Desiree's Baby
The Use of Imagery in Desiree's Baby "Desiree's Baby," by Kate Chopin, is a short story that explores the issues of race and racial prejudices, and the role of identity. The tragic story, set in the slavery era of antebellum Louisiana, was a time when there was no tolerance for mixed ancestry. One found to be of mixed blood would be outcast from the community. It was also a difficult time for women and blacks because of the authority of white men over them. Chopin's use of imagery to present the settings and to describe the characters adds to the story, and is part of her technique, which enables the reader to better visualize the events taking place and the feelings of the characters. The story begins when the wealthy plantation owner, Armand Aubigny, falls in love with and marries a beautiful girl named Desiree, whose ancestry is unknown. Eventually, Armand abandons Desiree and their baby when he realizes that his son is a quadroon, a child of black and white heritage, and believes that his wife is black. Armand's racial prejudices are used against him in the end when he discovers that he is of the very race he despises. In "Desiree's Baby," a careful reader can observe Chopin's skillful use of imagery to stimulate the
The manner in which Chopin uses imagery to present the settings and describe the characters serves to greatly enhance the effect of this tale upon the reader. It was also the place that "Armand Aubigny riding by and seeing her there, had fallen in love with her" (185), "as if struck by a pistol shot" (185). Chopin uses imagery to present the setting of "Desiree's Baby. Big solemn oaks grew close to it, and their thick-leaved, far-reaching branches shadowed it like a pall" (185). By using detailed imagery to present the settings, Chopin helps the reader visualize the detached, isolated world of Louisiana plantations. Identity plays an important role in the character of Desiree, whose ancestry is unknown. Again, through imagery, Chopin helps the reader to understand the character of Armand, and that racism is seen as a product of his environment. During this time Desiree assumes their identity. Armand believes himself to be superior to the slaves he owns. Desiree had no name, but Armand did not care. His identity is linked to his idea of his racial superiority. Her inability to forge an identity for herself is shown when she walks off into the bayou, with her son, to certain death.
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