1. Desiree’s Baby by Kate Chopin
8/28/2019
Mrs. Billet
Origins and Identities Unit

2. Origins and Identities Unit
Kate Chopin Biography
1850 – 1904
Desiree's Baby was her first story in Vogue
Began writing after her husband’s death as a means of supporting her family. Mother of six children.
Book The Awakening was the most controversial
8/28/2019
Mrs. Billet
Origins and Identities Unit

3. Origins and Identities Unit
Kate Chopin Biography
Her writing draws upon the principles of local color
Kate Chopin grew up during the Civil War which caused her to be separated from a friend from school.
8/28/2019
Mrs. Billet
Origins and Identities Unit

4. Origins and Identities Unit
Kate Chopin Biography
Kate Chopin= is best known for her work that uses regionalism.
Regionalism- is used to establish the setting. Many of Chopin’s works are set in the middle of Louisiana culture. In “Desiree’s Baby”, the author examines prejudice within a wealthy family.
8/28/2019
Mrs. Billet
Origins and Identities Unit

5. Origins and Identities Unit
Kate Chopin Biography
Book The Awakening was the most controversial.
The Awakening is a study in female psychology, but more importantly, in human rights.  
The whole reason this book was condemned:
the time it was published and society's ideas of women and their place.   The Awakening deals with a woman who is tired of being told what to do, when to do it and how to do it.
8/28/2019
Mrs. Billet
Origins and Identities Unit

6. Origins and Identities Unit
Kate Chopin Biography
The content and message of The Awakening caused an uproar and Chopin was denied admission into the St. Louis Fine Art Club based on its publication.
Chopin was terribly hurt by the reaction to the book and in the remaining five years of her life she wrote only a few short stories, and only a small number of those were published.
8/28/2019
Mrs. Billet
Origins and Identities Unit

7. Origins and Identities Unit
Desiree’s Baby Love
“Desiree’s Baby” features internal reflection and external conversation in roughly equal measure.
Infatuation happens “at first sight” (internal).
***The actual marriage is developed/destroyed only through external conversations between characters (or lack of conversation).
8/28/2019
Mrs. Billet
Origins and Identities Unit

8. Desiree’s Baby Antebellum Fashion
Ornate, detailed
Clothing indicated the wearer’s class status
Women wore corsets and wide hoopskirts
Women wanted to obtain an hourglass figure. \
Desiree’s Baby Antebellum Fashion
8/28/2019
Mrs. Billet
Origins and Identities Unit

9. Desiree’s Baby Corbeille
Corbeille- Wedding gift to the bride from the groom, which usually included cashmere shawl, purses, fan, jewels, and lace.
8/28/2019
Mrs. Billet
Origins and Identities Unit

10. Desiree’s Baby Clothing
The “corbeille” (gift basket was given by the groom to the bride. It comes from France; includes a Parisian layette.
Her slippers are made for indoor use, not hard walking
Her clothing is light-colored, but was probably still structured and ornate
8/28/2019
Mrs. Billet
Origins and Identities Unit

11. Desiree’s Baby Clothing
The dress she wears at the end of the story is easily torn in the fields—delicate fabric
Armand keeps even the clothes at arm’s length at the end of the story—instructs the slaves to do the burning.
8/28/2019
Mrs. Billet
Origins and Identities Unit

12. Origins and Identities Unit
Desiree’s Baby THEME
Racism and Gender Bias Armand judges people by race
Discrimination is based on race and sex
“when he frowned” “Desiree trembled”
Judging People by Appearances
Armand doesn’t want the child anymore
8/28/2019
Mrs. Billet
Origins and Identities Unit

13. Desiree’s BabY Conflict
Man vs. Society People are considered inferior based on race Desiree doesn’t want to be blamed because of her ancestry
Society Pressure
Armand gives up the woman and child he loves
Desiree’s BabY Conflict
8/28/2019
Mrs. Billet
Origins and Identities Unit

14. Origins and Identities Unit
Desiree’s BabY Climax
The climax occurs
8/28/2019
Mrs. Billet
Origins and Identities Unit

15. Desiree’s BabY Symbols
Bonfire
Pillar in front of Valmond’s house
October afternoon
Desiree’s BabY Symbols
8/28/2019
Mrs. Billet
Origins and Identities Unit

16. Desiree’s Baby Vocabulary
Imperious
Layette
Parish
Peignoir
Desiree’s Baby Vocabulary
Domineering
Clothes and linens for infants
Church congregation
A dressing gown for women
8/28/2019
Mrs. Billet
Origins and Identities Unit

17. Desiree’s Baby Vocabulary
Pyre
Corbeille
Suffused
Quadroon
Desiree’s Baby Vocabulary
A pile of wood used for a large fire
Basket containing cashmere, jewels
Gradually spreading through or over
A person having ¼ African ancestry
8/28/2019
Mrs. Billet
Origins and Identities Unit

18. Desiree’s Baby Vocabulary
Sumptuous
Unwonted
Desiree’s Baby Vocabulary
Expensive, ornate
Unusual, unexpected
8/28/2019
Mrs. Billet
Origins and Identities Unit

19. Desiree’s Baby Vocabulary
Antebellum
Quadroon
Bayou
Providence
Corbeille
Suffused
Pyre
layette
Desiree’s Baby Vocabulary
Before the Civil War
(one-quarter African)
Marsh; swampland
God’s will
Basket containing cashmere, jewels
Gradually spreading through or over
A pile of wood used for alrge fire; Fire to burn a corpse
Linens/bedding or clothing for an infant
8/28/2019
Mrs. Billet
Origins and Identities Unit

20. Desiree’s Baby Vocabulary
Cowl
Accord
Prevailing
Beneficent
Corbeille de marriage
Indulgent
Portly
Desiree’s Baby Vocabulary
Large hood, A draped neckline on women’s clothing
Spontaneous or voluntary desire to take action
Most frequent
Producing benefit; beneficial
Wedding gifts
Lenient
Stout; corpulent; fat
8/28/2019
Mrs. Billet
Origins and Identities Unit

21. Desiree’s Baby Additional Sources
Vocabulary Quizlet
Full Text
8/28/2019
Mrs. Billet
Origins and Identities Unit