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The Role Of Irony In Desiree's Baby

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The story "Desiree's Baby" by Kate Chopin contains a plot twist that builds the irony. Unknown identities and racial tension have a way of constructing the story. These key roles have the effect of leaving the audience thinking a certain outcome, but irony comes in with a whole different ending then what was expected. The irony in “Desiree’s Baby” creates the tragic outcome. This particular story “Desiree’s Baby” contains situational irony. Situational irony is having an expectation for something to go a certain way, but does not. In situational irony the audience is expecting a certain outcome, but the outcome becomes unlike how the audience expected. Ironically Armand, who was half black, was a slave owner not to mention had a hatred for slaves. Armand suspects his wife and child were of African blood. Armand lost his love for them both and felt resentment towards them. The audience assumes as well that Desiree's background had caught up to her and is now naturally being punished because her assumed black heritage in the racist South. What the audience later finds is that ironically the baby looks the way it does not because of Desiree but because of Armand. Desiree is found abandoned by her unknown parents as a baby, a wealthy white couple finds her and adopts her …show more content…

If Desiree would have known from the beginning who were her parents, it would have saved her not to mention her baby as well. If Armand would have known his family background, he would not had probably would have still been with Desiree. They would have probably even have lived a happily ever after. Armand would probably not had the baby. Armand would probably wanted to get rid of anything that reminded him of his ethnicity. The baby brought out his family secrete and he probably felt it shameful to have to baby around. Armand would have still kept treating the slaves awful, for it was because of the baby that stopped his cruel ways towards the

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