Using any Literary text, select a poem, novel, short story or play and show how its author uses its different elements to communicate his or her message. KAYINZA CALORINE

Kate Chopin’s short story “Desiree’s Baby” is set in Creole Louisiana. It explores the theme of Miscegenation during the antebellum period. Chopin opens the book with Desiree left at the main gate of the Valmondes, a wealthy couple who adopts Desiree. As Desiree grows older, Armand Aubigny, a wealthy plantation owner, courts, marries and fathers a child with Desiree. Although Desiree and Armand are devoted to each other, initially at the beginning of the story, when the baby boy is born, people realize that he is not white. In fact they come to realize that the baby is part African, or “Quadroon” (one-quarter). Because of the baby’s roots, Armand concludes that Desiree is also part Black and not completely white. This truth leads Armand to treat his slaves unfairly, scorn Desiree, and insists that she leaves the estate. When Desiree leaves, Armand burns all of her belongings, the Baby’s cradle, and the letters they wrote each other. The twist in the story surfaces when Armand realizes that he is the one who is part black after reading a letter his mother wrote to his father. Kate Chopin therefore employs the following elements in Desiree’s Baby to communicate her message to the audience/readers; Setting is one of the elements and it plays a crucial role in this short story. There is both physical and time setting in this story. We are told the story takes place in Creole Louisiana, during the period of time between the revolutionary and civil wars. Historically, this location was known as the antebellum south. Wealthy white plantation owners at this time were known for their possession of African slaves and many of their cruelty to them. , and it was neither unusual nor socially unacceptable to treat slaves like they were animals. It takes place in the United States in the mid-nineteenth century on two Louisiana plantations, one called Valmonde, a family name and the other L’Abri (French for Shelter). The story begins in the warm-weather months and ends in autumn. So, Desiree is found lying asleep in the shadow of the big stone pillar when she is picked by Madam Valmonde and she is taken care of by this family, thus developing the theme of Love in the story and portraying her as a loving lady. Further still due to the fact that the story is set during a time of Racism and abuse of human rights(slaves), This instills in Armand the character of brutality and also enhances this theme in the story. He oppresses the Negro slaves and discriminates those that are not white. Racism as an overriding theme is developed here to the extent that Armand tries to reject his own son, saying he is not white not until he gets the truth in the letter written by his mum to the Father saying that Armand is a Black. We therefore believe Setting as an element plays a great role in this story. The Plot is also another important element that brings out the message here. We are told by the narrator that still a child at a very tender age, Desiree is found lying in the plantation of the Valmonde’s couple. This wealthy couple picks her and adopts her as their own child since they even had no child. They take care of her till when she gets married to Armand. They give birth to a son whose characteristics begin changing at three months. Desiree tries to ask Armand what’s happening to their child and the response Armand gives is the child is Black and therefore Desiree is also Black. Desiree does not believe this, writes a letter to Madame Valmonde who writes back that she should get back to her mum who loves her. Desiree gives the letter to Armand and she asks whether she should go, Armand sends her and the Baby away. They then leave up to the Bayou. Armand then gets to realize that he is the one of mixed race after reading the letter written by his mum to the Dad saying Armand is of mixed race. This plot is so important in that through it, we get to learn the character of various characters like Armand who is a racist, brutal, harsh and abusive towards the Negro slaves. Madame Valmonde is loving towards Desiree despite the fact that she is not the biological mother to Desiree. The theme of Racism is also developed here majorly through Armand. Gender bias is also realized since women in this society were regarded less important. They are inferior and therefore have no say in society. Armand rules the home; he is a strict master of the plantation. This is developed through the plot of the story. Theme as an element in this short story is so important in that, through various themes here, we get to know the character of various characters. For example the theme of Racism and Gender Bias where Armand treats the Negros unfairly because they are Black, takes the women as inferior. He rules the home harshly and harasses the slaves. Judging by appearance is the other theme we meet here. From the narrator’s point of view, we realize that Armand loved Desiree’s outer beauty, not her inner beauty-she was just a trophy. He also rejected his child, for its skin exhibited a taint of impurity. We also realize that Real love is color-blind. The narrator clearly tells us that Armand “no longer loved Desiree because of the unconsciousness injury she had brought upon his home and his name.” Rejecting her because he believes she is of mixed heritage indicates that he never truly loved her in the first place. Therefore the element of theme is so crucial in enhancing characterization and plot of the story. Character is the other element that Chopin employs in her story to communicate her message to the audience. We have various characters here for example Armand-husband to Desiree, the Valmonde family, Desiree and her Baby, the slaves and others. Through Armand, we learn that he is a racist, rejects his real son because he is of mixed race, brutal and harsh to the slaves and treats them unfairly, Madam Valmonde is loving and caring to Desiree, Desiree is faithful and sincere in what she tells Armand. These characters enhance various themes in the story such as Racism, Brutality and so on. Conflict is also another important element that is employed here. This is where we get the rising action, Desiree and the husband realize that their child is Black, and Armand says it’s so because Desiree is also Black. He then rejects Desiree and the Baby and these two leave Armand’s home. This really portrays Armand as a great racist character. The element of Climax is further realized here when Armand realizes that he is the one of mixed heritage (Black) and not the Baby. He gets to know of this while burning Desiree’s and the Baby’s property, where he lands on a letter written by his late Mother to the Father, that their son Armand is of the cursed race of the slaves(Blacks). We the audience therefore does not know what precedes this story, whether Desiree reached home or died in the Bayou, we can’t tell as that was probably her fate. In conclusion therefore, Kate Chopin employs the elements of Setting, Plot, Character, Theme, Conflict and Climax in her short story “Desiree’s Baby” to communicate her message to the audience/Readers as discussed and analyzed above. REFERENCES 1. Kate Chopin: Complete Novels and stories, edited by Sandra Gilbert. New York, Library of America, 2002. 2. Kate Chopin, Desiree’s Baby. 3. www.enotes.com>studyguides>Desiree’s-baby 4. www.katechopin.org/desiree’s-baby