Yesterday Erinn and I were talking after class about Desiree's Baby and Erinn raised an interesting idea that Desiree and Armand were both Mulatto. When I read the story my impression was that she was white from some of the symbols throughout the story. Such as the constant white images surrounding Desiree the dressing gown is one major example and while I'm talking about the dress the frailness of it because it was ripping so easily as she was walking. Another thing that made me think she was white was when she compare her arm to Armand's arm and she was whiter then he was if she was also Mulatto then wouldn't they be closer in color.
Something that I was just thinking about was the idea that the LaBlache child could also be his. That's what first came to my mind when she was looking back and forth between the two children. I think she realized that the LaBlache boy looked like her baby in more ways then one because earlier in the text there is mention that he spends time at their cabin.
I also think of Desiree as a strong female character in a way because when her husband tells her to leave she takes upon herself to commit suicide. Suicide is commonly seen as the cowards way out, but in Desiree's situation I don't see it that way at all. She is trying to take the shame that she "thinks" she has brought to Armand's home away. Wiping the slate clean in a sense by riding the world of her and her son. To me this makes her almost heroic or a martyr.
I loved the story, but hated how it ended because I want to know what Armand did after he found that letter, how did he feel. There is so much missing he could have felt guilty and then in turn either let his slaves go or treated them with more respect or even committed suicide himself. Or he could have gotten angry with everything that just happened and took out on his slaves or he could have gone crazy and locked himself in the house much like Rodrick in The Fall of The House of Usher. There are so many possibilities.
So what do you think?? Is Desiree is white or mulatto? why? Do you think she is a strong female character? Why or Why not? What do you think happened after the story?? And what do you think of the idea that the LaBlache child being Armand or am I crazy to think that??
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I think she did coward because she shouldn't try to rid the world of her race. She she should be happy with who she is. She shouldn't have cared what the husband said. She should've stayed or moved somewhere else. I also think the ending was very sad that she would kill herself. It was very tragic. I wish it was a happy ending.
And you know that it may sound werid that both parent could have been mulato and that was the reason why the child came out looking like that but it is the truth. at the end of the story it states that Armand's mother was black and which could have lead to the fact that Armand himself could have been mulato and that no one really knew it. And to out the blame on his wife would be more honorable and saving face them himself facing the shame.
I agree with Greg in that Desiree acted in a cowardly fashion. By giving up her life and taking the life of her baby's, she in a sense is saying that Armand was right. He essentially accused Desiree of having an affair. By Desiree leaving and killing herself, she is saying that she wasn't good enough and admitting to something that she hadn't done.
At the end, Armand finds, through a letter from his mother to his father, that he is also mulatto. However, Chopin never tells us how Armand reacts. In my mind, I can see him reading this letter and his jaw dropping. His wife has just killed herself and her baby because of his ignorance. But we never know how he feels. Does he just brush it off and continue with his life? Does he pull a Romeo and Juliet and kill himself as well? We will never know. Chopin likes to keep her readers thinking.
I don't think that Desiree was mulatto, but I do think that she believed she may have been. The way she is described and compares skin with Armand it definitely leaves me believing she is white. The story definitely leaves the possibility open ended though. Due to her background circumstances she obviously didn't know for sure if she was mulatto or not. It was very possible that she could be mulatto for the same reason, she was dropped off and nobody really knew. Why would she have been dropped there? Possibly because a woman had a mulatto baby and knew she society wouldn't approve. It's hard to make a real deciding judgement on this because it really could go either way.
Okay I've been think a little further about this whole thing about Desiree being mulato. I've always thought DNA and such was interesting. Okay if the baby looked like LaBlanche's child and the LaBlanche child was a quarter black then there was no way that Desiree could have been black. If a the children where a quarter black then that means that one grandparent was black or grandparent was white making the parent was half and if that parent is half and they have a child with a white person then that makes the child a quarter black. So to be honest sciefically there is no way that Desiree was half black because that would throw off the whole thing. I could be wrong, but if I paid atttention is science then I think I'm correct. Give it some consideration.
I do not consider Diseree to be a strong female character. the book mentioned how she layed around all day, judged they way she would feel depending on how Armond felt. for example she said that "when he frownedshe trembled, but loved him, when he smiled she asked no greater blessing of god" this seems to me like she is not independent at all. she bases her feelings and her thoughts off of her husband. Also, the instant he questioned her character, she didnt think that things would get better and its just a mix up. she killed herself and her baby, life was over for her once the realization that she lost Armand hit her.
to be quite honest I don;t think that both Desiree and Armand were mulatto, so I guess I'm agreeing with you. With all of the description and hidden meanings behind the different symbols, like her dress being white and all, you discover that she is white. I thought that Desiree was a strong Female character as well. I find it to be depressing the way that it ends, with suicide and all. I'm not really sure if her committing suicide makes her a strong character though, if anything i would say that since she committed suicide that it would make her a weaker person and not able to take control of her feelings and emotions.
I have to disagree and say that I do not believe that both Desiree and Armand were mulatto. Just as there are varying shades of black so are there varying shades of white. Some white people just have darker skin than others or they tan better but it does not mean they are not white. The baby looked like it had "black blood" and this was a complete disgrace. Armand's reaction was taught by society so there were other people who definetly thought like him. If Armand and Desiree had both been mulatto they would have been treated the same as Armand treated the baby. I don't even think that Armand had that much "black blood" in him or he would have also been rejected by society. In the case of the baby I think it was easier to see because they had the LaBlanche children to compare him to and the parentage of the LaBlanche children was certain. The fact that Desiree's lineage is so uncertain doe smake it hard but I still believe that she was white. If they had both been biracial then the ending would not have been as ironic as I believed that Chopin was trying to make it.
I also dont believe that they were both mulato. It is said that Armand has the blood in him but as far as we can tell Desiree has no sign of having it in her. Yeah we dont know where her family lies but the story seems to say that she is as white as you can get.
That is a good point she could have been of mixed color. I also didnt like the ending. I think its insinuating that she commited suicide and also killed her baby too. I wish Armand wouldve killed himself as well especially out of quilt. Or at least treat his slaves better. Its sad that she killed herself because she and her baby were "accepted".
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