Nathalie Escobar
ENG102.0816
Ms. Bogacka
March 21, 2007
The Roles of Gender and Race
During the historical time of the late nineteenth century, there were many stereotypical
comments about the roles of gender and race. Men were usually played as the “breadwinners,”
as well as the well-educated and the sole foundation of the family. Men had to show their
masculinity by being the very upper-hand of the family. Women are portrayed as sensitive,
sweet, caring, faithful, moody, naïve, etc. As a way to complete them as a whole, they needed a
man in their lives to support them. However, women held the least power of the family and
believed that they only had a purpose of being a housewife. Eventually, it didn’t end up all about
roles of gender, but the great deal of racial discrimination of intimate relationships of different
race. Stereotypes associated with gender and races are illustrated in Kate Chopin’s “Desiree’s
Baby,” and Charles W. Chesnutt’s “The Wife of His Youth.”
In the short story of “Desiree’s Baby” by Kate Chopin, race played a big role, as well as
gender between the life of Armand and Desiree. Desiree was an orphan that was taken care of
by the Valmonde family, and later became a grown woman. Desiree was illustrated as “beautiful
and gently, affectionate and sincere — the idol of Valmonde.” (p1) Desiree was more or a reborn
child from the hands of loving people. As time passed, Desiree later married a wealthy man by
the name of Armand Aubigny. Armand was the masculine type, a very strict slave owner,
arrogant, but still had a caring side. Armand fell in love with Desiree by the sight of her beauty,
in which he felt “as if struck by a pistol shot.” (p1) Armand described Desiree’s beauty in a
violent illustration to express how beautiful she really is. However, Armand did not care of what
origin she derived from and in which he had portrayed her as “nameless,” (p1) like Desiree was
some kind of possession. Both Armand and Desiree later started a family and had baby that was
a boy. The baby, in which Desiree thought to bring the family closer with love, had brought
consequences to the family. The love that they shared had turned against her as she faces racial
discrimination from her own husband. At first, Armand was happy to hear the great news that he
has a son to carry out his name, but when he closely looked at the color of the child’s skin he
immediately rejected Desiree and his child. Armand, as a slave owner, felt like it would be a
disgrace to his family’s name and to people if they were to find out he was to have a colored
child of his own. In addition to having a colored child, others would look at him differently
because he has a colored child while he treats the slaves that are colored very cruel. During the
whole marriage, Desiree finally ends in a downfall in which she leaves Armand with the baby,
but leaves a letter for Armand of the truth. He finds out from the letter reading the letter,
“…Armand will never know that his mother, who adores him, belongs to the race that is cursed
with the brand of slavery.” (p4)
In “The Wife of His Youth” by Charles W. Chesnutt, there were many stereotypical
views on race and gender that took place while equality was slowly forming among races of
different color. Mr. Ryder, a freeborn, light-colored skin complexion and well-educated man
wanted to be equal in society; therefore he joined an organization called “The Blue Veins.” The
Blue Veins was a society for exclusive people, which mostly consisted of light-colored skin
members and of wealthy people. Mr. Ryder proved to be a person that struggled to achieve a
better life and future. However, Mr. Ryder in the past was also known as Sam Taylor. As Sam
Taylor, he worked on a plantation as an apprentice. He was considered not a slave because he
was born free, but his “master” wanted to sell him as a slave to make more money. (p5)
Therefore, Sam Taylor fled from the plantation but left behind his slave marriage that was with
an older woman by the name of Liza Jane. Before he left, he promised to come back for Liza
Jane and that they both would reunite. Except, he eventually went to find her but she was no
longer working in the plantation in which he gave up and started a new chapter in his life.
Eventually, a woman came to his door; she was described as a little woman, quite old, had many
wrinkles, very black, etc (p4). This woman was illustrated as an old fashion, southern plantation
woman. She introduced herself to Mr. Ryder as Liza Jane, and traveled from afar to look for her
long lost husband for over twenty years. Liza told her whole life story about herself and the
husband she faithfully was searching for to Mr. Ryder. In a way, Mr. Ryder tried to diverge a
way out of the conversation with Liza Jane because he didn’t want her to find out that Sam
Taylor, was himself. After the conversation, Mr. Ryder continued his plan of making a ball to
propose to a woman he was attracted to, Mrs. Dixon. During the ball, Mr. Ryder proposed a
toast to the women in the ball about a story that was truly based on his life. He wanted an
opinion based acceptance from his fellow members of the society, if he was to marry a colored
woman. The close members of his society agreed to Mr. Ryder that “he should acknowledge
her.” As mostly everyone agreed, he told the members that the story was about him, and he
brought out his wife which was Liza Jane. It was a difficult situation for Mr. Ryder to decide
because his past life as Sam Taylor, he didn’t have many choices available on what to do with
his life than as of now, as Mr. Ryder. Sam Taylor, was a freeborn, apprentice that worked in a
plantation and was about to be sold as a slave by his master. He had no other choice but to leave
the plantation and his slave marriage with Liza Jane. Liza was unable to join Sam because she
was a cook of the family that owned the plantation and a slave. Sam had no choice but to start a
new life and try to educate himself to be successful. As a way to keep the slave marriage alive,
he kept a promise with her that he would come back for her. Now as a freeborn, Sam Taylor
become well-educated and slowly became a wealthy man, he then changed his name to Mr.
Ryder. Mr. Ryder had more choices in his life because he became the dean of “The Blue Veins”
and was wealthy. He was light-colored and was equally acknowledge by the white people and
other light-colored people. He was a well respected man, had a good life in which he was able
to support himself, and a “ladies’ man.” Mr. Ryder had better opportunities and a better future
than the life of Sam Taylor.