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Kate Chopin
Kate Chopin, 1850 – 1904, is an American author. Her writing incorporates many aspects of local color, realism, regionalism, naturalism, romanticism, and feminism. She tried to present an accurate portrayal of life in the characters she created.
Coming from a wealthy upbringing, Chopin lived in St. Louis, Missouri until she married and moved to Louisiana. Most of the themes in her novels or short stories deal with women's issues, racial disparity, and social inequalities. Chopin's use of regionalism shows in her characterization of people and descriptions of places.
“Desiree's Baby”
“Desiree's Baby” was published in 1893 in Vogue. The setting is Louisiana before the Civil War on two plantations: Valmonde and L'Abri.
The main character, Desiree, is the adoptive child of a well-to-do family in antebellum existing before the American Civil War Louisiana. She marries the son of a wealthy man, and they have a child, whose skin grows darker daily.
Interracial relationships were not spoken about during that time; however, mullatos archaic term referring to biracial children were not uncommon.
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Read Kate Chopin's “Desiree's Baby.” You may listen (13:41) to the short story as you read along using the audio controls below.
Foreshadowing
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Writer's Block
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