define race as a social construct. After Armand sends Dà ©sirà ©e and the baby away, he begins burning their belongings and finds a letter from his mother to his father that states, â€Å"night and day, I thank the good God for having so 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† (425). Although Armand was African-American, he was not treated as such because the origin of his race was hidden from everyone. Although there are hints to Armand’s race throughout the story, such as when Dà ©sirà ©e stated, â€Å"Look at my hand; whiter than yours, Armand, (424); his appearance did not affect his life because he was believed to be white. Armand’sShow MoreRelatedThe Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin1540 Words   |  7 PagesIn Kate Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, the main character, Mrs. Louise Mallard, is a woman with a heart problem that gets horrifying news that her husband has passed away in a train crash. When she starts thinking about her freedom, she gets excited; she is happy to start her new, free life. However, a few hours later her husband walks in the door and she finds out it was all a mistake. When she realizes her freedom is gone her heart stop and she then dies. 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