Desiree's Baby

Simone Sutton

9/17/09

AP English III

“Desiree’s Baby”

Desiree’s Baby is the story of a woman who marries a plantation owner and has a baby. The woman named Desiree was of unknown origin. No one knew who she was or what her ancestry was. They just assumed that she was white. “It was no wonder that Armand Aubigny, riding by ad seeing her there, had fallen in love with her”. This it was at love at first sight where thin man see’s her and suddenly and unconditionally loves her. He too not knowing of her origins assumes that she is white. “That is the way all Aubigny's fell in love, as if struck by a pistol shot.” All the men of Armand’s family fall in love this way spontaneously and randomly, unexpectedly and possibly painfully. Using the word pistol could mean that in the end he would end up hurt by his love. Consider Armand’s father who had to retrieve Armand from Paris at eight years old after Armand’s mother died. He would have to have been heartbroken after his wife and mother of his children just died.

“… Wanted things well considered, that is, the girls obscure origins. Armand looked into her eyes and does not care”. Armand was head over heels in love. From his behavior one would think that he would love Desiree even if she was white black mulatto Asian, you name it. “… She had no name…” so Armand would give his name to her. They would get married and have a baby.

It had been a month since Madame Val monde had seen Desiree and her baby. She would be in for quite a shock. The baby had grown and changed so much in such a short time that Madame Val monde could barley recognize “it”. “This is not the baby!” she exclaims. Madame Valmonde knows that something is not right with the baby. She knows that “it” is not white. She held “it”, looked at “it” and gave “it” back to “its” mother. She doesn’t even think of the baby as a human anymore, she see the baby as an “IT”. Desiree is so proud of her child she doesn’t even notice her mother’s change in behavior. Madame changes the subject off of the baby and on to Armand. “Desiree’s face became suffused with a glow that was happiness itself”. Things are so good with Armand and Desiree that she just glows with happiness. Her smile lights up the whole room when she thinks of her loving husband. It is like her life cannot get any better.

“Armand is the proudest father in the parish”, “he hasn’t punished one of them since baby is born” Armand is so happy to have a child, and who wouldn’t be. Babies are literally fun bags full of happy. “Marriage and the birth of his son had softened Armand’s nature greatly” Armand began to change as well. He was normally an imperious and exacting plantation owner and now he almost treats his slaves like equals. And as long as Armand was happy Desiree was too. She loved Armand so much her moods were dictated by his. “Armand’s dark handsome face had not often been disfigured by frowns since the day he fell in love with her.” Armand was happy and it showed.

After three months things start to get weird. “When he spoke to her it was with averted eyes from which the old love-light seemed to have gone out.” Armand doesn’t seem to love her anymore. His eyes have changed noticeably. He would avoid Desiree purposely and his treatment of the slaves has worsened. The exact opposite of what made her happy was happening. Armand is no longer the happy gentle man who was in love, and Desiree hasn’t figured out why yet.

“One of La Blanche’s little quadroon boys stood fanning the child slowly, She looked from her child to the boy and back again; over and over. ‘Ah’”. Desiree has seen something so unexpected and so frightening she can barely speak. It is only when Armand walks in the she regains enough composure to ask him, “Armand, look at our child. What does it mean? Tell me.” Desiree either doesn’t know what has happened or she refuses to believe that her child is black. Armand responds with “it means you are not white”. Armand quickly assumes that she is not white and she is heartbroken that he doesn’t believe her that she is not. And why would he. No one knew where she came from, and he was sure that he was not black. And so, Desiree was forced to leave the plantation. “Do you want me to go, yes I want you to go” Armand was so angry at whoever that he didn’t even say good bye to her. She was in so much pain that she didn’t go home, she just left. And when she was good and gone Armand burned everything he ever bought for her.

Armand found a letter written by his mother and learned his mistake. It turns out that Armand is the one who is black, his mother, who died before he could know her, was black. Armand’s father was more accepting of his wife even though she was black. If Armand was a kind as his father maybe Desiree and her baby would still be with him. And maybe they could still be happy. Armand learns his mother’s secret a little too late.