Essay on Response to story "Desiree's Baby"

“Desiree’s Baby” Response
The first sign that I noticed that may allude to the true reasoning behind the baby’s appearance is it states that “Old Monsieur Aubigny having married and buried his wife in France…” this shows that because he married and buried her there, no one would have known what she really looked like.
Another clue is when the way that the old Monsieur Aubigny treated his slaves. “…negroes had forgotten how to be gay, as they had been during the old master’s easygoing and indulgent lifetime.” I don’t believe that most slave owners were “easygoing.” This shows that he treated his slaves in a different manner that what was common; especially so far down in the south.
Later it is mentioned that Armand Aubigny had a “dark, handsome face.” This is the first direct clue that Armand is not white. It might not have been a noticeable trait to others because he was outside often and they presumed his complexion just darkened easily. When he accuses Desiree of not being white, she exclaims “Look at my hand; whiter than yours, Armand.” This is another direct, physical clue as to which of the baby’s parents truly isn’t white.
The previous clues that I mentioned were under the assumption that Armand himself was unaware that he was the one that was not white. However, perhaps he had found this letter long before. In that case, he might have chosen Desiree specifically because her origins are unknown. In this way, if their children were to show any black traits, he

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