Kate Chopin
Kate Chopin, born Katherine O'Flaherty (February 8, 1850 — August 22, 1904), was an American author of short stories and novels. She is now considered by some to have been a forerunner of feminist authors of the 20th centuries and novels. She is now considered by some to have been a forerunner of feminist authors of the 20th century. From 1892 to 1895, she wrote short stories for both children and adults.
Her important short stories included "Desiree's Baby," a tale of miscegenation in antebellum Louisiana (published in 1893). Chopin also wrote two novels: At Fault (1890) and The Awakening (1899), which are set in New Orleans and Grand Isle, respectively. The people in her stories are usually inhabitants of Louisiana.
chopin was born Katherine O'Flaherty in St. Louis, Missouri. Her father, Thomas O'Flaherty, was a successful businessman who had emigrated from Galway, Ireland. Her mother, Eliza Faris, was a well-connected member of the French community in St. Louis. Her maternal grandmother, Athéna se Charleville, was of French Canadian descent. After her father's death in 1855, Chopin developed a close relationship with her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She also became an avid reader of fairy tales, poetry, and religious allegories, as well as classic and contemporary novels. In 1870, at the age of 20, she married Oscar Chopin and settled in New Orleans.
By the early 1890's, Kate Chopin was writing short stories, articles, and translations which appeared in periodicals, including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. She was quite successful and placed many of her publications in literary magazines In 1899, her second novel, The Awakening. was published, and the book was criticized because of its moral as well as its literary standards. This, her best-known work, is the story of a woman trapped in the confines of an oppressive society
Kate Chopin had different lifestyles throughout her life. These lifestyles provided her with insights and understanding that permitted her to analyze late 19th-century American society. As a result of her childhood upbringing by women with ancestry descending from both Irish and French family and life in the Cajun and Creole part of the nation, after she joined her husband in Louisiana, many of her stories and sketches were about her life in Louisiana and incorporated her less than typical portrayals of women as their own individuals with wants and needs.
Her important short stories included "Desiree's Baby," a tale of miscegenation in antebellum Louisiana (published in 1893). Chopin also wrote two novels: At Fault (1890) and The Awakening (1899), which are set in New Orleans and Grand Isle, respectively. The people in her stories are usually inhabitants of Louisiana.
chopin was born Katherine O'Flaherty in St. Louis, Missouri. Her father, Thomas O'Flaherty, was a successful businessman who had emigrated from Galway, Ireland. Her mother, Eliza Faris, was a well-connected member of the French community in St. Louis. Her maternal grandmother, Athéna se Charleville, was of French Canadian descent. After her father's death in 1855, Chopin developed a close relationship with her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She also became an avid reader of fairy tales, poetry, and religious allegories, as well as classic and contemporary novels. In 1870, at the age of 20, she married Oscar Chopin and settled in New Orleans.
By the early 1890's, Kate Chopin was writing short stories, articles, and translations which appeared in periodicals, including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. She was quite successful and placed many of her publications in literary magazines In 1899, her second novel, The Awakening. was published, and the book was criticized because of its moral as well as its literary standards. This, her best-known work, is the story of a woman trapped in the confines of an oppressive society
Kate Chopin had different lifestyles throughout her life. These lifestyles provided her with insights and understanding that permitted her to analyze late 19th-century American society. As a result of her childhood upbringing by women with ancestry descending from both Irish and French family and life in the Cajun and Creole part of the nation, after she joined her husband in Louisiana, many of her stories and sketches were about her life in Louisiana and incorporated her less than typical portrayals of women as their own individuals with wants and needs.
Desiree's Baby
Desiree's Baby is the unfortunate story of a young woman who is a victim to both social and racial inequality. The setting takes place in Louisiana. As with all of Chopin's stories, the struggle of feminism, motherhood, racism, and pride are combined in a troubled tale of blame and betrayal.
Armand Aubigny falls in love with Desiree and guarantee's that he will love her despite her unknown origin. However fate is tested between the two when they produce a son. As weeks pass their son’s skin colour changes. In a perfect demonstration of motherhood, Desiree is too consumed with love for her perfect son to see what is before her. Armand so consumed with his families pride and power is too evil to bare the fact that his son is black of colour, driven mad for respect in society he blames his love Desiree for their son to be mixed of blood and asks her to take him and leave.
However the story takes a huge turn at the end, a huge sense of karma and regret is faced. After losing his child and his beloved wife, Armand is faced with the startling realisation that he is the one responsible for the genetic gene that gave their child the "brand of slavery." Revealing in a letter from his mother to his father divulging that his mother he lost when he was just so young was not ‘white of blood’ was the reason for his son born with the ‘brand of slavery’
Armand Aubigny falls in love with Desiree and guarantee's that he will love her despite her unknown origin. However fate is tested between the two when they produce a son. As weeks pass their son’s skin colour changes. In a perfect demonstration of motherhood, Desiree is too consumed with love for her perfect son to see what is before her. Armand so consumed with his families pride and power is too evil to bare the fact that his son is black of colour, driven mad for respect in society he blames his love Desiree for their son to be mixed of blood and asks her to take him and leave.
However the story takes a huge turn at the end, a huge sense of karma and regret is faced. After losing his child and his beloved wife, Armand is faced with the startling realisation that he is the one responsible for the genetic gene that gave their child the "brand of slavery." Revealing in a letter from his mother to his father divulging that his mother he lost when he was just so young was not ‘white of blood’ was the reason for his son born with the ‘brand of slavery’
My thoughts & feelings of Desiree's Baby.
I thought Desiree's Baby was a fantastic story. Although the story was short it was very meaningful and touching to read. It’s an amazing story that gave me an insight on what life was like for women, it also explored the negative effects of pride and how people in the society discriminated against black skin.
I was in a deep shock how Desiree was abandoned when she was just a baby because she was of mixed blood. This clearly reflected the prejudices against black people at this time period in America. When Armand found Desiree he knew she was a nameless woman but still he took her in to his arms and married her and not only gave her a name but a status too, however I thought the whole concept of love that Armand believed he had for Desiree fake, I don’t believe he truly loved her as he fell for her looks. Throughout this story Armand cared more about his pride than anything else because of his family name which he thought was, “…one of the oldest and proudest in Louisiana” fact that Armand was a slave owner and came from a family whose name was well known he used his family name as another way to feel like a king besides owning black slaves. This reflected how racist the society was and how pride could manipulate men like Armand and make their thoughts so dirty.
This was confirmed when he told his wife to take their baby and to leave since he assumed that she was black and therefore blamed her for their baby being mixed of blood. This made me feel extremely angry as how Armand could choose his pride and power over his love for Desiree just because of her skin colour.
I thought the ending of the story had an amazing twist. Although it isn't clear in the story I believe that Armand was cunning and held this deep secret about him and his family. I believe it is a possibility that he married Desiree who had an unknown background so that his own background would not be questioned when their baby came out dark skinned.
I was in a deep shock how Desiree was abandoned when she was just a baby because she was of mixed blood. This clearly reflected the prejudices against black people at this time period in America. When Armand found Desiree he knew she was a nameless woman but still he took her in to his arms and married her and not only gave her a name but a status too, however I thought the whole concept of love that Armand believed he had for Desiree fake, I don’t believe he truly loved her as he fell for her looks. Throughout this story Armand cared more about his pride than anything else because of his family name which he thought was, “…one of the oldest and proudest in Louisiana” fact that Armand was a slave owner and came from a family whose name was well known he used his family name as another way to feel like a king besides owning black slaves. This reflected how racist the society was and how pride could manipulate men like Armand and make their thoughts so dirty.
This was confirmed when he told his wife to take their baby and to leave since he assumed that she was black and therefore blamed her for their baby being mixed of blood. This made me feel extremely angry as how Armand could choose his pride and power over his love for Desiree just because of her skin colour.
I thought the ending of the story had an amazing twist. Although it isn't clear in the story I believe that Armand was cunning and held this deep secret about him and his family. I believe it is a possibility that he married Desiree who had an unknown background so that his own background would not be questioned when their baby came out dark skinned.