Essay: Kate Chopin – Desiree’s Baby / The Story of an Hour

Most relationships lack luster as they progress. Marriage, love and affection can all be uncertain if at least one partner does not reciprocate love to their other partner. During the 1890s, standard gender roles served as a guideline, by informing people what was expected in relationships. In Kate Chopin’s story,“Desiree’s Baby”, the character Desiree possesses genuine love compared to Chopin’s other female characters. While all three relationships portray different ways of love, only Desiree’s character depicted the true meaning of love and illustrated consequences once it was broken.
One way Chopin contrasted the emotions behind each relationship was by creating three potentially different female personalities. In the story, “The Storm”, the character Calixta underwent a passionate affair with her ex lover while waiting for her husband. Her subsequent response to the extramarital relationship shows her lack of sincere love to her husband.
Oftentimes, past lovers “affect the likelihood [to] engage in extramarital sex” or secret relationships (Duncombe 33). Had Calixta truly loved Bobinot, her feelings for Alcee would have not overcome her to pursue an affair. Meanwhile, her husband, Bobinot possessed more genuine love for Calixta. Chopin distinctively suggests the discrepancies in personality when comparing Bobinot’s and Calixta’s reaction to the storm. While Bobinot had anxiety and desperation for his wife’s safety, Calixta’s lack of concern for her husband’s whereabouts was strongly emphasized. Unlike Desiree’s loyalty to Armand, Calixta appeared to enjoy time away from her husband. Similarly, Clarisse, Alcee’s wife, expressed relief when learning of spending time away from her husband. Both marriages portrays the illusion behind each relationship through Calixta and Alcee’s affair. Once more, Chopin uses clear foils when trying to present her purpose behind the peculiar marriage. Both Calixta’s affair and Armand’s relationship with La Blanche show the clear signs of marital disputes and unhappiness. Desiree’s insistence on thinking highly of her husband distracted her from seeing the implications of his unfaithful acts. Not only does Calixta’s actions portray Desiree’s love for her husband to be more genuine but suggests a hidden aspect of society during the 1890s.
Another short story polarized to Desiree’s love is Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”. The character Louise Mallard faces inner conflict when trying to understand her emotions to Mr. Mallard’s death. Louise’s joy and exhilaration after her husband’s supposed demise illustrates the underlying sentiments she felt during her marriage. While most widows mourn the deaths of their husbands, Louise rejoiced when hearing the news. It is presumable that Louise had a lack of freedom especially with her general rights. Her initial devotion to her husband only appears to be due to her marital duty and obligation rather than love. Subsequently, her “tale of her own liberation [ended up being] an illusion” as she died at the sight of her husband (Toth 263). While it is possible that Mr. Mallard may have loved Louise, there was certainly a lack of understanding between both individuals. In an era where women are idealized to be submissive and obedient, unhappy marriages like such were definitely common. Louise’s lack of freedom and desire for independence also suggests that Mr. Mallard was overbearing and stubborn. Such characteristics portray the inconsiderate love Mr. Mallard possibly had for his wife. It is also important to note Chopin’s message behind Louise’s death, as the tragedy illustrates the societal oppression most women faced in their marriages. However, this situation greatly contrasts with Desiree, whose love for her husband led to her death. Unlike Louise, who appears to have loved her freedom away from her husband, Desiree was heartbroken by her husband’s attitude towards her. It was not the dislike or fear of her husband, but the abandonment and loneliness Desiree felt that caused her to end her life.
From the start, Chopin’s story, “Desiree’s Baby”, distinctly mentions the incompatible personality traits of Desiree and Armand in terms of love. While Armand’s impulsive passions caused him to marry her, Desiree felt sincere love for him. Such affection is shown specifically when Desiree realizes Armand’s affair with La Blanche. Not once did she question Armand’s actions towards her but the implications of their child’s appearance. Desiree even ignored the apparent differences in skin tone, considering that any affiliation with African descent was considered shameful in post civil war America. Unlike Armand, who loved “ over the physical attraction of superficial beauty”, Desiree cared for him ignoring his darker complexion (Chu 74). Considering her racially bias society, Desiree disregarded any possible discrepancies in both Armand’s and her family history and followed him into marriage. While Calixta and Louise understood the illusion behind a perfect marriage, Desiree sincerely believed in a flawless life with Armand. Such innocence demonstrates why she had the purest love and relationship out of all three woman. Ultimately, it was the betrayal and forsaking of her husband due to her supposed biracial heritage that she killed herself and her baby. Although Armand may have had an obdurate sexual infatuation for Desiree, he did not genuinely love her. His affairs, abusive words, lack of affection all resonates to this clear conclusion. Chopin also describes the environment Armand grew up in when supported the belief that slaves deserved inferior treatment. His disapproval of his wife and child’s heritage was further propagated by the cultural norms of the 1890s society. 19th century America’s racial preferences prohibited any acceptance of unpopular heritages, destroying the lives of many couples. Thus Chopin not only makes comments on the shortcomings of marriage but shows the flaws of a racial bias lifestyle.
Throughout Kate Chopin’s short stories, she portrays the faults of love, sex and marriage in a traditionally, static society. Marital dissatisfactions, secret affairs and racial preferences all led to the breakdown of marriages in the 1890s according to Chopin. Desiree’s devotion to her husband projects the lack of love the characters Calixta and Louise had towards their spouses. Each unique personality trait of the characters points out the need for improvement through their actions. Chopin’s writing undeniably reflects the society today and the progression in women’s rights in marriage and opportunities.
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