Sunday, January 15, 2012

What does the phrase, "that was his last blow at fate," mean in "Desiree's Baby"?

In "Desiree's Baby," Armand discovers that his child is not white, and Desiree says she will leave. When Desiree asks if he wants her to go, he says yes. Then, when she tells him goodbye, he doesn't answer and this is "his last blow at fate." By rejecting both Desiree and the baby, Armand is essentially abandoning them. Desiree and the child have very few options if Armand sends them away, and by not responding to her, he seals her fate of being alone in the world. Her only option is to return to her mother, but distraught over Armand's rejection, she walks into the bayou. 


Desiree's fate was shaky to begin with because of her unknown origin, but Armand's silence at the end forces her to find her way in the world without the security of a husband or family home.  

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thomas Jefferson's election in 1800 is sometimes called the Revolution of 1800. Why could it be described in this way?

Thomas Jefferson’s election in 1800 can be called the “Revolution of 1800” because it was the first time in America’s short history that pow...