Desiree's Baby by Kate Chopin Short Story Analysis Essay

In American history people have experienced hate crimes because of the color of their skin. These hate crimes were a direct result of racism, which is the “discrimination or antagonism directed against a person or people on the basis of their membership in a particular racial group” (Oxford 1). Specifically in the 1800s, black people were allowed to be enslaved and mistreated by white people, because they were viewed as superior. To expose these experiences African Americans went through, many writers would use their stories and characters to represent these experiences. To specify, Kate Chopin, an American writer, wrote a short story called “Désirée‘s Baby” that symbolizes the experience some African-Americans went through. Although Kate Chopin's “Désirée‘s Baby” was written in the 1800s, it can still serve as an example of the effects of racism, since African Americans still experience racial hatred and self hatred because of their race.

For starters, Kate Chopin’s “Désirée‘s Baby” can serve as an example of the effects of racism, because of the racial hatred it presents. In the short story, the main character, Désirée Valmonde Aubigny, had no knowledge of her family background, compared to her husband Armand Aubigny, who is a wealthy “white” slave and plantation owner. Throughout the story, it can be inferred that Armand Aubigny hates African Americans based on how he treats his slaves, because he is compared to Satan himself. The narrator states, “Young Aubignys rule was a strict one, too, and under it his negroes had forgotten how to be gay, as they had been during the old masters easy-going and indulgent lifetime” (Chopin 1). Evidently the treatment Armand gives to his slaves reflects his pride of being a slave owner, and how he views people of different race. When Désirée's child turns three months old, Désirée discovers that the baby is of African descent, this results in Armand telling Désirée to leave and take the child with her. Kate Chopin wrote, “Almighty God had dealt cruelty and unjustly with him … moreover, he no longer loved her, because of the unconscious injury she had brought upon his home and his name” (Chopin 3). The characterization given to Armand by Kate Chopin, demonstrates the racial hatred that was in the Antebellum South, because he is blinded by his emotions and is the most prominent example of hatred, and racism in the story (Gradesaver, 1). Therefore, the racial hatred Kate Chopin presented in this short story can serve as an example of the effects of racism. 

Additionally, the characters in “Désirée's Baby” portray how African Americans experience self-hatred because of racism. Towards the end of the short story, Armand discovers a letter from his mother that reads, “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” (Chopin 4). This reveals that Armand never learned of his heritage, because of his mothers self-hatred, as she refers to herself as cursed. After Désirée learns the truth about her son, she wrote to her mother, “My mother, they tell me I am not white. Armand has told me I am not white. For God's sake tell them, it is not true. You must know it is not true. I shall die. I must die. I cannot be so unhappy, and live” (Chopin 3). Similar to Armand's mother, Désirée is experiencing self-hatred because of her supposed racial background, which results in her taking her own life, along with her child's.

Even though Kate Chopin's short story was written in the 1800s, it can still portray the effects of racism, because many African Americans still experience racial hatred and self-hatred. According to Taylor Hennington, a reporter, the hate crime in America caused by racism has increased. For example, “In King v. State, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals upheld life sentences where three white men beat a black man” (1). It was then discovered that the motive for these men was a result of racial animosity. Similar to Armand Aubigny, these white men believed that they were superior to the victim because of his race. In the article, “The Relationship Between Internalization and Self-Esteem Among Black Adults” the authors stated, “Blacks were assumed to have damaged self-concepts because of the unfair and demeaning conditions of their day-to-day existence. It was theorized that social discrimination and negative reflected appraisals caused all blacks to hate themselves” (Brown Seller and Gomez, 1). Since the 1800s, people have been brainwashed to believe that the white race was superior, and as a consequence people of African descent believe that they are cursed and inferior. Both of these, ideas are represented in Kate Chopin's, short story which is why it serves as good representation in portraying the hatred African Americans went through. 

Overall, Kate Chopin's short story, “Désirée's Baby” can serve as an example of the effects of racism, since it does a good job in representing the experiences African Americans went through. In this short story, Kate Chopin was able to represent both the racial hatred and self- hatred people experienced in the 1800s, through her characters, Desiree, Armand and his mother. Similarly, she is still able to portray these hatreds because they still exist for many people. The characterization given to Armand represents people of the 1800s, along with people of the 21st century who still have racist tendencies. Also, from the letters Desiree and Armands mother write, we are able to gain insight on the self- hatred African Americans experience as a result of the racial hatred in America. Therefore, the representation in literature can be effective in learning about others, and their emotions even if it was written in a different timeline.