Desiree

The story takes place in mid-century Louisiana. The story begins with Madame Valmonde` driving to a plantation to visit her adopted daughter, Desiree, and meet her new grandchild. This made Madame Valmonde` reflect on the day that she and her husband adopted Desiree. Her husband, Monsieur Valmonde`, found Desiree asleep on a stone pillar at the entry of the plantation. This setting develops the character of Desiree’s adoptive parent’s. Chopin depicts the two as white and rich plantation owners. Yet, despite their economic inequality, they adopted Desiree which shows their good nature.
Eighteen years later, Desiree had matured to be a lovely young woman. Coincidentally she was standing near the same pillar that she was found when Armand Aubigny
Valmonde’s warning foretells the questions and concerns that would arise about Desiree’s mysterious past. But Armand did not care that Desiree had no real family name. Armand could give her his name which was one of the most reputable in the area. He showered Desiree in clothing and gifts from Paris. Soon after they were married. Armand’s gifts represent his prosperity and his acquisition of Desiree as his wife.
When Madame Valmonde` arrives at her daughter’s house, Madame hugs Desiree and then looks at the child, shouting, in French, “This is not the baby!” Desiree giggles proudly and explains how much the baby had changed. She goes on to tell her mother how much he’d grown and how loud his cry was. Madame’s shout about the baby signifies her acknowledgement of the baby’s mixed racial skin tone but Desiree, being naïve, takes her mother’s exclamation as a compliment about the
Armand directed dozens of slaves to burn Desiree’s belongings. He burnt all of the gifts that he bought her after their engagement in hopes of erasing her and the child from his life. The last thing that he wants to burn is a package of letters written between Desiree and himself. He noticed a letter that was not addressed to himself or Desiree but instead it was from his mother to is father. She was thanking God for the blessing of her husband’s love: “But, above all,” she wrote, “night and day, I thank the good God for having so arranged our lives that our dear Armand will never know that his mother, who adores him, belongs to the race that is cursed with the brand of slavery.” Armand is a part of the race that he has seen as inferior his whole life. When he rejected Desiree and his child, it was really himself that he was