Desirees Baby by Kate Chopin - Essay Example

Critical Analysis of "Desiree's Baby" by Kate Chopin I found Kate Chopin's "Desiree's Baby" very sad, a tragic, ironic story in how it portrayed joy turned to sorrow and love to hate. I thought how prejudice and misplaced pride made people cruel, giving them the power to damage and destroy, leaving them with nothing in the end. Told from an objective point of view that allows the reader to interpret what is happening, I was at first convinced it would tell of a happy family situation, a reasonable assumption when a new baby has been born to loving parents and a doting grandmother is on the way to visit.

The first hint of menace, of things awry came with her reactions to the child. '"This is not the baby", she exclaimed, in startled tones." There is brooding atmosphere of heat that seems to suggest the calm before a storm in this scene. As the changes in the baby are reflected by changes in his father, Armand, it became apparent that the child was not white, so Desiree, of unknown parentage was blamed. The awful response of the father, cruelty to his wife, love turned to hate and his beating of the slaves showed his how his damaged pride, social standing and prejudice had dreadful effects on all around him: "..the spirit of Satan seemed suddenly to take hold of him in his dealings with the slaves.

" Armand caused so much suffering and pain to those who were different, through prejudice and misplaced pride. When he drove her away, punishing her for disgracing him, I realized that I wanted Desiree and her baby to be saved from the bayou, to go and live with the people who understood the meaning of unconditional love. The irony in the last few words exposed the tragedy: "his mother, who adores him, belongs to the race that is cursed with the brand of slavery." In this story, the universal truth stands out; those people who believe themselves better and more important than others, letting that rule their lives, are left with nothing, as the ashes of the fire Armand lit, symbolized.

I felt his isolation and loss were a form of justice he deserved. Critical Analysis of "Hunters in the Snow" by Tobias Wolff In this story, "Hunters in the Snow," by Tobias Wolff, not only the setting is chilling, but the behaviors and characters of the three men. It caused me to look beyond the faade, understanding shifts in power, roles and relationships portrayed. In the descriptive opening passage, I perceived Tub to be a simple soul, a fat guy, the butt of jokes, the outsider. "He looks just like a beach ball with a hat on," (Kenny) said, laughing after he 'jokingly' almost ran Tub down.

This established Kenny as a joker with a sadistic streak, enlisting Frank as his ally, so the dynamics of the group would be two against one. Frank appeared the most rational, a peacemaker, in control of things, telling Tub, "Stop bitching, Tub, get centered." and Kenny, "lets hit the road." Kenny really wanted to hunt and kill deer, the others merely followed a 'macho' tradition, an annual ritual. He used put-downs, goading and niggling the others, while giving the impression of just joking.

I thought he continually tried to undermine both, so he could take the lead role. As events progressed, I doubted this original interpretation. Frank's secret altered my original impression of a rational, clear-headed man, as his justification for his affair with a 15 year old sounded self-deluding and foolish. He was sincere, but the logic was twisted: "You can't put people into categories"and "Tub, don't you see how you're dividing people up into categories" This was the message the writer intended to convey, I believe.

Tub's simple response to shooting Kenny after he killed the old dog, appeared based on fear for his life, but seemed remorseful. "Tub was weeping from his eyes and nostrils, his whole face was wet." But had Tub got his revenge Kenny had gone too far with his joking; consequences were isolation and death. The relationships and roles shifted dramatically after the shooting, as Tub and Frank shared secrets, callously ignoring the injured man. Taking his blankets away, stopping to eat and get warm, showed no regard for his pain.

Their interactions exposed dishonesty and weakness in both characters. Surprisingly, Kenny maintained his character throughout, right up to the shooting, even believing the assurances from them. The lesson of this story was how circumstances can expose true character; people are never just what they seem on the surface, and human nature can be shocking and cruel.