Standard Questions for “Desiree’s Baby”

1.  Which group of words conveys the Armand’s attitude about Desiree after he finds out his baby is black?

a.  Cold, distant, cruel

b.  Astonished, afraid, worried

c.  Disbelieving, angry, in denial

d.  Uncaring, neutral, unbothered

2.  What is the author’s purpose in writing this selection?

a.  To argue that slavery is not a bad system when the owners are nice

b.  To prove that women need to have more options than a bad marriage

c.  To illustrate the hypocrisy of racism and lack of opportunities for women and blacks

d.  To show the importance of pure blood and why interracial relationships are wrong

3.  What is the effect of the description of Armand’s home in the following quote?

“The roof came down steep and black like a cowl, reaching out beyond the wide galleries that encircled the yellow stuccoed house. Big, solemn oaks grew close to it, and their thick-leaved, far-reaching branches shadowed it like a pall.”

a.  It creates a tone of peace and tranquility

b.  It foreshadows the death of Desiree and her baby

c.  It contrasts with the airy happy home of Desiree’s parents

d.  It emphasizes Desiree’s desire to be married to a rich man

4.  How does the use of irony at the end reflect the theme of the text?

a.  It proves that interracial relationships are doomed

b.  It reinforces the idea that Desiree was right to leave Armand

c.  It proves the domestic violence continues down through the generations

d.  It illustrates that the foolishness of judging based on skin tone

5.  How does the author use language to demonstrate regionalism?

a.  The author uses imagery to show the brutality of slavery

b.  The authors uses dialect to set the story in Louisiana

c.  The author uses allusions to the Everglades

d.  The authors uses imagery of pioneers setting off for the West

6.  Which statement best summarizes the theme of the story?

a.  Black people owned slaves too

b.  Treating people differently based on racial heritage is wrong

c.  Slavery is a barbaric institution that ought to be abolished

d.  Interracial marriages should be illegal