“Desiree’s Baby”

I really enjoyed reading “Desiree’s Baby” and was definitely surprised by the ending. It made sense that Desiree would be of African American decent since her heritage was unknown, while Armand’s parents were well established in the community and were both white. The twist in the end, where Armand is actually the one to blame, was shocking but felt like Armand was getting a taste of his own medicine, and he deserved to know.

This short story was set before the Civil War which made slavery a large part of the setting. Also, racism was extremely prominent in the story’s society creating cultural conflicts between whites and blacks. This setting creates a venue for racism and gives readers the knowledge that black people were considered inferior at that time. It is not surprising when Desiree’s baby is not fully white, her husband sees the child as a disgrace to his family and legacy. The child is such an embarrassment that he exiles his wife and child from his property to save face in the community. In another setting or time, his actions would be completely irrational and the issue of race would be handled completely differently.

Situational irony appears in the last paragraph when readers find out Armand is the one with African American ancestors instead of Desiree. It creates a twist in the plot and puts Armand in the opposite position of what was expected. Armand is now the one who is not pure and should be banned from society instead of Desiree. This twist creates sympathy of Desiree and makes readers question Armand’s character as how he will react to this new found information about his own identity.