Desiree’s Baby: Questions And Answers Essay Examples

Discussion Questions

Does the author make any indications to plant a seed of doubt regarding either Desiree or Armand’s race in the earlier part of the story?

What unusual behavior did Madame Valmonde display upon seeing the baby during her visits?

Although when I first read the story, I did not catch the part of the story where Madame Valmonde ‘scans the baby narrowly’ and looks at Zandrine before stating that “the child has grown and changed” and then asking Desiree what Armand thinks of the baby. It is after reading the entire story and reviewing it, that I realized that Madame Valmonde is taken aback by noticing that the child shows bi-racial features. (found in pg.2)

Why is Armand upset and unwilling to look at the baby?

Armand is upset and unwilling to look at the baby as rumors begin to spread and people begin to notice that the child is clearly part black. (found in pg.2)

How does Armand find out the truth about himself? And what is that truth?

Armand finds out the truth about himself while going through all of Desiree and the baby’s belonging to burn them. He comes across a letter that is written to his father from his mother stating that she is thankful that he will never know that his mother is “belongs to a race that is cursed with the brand of slavery. (found in pg.3)
After finishing the story was there any part of the story where the reader could find any signs of Armand’s bi-racial status?
There is mention of Armand’s handsome dark face that becomes obvious after reading the entire story and then re-reading it again. Many parts of the story are done in a way that drops subtle hints throughout the story to show the reader that it is Armand who is half black. (found in pg.3)

Little Orphant Annie (all answers were on the one page of the story)

What is the story about?
The story is about a little orphan girl name Annie who is telling the other children a tale of what happens to mischievous children who do not behave. The story she tells the other children is that the goblins are going to get you if you do not watch out.

Which two examples does Annie use in her story to show of the children who misbehave?

Annie first mentions that a little boy who refused to say his prayers that went missing from the goblins, and then the second example is of a girl who rudely made fun of people that also was taken by the goblins for her bad behavior.

What happens when the goblins come to take a child away?

Annie says that a there is a blue blaze, the wick will sputters, the wind blows ‘wooo-oo’ and the crickets stop chirping, the moon is gray, and the lightening bug in dew are all squenched away. These are all the signs before the goblins come to take these misbehaving kids away.