"Desiree's Baby"

I was surprised by the ending of the story. I did not foresee the discovery of Armand’s ethnicity. However, I knew that there would be an oncoming twist, since the story was so brief - I thought Desiree was going to kill herself, and her child. These thoughts may have been influenced by the morbid themes in O’Connor’s works, as we just finished up with them. The impact of the cultural context of this setting is important. The Civil War began as a war to neutralize slavery, and escalated into a war of abolition. During the years preceding the Civil War, racial tensions ran high. It was unheard of for any proper man to father the baby of a colored, or mixed child. Many men of even average standing did not marry women of color, as they were categorized as slaves. Hence, it makes sense that during this time, Armand would want Desiree and the child to leave, so as not to tarnish his reputation. 

However, it is ironic that Armand was the one of mixed race. This is situational irony at its finest. The audience did not expect this outcome, as Chopin did not leave many indications of foreshadowing.