Désirée's Baby

Désirée's baby

Désirée can feel some danger threatening her peace. Armand is cruel with his slaves again. His attitude with Désirée has changed, he avoids her and his baby, he becomes distant. The atmosphere is disquieting. There are rumors, gossip about the baby ; even far-off neighbors come to see the baby, to check if the gossip is true. The slaves are aware of the baby's difference. l.118-139 : Désirée suddenly realizes that her child's skin is as the same color as the quadroon boy who's fanning him. An atmosphere of calm preceding the storm.

It is a real shock for her. She has a physical reaction : she can't speak, utter a word. She's paralyzed with fright, she feels extremely cold even if it's hot, even if her face is covered with perspiration (« The blood turned like ice in her veins »). She's stunned. She dismisses the little quadroon boy because she can't stand looking at him anymore. There's a huge opposition between the throne and the baby's color skin.

Armand blames Désirée for not being white. He rejects her, he's emotionless, heartless. He's extremely hurtful as his words. The narrator judges Armand line 144 “If he was human”.  He's as cruel to her as to his slaves. She argues that her skin is whiter than Armand's. He can't bear being touched by her anymore. He rejects her : he doesn't want to have a physical contact with her anymore. She's no longer his wife. She's not worthy of his love, he's emotionless when he tells her she's not white. There's nothing to argue about. He rejects his child :”the child” (and not “our child”), the baby is no longer his. But when she tries to argue, he becomes cruel and cynical. Désirée is desperate “despairingly”, “hysterical”. She is mad with despair and pain. She can't bear being rejected by the man she loves so passionately : Désirée begs her adoptive mother to tell her she's  white, she can't stand not being white.

Madame Valmondé wants to protect her daughter and her child. She tells her she will welcome them. She loves her no matter what, she expresses her unconditional love.

Désirée is waiting for her fate. She's in agony, Armand by his words hurts her as if he had hit her. Armand has no feeling, he's insensitive, unfeeling. He blames God for being unfair to him, he's a poor victim. He doesn't deserve this. That's why, by being cruel, he wants to take his revenge. He is sentencing Désirée to death. He bears a grudge against God. Désirée has brought shame upon his name.