“They were married”. This makes us question the conditions under which they got married. This raises the issue whether this marriage was arranged or not. The fact that they were just married also tells us how powerless a woman is in that society. Desiree’s thoughts and emotions mean nothing, indicating women’s low social status and the lack of rights. Women during that period were not allowed to decide what they wanted t do and who they wanted to marry. They were literally forced to marry a man whether they loved him or not. This sometimes led to the abuse of woman because men never considered them as more than a piece of property.
“Shuddered at the first at the first sight of it”, “sad looking place” these quotes tell us that the house was very drab and dark. Here the tension is built foreshadowing that something tragic is going to happened in this house. We also realize that Armand is keeping her prisoner and that she is isolated and lonely. This reflects the type of possessive love that is being portrayed and the atmosphere that Desiree is living in. “sad looking place, which for many years had not known the gentle presence of a mistress, old Monsieur Aubigny having married and buried his wife in France, and she having loved her own land too well ever to leave it”. This shows that what starts as good (the marriage), ends up bad (the death of Madame Aubigny and Desiree).
Tension is built up towards the death of Desiree and her baby when the author says that “solemn oaks grew close to it” (‘it’ meaning the house). Oak trees usually give a lot of shade, so when the author says that “solemn oaks grew next to it”, he means that the oaks covered the house making it dark and eerie. This oppressive darkness seems just like a prison. Armand rules with a strong hand over his slaves, Desiree and L.Abri, because it says that “young Aubigny’s rule was a strict one, too, and under it his Negroes had forgotten how to be gay.” This causes us to worry about Desiree and her baby and whether something bad would happen to them.
On page 206 Desiree says “I’m so happy, it frightens me.” Desiree is afraid that these precious moments will not last. This also foreshadows Armand as an unpredictable man who can change quickly from nice to nasty. This frightens Desiree. Indeed, Armand’s attitude changes when he discovers that the baby is colored, and keeps his distance from Desiree and the baby. “He spoke…with averted eyes”, this builds tension towards the death of Desiree. “The very spirit of Satan seemed suddenly to take hold of him in his dealing with the slaves. Desiree was miserable enough to die.” This shows how Armand’s attitude towards his slaves has changed and now Desiree is miserable and she starts thinking of death. However attitude towards the salves improved while still Armand treating Desiree as an oblivious piece of property. This draws the reader’s sympathy towards this situation.
Then we get to know that Armand does not care for Desiree anymore, as he author says “He coldly but gently loosened her fingers from about his arm and thrust the hand away from him”. He how rejects his wife and son and blames Desiree for the colored child because of her unknown origin. Therefore, he leaves her thinking she is of a mixed race. This is a problem in society where men can’t blame themselves but blame those who are weaker, the women. “My mother, they tell me I am not white. Armand has told me I am not white. For god’s sake tell them it is not true. You must know it is not true. I shall die. I cannot be so unhappy, and live.” On the one hand this shows how racist Desiree is because she wants to be considered white and on the other hand it reflects the devastation and confusion in dealing with racism and it makes us wonder “is she white or mixed?”
She is alone and her clothes are torn because she is wearing “a thin white garment.” This also relates to her emotions as she is now devastated. She is also mentally ‘fragile’. “Bayou; and she did not come back again.” She walked into the swampy offshoot of a river. She walks in and does not return. Armand burns all her possessions and the baby’s. This shows the annihilation of both, removing their memory from his life, and the world.
“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 slaves.” In an instant the tables are turned and Armand faces the stark truth – he is of the colored race and no this wife. Therefore he is the one to blame for the color of the child, its demise as will as Desiree’s.
There is a lesson to be learned from this story. We should not judge people by the color of their skin but by who they are as a human being, Chopin attempts to get across that prejudice is evil of society and that causes hatred amongst men. It destroys rather than unites, especially when people refuse to look any further than a person’s appearance, as the saying goes, “never judge the book by its cover”.
