36 pages 1 hour read

Kate Chopin

Desiree's Baby

Fiction | Short Story | Adult

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

After Reading

Discussion/Analysis Prompt

Consider the term “passing” in the context of the story. In which ways do different characters try to “pass” as white? How are the social structures utilized in order to support this passing? Are they ultimately successful? Why or why not?

Teaching Suggestion: This Discussion/Analysis Prompt invites students to connect their responses from the Personal Connection Prompt within the context of Chopin’s story. Chopin alludes to the importance of “passing” for families, particularly those which possess generational wealth and employ the labor of enslaved people. Armand’s mother’s letter reveals the importance of protecting the family property, since The Unnatural and Irreconcilable Rules of Race indicate that certain social standards, particularly for families in the antebellum South, must be upheld and maintained. Despite Armand’s mother’s efforts to hide her son’s true lineage, the attempts at “passing” are not successful. This Prompt works well as either an in-class discussion or a take-home assignment.

Activities

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

CREATIVE WRITING: “Armand’s Response”

In this activity, students will write a creative response from the point of view of Armand outlining his next steps.

Related Titles

By Kate Chopin

Study Guide

logo

A Pair of Silk Stockings

Kate Chopin

A Pair of Silk Stockings

Kate Chopin

Study Guide

logo

A Respectable Woman

Kate Chopin

A Respectable Woman

Kate Chopin

Study Guide

logo

At the ’Cadian Ball

Kate Chopin

At the ’Cadian Ball

Kate Chopin

Study Guide

logo

The Awakening

Kate Chopin

The Awakening

Kate Chopin

Study Guide

logo

The Night Came Slowly

Kate Chopin

The Night Came Slowly

Kate Chopin

Study Guide

logo

The Story of an Hour

Kate Chopin

The Story of an Hour

Kate Chopin