“Desiree’s Baby” Comment and Query

            The short story “Desiree’s Baby” by Kate Chopin is one that keeps the reader in constant expectation for explanations that never come. At the end of the short story, the reader anticipates a final resolution and is presented instead with a new opening that gives rise to a handful of new questions that remain unanswered. The ending is surprising and unexpected because the obvious conclusion that the reader imagines will come is the complete opposite of what really happens. The reader feels the need to go back to the beginning of the short story to try to understand how she/he could have been so wrong.

            The beginning of the story is reminiscent of a fairy tale because it presents the reader with a foundling girl that is adopted by rich parents that could not have children of their own and grows up to be “beautiful and gentle, affectionate and sincere”, and inspires the love of a handsome man. It is understandable that the reader should expect the happily ever after ending of fairy tales after such a beginning, but the realistic conclusion of the story shatters this illusion and leaves the reader curious to know what happens next with the characters. Once the reader gets to the end of the story she/he can finally see the clues that were giving throughout the text that had gone unnoticed before. The warning of Desiree’s adoptive father to Armand about the uncertain origins of the girl is one of the clues that lead the reader to the wrong conclusion of believing Desiree to be the one with black ancestry. However, the description of L’Abri as a dark, gloomy place that could not be the scenario of a happy ending and the account of Armand’s face as being “dark, handsome” would be clues leading to the real ending of the story. It is clear that appearances are not reliable sources to make judgments. The reader is deceived into the wrong conclusions by the appearance of the characters and their situations; it is difficult to imagine a reader that would see past Armand’s position in society and the pride of his family name to believe him to be the origin of the black features of the baby.

            In addition to the clues that are not noticed, “Desiree’s Baby” also gives out hints that the reader can identify on the first reading, but cannot conclude what they mean. The most obvious of these hints in my opinion is the scene when Desiree’s adoptive mother visits her and the baby. When Madame Valmonde sees the baby her immediate reaction is to exclaim “This is not the baby!” Here the reader knows that something is wrong with the baby, but she/he cannot imagine what it could be. Chopin certainly manages to create suspense and build tension in the short story with moments like this because, although the reader knows something is amiss, the author does not give enough information to make the situation clear.

            The unexpected ending is very ironic and finally makes the reader see the irony in other aspects of the story. For example, Desiree’s name, which means “desired” is ironic because in the end, she is rejected by her husband that goes as far as burning every reminder of her existence; she is no longer desired. It is also ironic that Armand who has “one of the oldest and proudest [name] in Louisiana” turns out to be the one whose mother “belongs to the race that is cursed with the brand of slavery”. Even though we cannot be sure that Desiree does not have black antecedents, the feeling that we have at the ending of the story is that she is a blameless victim of her circumstance.

            One of the intriguing questions that the ending of the short story brings up is whether or not Armand has known the truth all along. The narrator does not tell the reader what are Armand’s feelings and thoughts upon reading the old letter that contains the truth. However, the reader could question Armand’s eagerness to marry Desiree despite her obscure origin. Considering that he was the heir to an old and proud name, it seems a bit weird that he would disregard the possible consequences of this marriage so easily. It is also strange that he should think God unjust and take revenge by hurting his wife. Could these two facts be hidden hints meaning that Armand knew the truth and chose Desiree exactly because he could blame her in case his children were born with black features and keep the pride of his family intact?

Thalita Carvalho