“At the very heart of our experience of being human, each of us has an intuitive sense of the value of unconditional love,” psychologist John Welwood once wrote (qtd. in Raab). Unconditional love is the “total acceptance of someone” and “the person…giving it does not require anything to be done by” the other person “in exchange” (Lancer; “Unconditional”). In the short story “Désirée’s Baby” written by Kate Chopin the setting is in Louisiana before the American Civil War. Désirée is found as an infant and raised by Madame and Monsieur Valmondé, who take her as she is and don’t judge her negatively for her unknown origins. Désirée knew Armand since her childhood, but he suddenly falls in love, marries her, and they have a baby. They live happily on Armand’s plantation and he is kind to his slaves until Désirée experiences life’s unpredictability: Armand’s love has conditions and he decides that the baby is not white (pgs. 1-4). Désirée rescues the baby by taking them away and Armand has a “great bonfire” (pg. 4) in which their things are burnt. What is the significance of fire to the meaning of the story? “Désirée’s Baby” has themes about conditional love which are implied through how the fire is described, what it does, and what Armand has thrown on it.
The story has a central idea about conditional love that is hinted at by the fire’s illustration. Portrayed as a “bonfire” (pg. 4) it is suggested that the fire was built to burn unwanted waste and is a signal; as a “spectacle” (pg. 4) it’s slightly frightening, and extreme. It is also written that it is a “pyre” (pg. 4), and that can be where someone dead is burnt. The way that Armand fell in love was “like a prairie fire” (pg. 1), uncontrollably burning what is natural. Armand’s love for Désirée is a bit of a scary passion because it has conditions. As long as Désirée is white and beautiful and their baby is white he will care for them, and as soon as these criteria are not met his love dies. The fire conveys the message that Armand’s relationship to his family has ended. Everything that used to be precious to him appears to be waste, and it is like Désirée and the baby are dead to him. Armand does not love in accordance to the benevolence and devotion of human nature and instead desires to be a master over others. When Armand has a bonfire one can imagine that the theme of the story is, “A person who loves conditionally is controlling and will cause everything that they once loved to be ruined.”
The actions of the fire in “Désirée’s Baby” reveal the meaning of the story regarding conditional love. The flames, like Armand’s passion flared rapidly. He fell in love as soon as he looked at Désirée and decided she looked beautiful. His care for Désirée and the baby is completely destroyed as if engulfed in a blaze. As a fire does Armand’s conditional love hurts the people around him. “…[M]iserable enough to die” (pg. 2), Désirée makes a sound of unhappiness and pain when he tells her to go and she has to say goodbye to him. His child will not remember who his father was and might not ever know how a father’s love feels. His love burns out and Désirée sees it in his eyes, “…from which the old love-light seem[s] to have gone out” (pg. 2). As the burning of the fire does irrevocable damage, so does Armand’s love by having rules. Armand treats Désirée like she isn’t good enough and tells her to leave after promising to be there for her through marriage. Because of Armand’s behaviour she likely has mental health issues. The burning of the fire suggests the theme, “Conditional love is not enduring and will hurt people when it has nothing left to fuel it.”
The reader’s attention is drawn to what Kate Chopin implies about the story when Armand has slaves put things on the fire. The fact that he has the items placed on the fire by his slaves instead of himself expresses that he has distanced himself from his feelings and wants control. “A graceful cradle of willow, with all its dainty furbishings” (pg. 4) symbolises Armand’s affection for his baby, his wish for them to feel special, and have a proper, beautiful, and comfortable life. Representing Armand’s invaluable preparedness and responsibility for the newborn baby is the “priceless layette” (pg. 4), which is a complete set of bedding, clothes, and other accessories for an infant. A basket of Désirée’s “silk gowns, and velvet and satin ones” (pg. 4) means that Armand wanted her to feel beautiful. The embroideries mentioned could be Désirée’s creations, which are linked to Armand’s appreciation of her artwork. “[A] tiny bundle of letters; innocent little scribblings” (pg. 4) are connected to Armand’s friendship with Désirée. Armand’s wishes and memories are reduced to ashes, signified by the items being burnt. One of the ideas at the heart of the story is, “When love is conditional it will burn up and all that ought to be revered will be lost as if in a fire.”
Kate Chopin indirectly expresses several ideas in “Désirée’s Baby” which reveal things about a lack of human nature; each is about conditional love, inferred through how the fire is detailed, its behaviour, and what Armand’s slaves put onto it. Armand’s love for Désirée and the baby is alarming like a large fire because it is only temporary. It’s related to a funeral pyre, being a sign that his relationship to his family is gone. The fire is destructive, as is Armand’s conditional love. What Armand has thrown onto the fire—things of sentimental value—are ruined, which is related to the consequences of his conditional love. In contrast, true love transcends space and time.
Works Cited
Chopin, Kate. “‘Désirée’s Baby.’” Katechopin.org, 17 Feb. 2016, https://www.katechopin.org/desirees-baby-text/. Accessed 27 Apr. 2022.
Lancer, Darlene. “Soulmates and Unconditional Love.” Psych Central, Psych Central, 17 May 2016, https://psychcentral.com/lib/soulmates-and-unconditional-love#1. Accessed 27 Apr. 2022.
Raab, Diana. “The Secret of Unconditional Love.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 23 Feb. 2020, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-empowerment-diary/202002/the-secret-unconditional-love. Accessed 27 Apr. 2022.
“Unconditional, Adjective” Collins English Dictionary, https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/unconditional-love. Accessed 27 Apr. 2022.
A Dream of Writing 