Kate Chopin's "Desiree's Baby" is a story of love – a genuine love and a superficial love,
a story witch reveals an uglier side of human nature and relations.
The relationship between Desiree and her adoptive parents portrays true love, based on
affection and free of prejudice. Desiree is a toddler when she is found by Mousier
Valmande at the gate of his estate in Louisiana. She is taken in and raised by her adoptive
parents, who grow to genuinely love her, despite her obscure origin. Madam Valmande
considers Desiree to be a gift of Providence, because she can not have any children of her
own, and showers the girl with real affection. In response to such true love Desiree grows
up to be not only beautiful physically but "affectionate and sincere", spiritually innocent
Desiree's parents love is put to the test when Desiree is accused of being not white.
Despite the accusation she remains her mother's child as before and her mother
welcomes her and her child home "back to your mother who loves you".
The relationship between Armand Aubigny's parents is another example of genuine love
and its consequences. Armand's father a wealthy landowner, truly loved Armand's
mother and because of that, was able to overlook the fact that she was of black race.
To be with her he left his plantation and his important name in Louisiana and went to live
in France, a land foreign to him. Their genuine love for each other made their lives
happy, "easy going and indulgent" and softened the difficult lives of their slaves.
On the other hand, the relationship between Armand and Desiree portrays a superficial
love influenced by pride and prejudice, and ultimately causing destruction and death
When Desiree is eighteen, Armand Aubigny falls with her. Like his father Armand is a
wealthy plantation owner, but unlike his father he...