Desiree's Baby

Armand Aubigny seemed to be the typical male during the times when Kate Chopin wrote, “Desiree’s Baby”. Armand was a white man of affluence and wealth as well as a prideful and demanding man. He liked to be in control of the things around him (such as exerting his control over his Negro slaves and his household), so one day when he looked at his baby and realized that there was something off about this beautiful, white, and pure child, he was expectedly perturbed. As the child grows older, Armand realizes that this child that he has cherished and adored is not a purebred white baby. This notion disgusts and hurts him. His pride does not allow him to accept this love child of him and wife instead he turns away from her. “He thought that Almighty God had dealt cruelly and unjustly with him; and he felt somehow, he was paying Him back in kind when he stabbed thus into his wife’s soul.” (362). Being a man who likes to be in the forefront and have a considerable amount of influence in all situations, Armand is despaired by this “unjust act” of God, so he decides to repay this injustice done to him, but punishing his wife. He is unwilling to hear any sort of argument posed by his wife (admittance or refute), he feels as if he must come out on top at the end of this as if he is equivalent to God and can stand toe to toe with him in affecting people’s lives.
Not for one second does Armand stop to think that maybe this trace of blackness in their child could have somehow come from him. He immediately assumes it was his wife and does not waver in this proclamation. Being a man during those times in which most men were chauvinistic and domineering, he had to protect his reputation and good name. He didn’t want people to know that his wife was breeding black babies and he found it acceptable and would continue to love her. “Moreover he no longer loved her, because of the unconscious injury she had brought upon his home and his name.” (362). Armand was a prideful man, who had a reputation to protect, thus it was only plausible that he expel his wife from their household and from his life. It was such a frightening thought as to what the country people might say if they found out that Desiree had produced a mulatto baby: maybe she was part black or maybe she cheated on her husband with a black man. He would be mocked and looked down upon if this ever occurred. The possibilities were horrible and Armand had to protect his good name.
Also within this piece I found the notion of blackness being evil presented through the baby. When it was discovered that the baby had vestiges of black into it, suddenly the house, Armand’s mood, their marriage, as well as the tone of the book, became dark and gloomy. Happiness was gone with the birthing of this blackness. Even though Armand loved this baby initially as soon as he saw blackness presenting itself in his child, his demeanor toward the child quickly changed. Armand allowed this notion of blackness being evil to ruin his marriage as well as his life (because possibly he would have not found out about his own black heritage if he did not start that fire to burn all lasting memories of Desiree and their child, until later on in his life). It was such a sin back then to be the parents of a mulatto child. Those parents were shunned and seen as evil and impure themselves, because blacks were still seen and treated as dirt, so to procreate with one of them was an unpleasing thought and one that people believed would turn the whole world upside down if it was warmly accepted.

The Birth of a Friendship

One of the most crucial developments to follow in Mark Twain’s novel, Huckleberry Finn, is the blossoming of Huck and Jim’s relationship. Initially their relationship is one of mere associates and on in which Huck takes precedence over Jim, however as they spend more time together Huck’s view of Jim begins to change.
Initially, Huck does not view them as equals, thus the element of respect is missing from their relationship (in terms of Huck respecting Jim). When we are first introduced to Jim in the novel, it is through Huck and Tom’s childish pranks and teasing. Jim is viewed by the boys as a sort of a game, just something humorous to pass time with. They completely disregard Jim’s feelings and well-being. On the occasion in which Tom wants to tie Jim to a tree and commence to tease him, Huck rejects this idea, for his own sake not for Jim’s. “But I said no; he might wake and make a disturbance, and then they’d find out I warn’t in.” (74). Huck’s fear of getting caught and being punished guides his actions more so than morality and kindness. Jim is not even viewed as a human being. He is seen as property and thus Jim feels as if he can treat him however, unless it will cause some sort of unwarranted backlash on himself.
This treatment continues even as Jim becomes a sort of protector over Huck as their paths cross on Jackson Island after they both flee the mainland. Even though Huck expresses some joy in stumbling upon Jim, his emotions are all one sided and centered around himself. His joy over Jim is that now he does not have to be alone; now he has a form of entertainment and even someone to assist him in whatever dangers he might encounter. Huck and Jim do not have a friendship yet. Steps toward a friendship begin as Huck nervously and dubiously agrees not to turn Jim in for running away from his masters. This is a momentous step in their relationship and even though much doubt crossed Huck’s mind while he was agreeing to this promise, this shows that Huck cares for Jim some, because this promise not only continues Jim’s loyalty to Huck, but it initiates Huck’s loyalty to Jim. They are now bound together, however the relationship is still not quite 50-50 in equality, because Huck still encounters many experiences in their journey in which his childish and immature nature cause him to revert back to viewing Jim as a sort of concrete and emotionless joke/game in which he can toy with, for example, when Huck gets lost in the fog temporarily, Jim is worried about him and makes a big fuss, yet Huck tells him he dreamed it all up. “Well. This is too many for me, Jim. I hain’t seen no fog, not no islands, nor no troubles, nor nothing. I been setting here talking with you all night till you went to sleep about ten minutes ago, and I reckon I done the same.” (141). Jim knows this to be a joke and he views it as a cruel act from Huck, because Jim views Huck as his friend (esp. since Huck promised not to turn him in for being a run away).
I viewed this scene as the most crucial turning point in Huck and Jim’s relationship. I feel it was this occurrence that really bound Huck and Jim together, despite some of the doubt hat crept into Huck’s head from time to time. Here Huck began to view Jim as a human being, a person, a friend, whom he really did care for, because only when we care for someone do we allow for ourselves to be moved by their emotions. This only happens with people we hold dear; their sorrows become our own and we are able to empathize with them. Huck begins to realize how he has hurt Jim and he does not like the way that makes him feel, so he apologizes. “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger-but I done it, and I warn’t ever sorry for it afterwards neither. I didn’t do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldn’t have done that one if I had a knowed it would make him feel that way.” (142). Huck has accepted Jim as a person and as a friend. They now have a special bond that moves beyond loyalty and sense of duty. There is feeling and emotion involved.

"I like the look of Agony" by Emily Dickinson

Too many times in history when the country, continent, or world is undergoing great difficulty or conflict, there is always that person (or group of people) who attempt to “sugarcoat” the situation. For different reasons people attempt to downplay the seriousness of momentous occasions. I like this Emily Dickinson poem, “I like the look of Agony”, because I feel as if she is speaking out against those phony facades and saying how precious the truth looks to those of us who desire it. “Because I know it’s true” (2). Dickinson did not write this poem for sadistic or gloomy pleasure derived from depression rather in advocating purpose of promoting the truth and realness. Dickinson does not concentrate on how delighted she is by the look of agony, but she is focusing on the look of agony itself and the emotions shown in the face. “Men do not sham Convulsion, nor stimulate a throe…” (3-4). No one walks around with the look of agony for no reason. There is always a reason behind this look of anguish and the best way for the issues behind these emotions it to express them, so a person could assist in relieving these cares and stresses. In relation to the Civil War, if the generals and leaders were lying or keeping the truth from the civilians, the civilians were walking around with a false sense of self and security, however even though disturbing news will cause their faces to become distorted and their attitudes changed, it is most beneficial in the long run. “The Beads upon the forehead by homely anguish strung” (7-8). This is quite a vivid picture of the beads of sweat that collect themselves upon the forehead of those in distressed. These beads of sweat look quite disgusting and can make a person nervous, however Dickinson loves the look of this because the this is an indication of the truth speaking, no matter how disturbing the news. All of the ducks are in a row now. Dickinson chooses to use such violent and frantic words to describe this look of anguish, because admittingly it is not a pretty site, but as they say, the truth isn’t pretty. Dickinson isn’t glorifying depression, but merely calling for honesty in the midst of hard times. If Dickinson was writing this poem in relation to the dishonesty and information held back from the public, she is declaring that she would rather be sweating in a panic, while informed of every major occurrence, rather than blissfully ignorant.

Walt Whitman's "Beat! Beat! Drums!"

“Beat! Beat! Drums!” by Walt Whitman is definitely supporting Mark Neely’s assertion that Whitman concerns seemed to lie more in liberation and contentment for the Union rather than emancipation for the slaves. “Into the school where the scholar is studying....would the singers attempt to sing? Would lawyers rise in the court to state his case before the judge?” (3-16). All throughout Whitman’s poem it seems as if he is mentally traveling through the town and observing the different scenes that the beat of war drums would disturb and none of these scenes involve the slaves; the scene focus on places in which one would imagine White people to be at (such as the lawyer at the court house). Whitman is insinuating that the beating of these war drums and the blowing of these war bugles are going to greatly disturb the everyday lives of the people, however he seems to leave out a very large group of people, who this war is going to affect more than anyone else: the slaves. Whitman’s omission of the slaves rightful rises eyebrows from scholars and historians, because he is known to be a man greatly concerned about the nation and seems to really push for democracy and freedom, however the plight of the slaves is absent from his expressive writings.
“Mind not the timid-mind not the weeper or prayer, mind not the old man beseeching the young man, let not the child’s voice be heard, nor the mother’s entreaties.” (17-19). Whitman is concerned about the child, the old man, the religious, the shy, and the emotional, however where is his concern for the slave? The cotton picker? The Negro? The powerless? Those searching for liberation? All of these people are overlooked and not mentioned, even though it would be expected to see some plea for them, because the war was truly over their place in America; however as Neely suggested it seems that Whitman is more concerned about the unity of the of the country, rather than equality for all, because he completely ignores the issue of slavery. It is this issue that makes Whitman’s poem comparable to Timrod’s poem “The Cotton Boll”. Both Timrod and Whitman both ignore the issue of slavery in their poems and focus on the North and South, respectively. Timrod is glorifying the South and its cotton, while Whitman is rehashing all of the wonderful people in his home town that will be disastrously disturbed from their daily routine with the Civil War. As evidenced by their poems, both authors are making the Civil War seem as if it is not about the issue of slavery, but rather a compromise that needs to be made between the North and the South for mutual respect and freedom for both.