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2) should Desiree have returned to her family home with her baby? In the short story Desiree s Baby, written by Kate Chopin, tragedy comes early in the marriage with the birth of Armand and Desiree s first child. Although no one seemed to notice at first, by the time the child was three months old, Armand noticed a change in the child. When the baby was about three months old, Desiree awoke one day to the conviction that there was something in the air menacing her peace. (331).
It turns out the baby is of mixed blood and because of this, he shuns his wife and the child he was so proud of only days before. He absented himself from home and when here, avoided her presence and that of her child, without excuse. (331). Armand was the proudest father in that parish it is a boy to bear his name. (330). Additionally, he accuses Desiree of not being white (a crime against his family s purity) which she abruptly denies.
It is a lie it is not true, I am white Look at my hair, it is brown and my eyes are gray, Armand, (331) Desiree then writes to her adopted mother and tells her about what is happening. Her mother then tells her to return home with the child where they will both be loved, but Desiree is so shocked and disheartened she sets off towards a local bayou with the child they are both to never be seen again. Armand has made the decision to lose his family in order to save his name and it s too late to bring Desiree and the baby back. The irony is that the letter read by Armand from his mother reveals to him that it is he who is of mixed blood and not Desiree. For Armand s mother wrote, 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. (332 - 333) This is where I ponder the question, should Desiree have returned to her family home with her baby?
There can be many quick to think answers to this question but to get the best out of this situation we must put ourselves in Desiree s place. Meaning we simply must think back to the year 1892 when times were much different and racial issues weren t so enriched in peoples ways of thinking. There are pros and cons to Desiree s challenging decision of whether or not to leave Armand and go live with her child and mother. If Desiree did decide to go and live with her mother she would feel the security of unconditional love and support from her mother on the fact that she gave life to an interracial child. Her mother stated in the story My own Desiree: Come home to Valmonde; back to your mother who loves you. Come with your child. (331) That right there is proof that Desiree and her child are more than cared for they are loved.
For if Desiree stayed with her husband in their L Abri home the child would then grow up without the negativity of his father doubting him and his every move. Another positive side to Desiree s return to home would be her increase of confidence for it would surly be gained back within herself and her dramatic decrease of depression would make her a healthier person, for in the story the narrator stated Desiree was miserable enough to die. (331). Because of the situation that Desiree was put into she could easily use her life experience as a lesson of teaching her child the hate that is merged with prejudice, she and her mother could display the right and wrong ways of going about life decision making decisions. Desiree s future may have been better for her and her child in her moms home but there are always cons to every pro. Her child would grow up without is father and in doing so he might feel unwanted and neglected. Growing up without his father is denying him of understanding his own heritage and he will never know where his African American roots came from.
But then again it was Armand who convinced Desiree that it was her with the African American decent. The child may also feel that his parent splitting up was his fault because he is mulatto. As I said before there are cons to every pro. As far as Desiree is concerned it s probably better that she left Armand because he was mentally abusive to her. But in the long run the child s future is going to suffer from the absence of his father.
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Research essay sample on African American Three Months
