Imagery in "Désirée's Baby"
             In "Désirée's Baby" Kate Chopin uses imagery throughout the story when describing human emotion and the setting where the story takes place. From the beginning Chopin starts with the shadow of the big stone pillar that Desiree was found sleeping in. Many times in the body of the story, you can almost feel the emotions of Désirée as Chopin describes her happiness and sadness. In the end, Armand finds out the truth that his blood is from "the race that is cursed with the brand of slavery" (181).
             From the beginning of the story, you get a clear picture of what type of person Désirée was. As a child she was "beautiful and gentle, affectionate and sincere – the idol of Valmondé" (178). It is not a wonder that Armand fell in love with her "as if struck by a pistol shot" (178) after he rode by on his horse. You can almost see him as a knight in shining armor coming to take away the woman he loves. He was so passionate about this beautiful, affectionate young woman, and this passion "swept along like an avalanche, or like a prairie fire" (178). In reading these words, one can almost see the fire burning in Armand's heart for Désirée.
             Continuing with this imagery, Chopin uses Madame Valmondé to describe L'Abri, the home where Armand and Désirée live. As she reaches the house, she "shuddered at the first sight of it, as she always did" (178). This starts the reader off with an image of a cold and unhappy place that "had not known the gentle presence of a mistress" (178) since Armand's mother had died. Chopin reinforces this image with a description of the roof that "came down steep and black like a cowl" (178). As a reader, you begin to wonder how a woman like Désirée ...