1. Discuss the following questions.
1) Was Armand’s rule over the slaves a strict one? How had his father treated their slaves?
2) Was Desiree’s background clearly unknown? Why is this important?
3) What was wrong with Desiree’s baby? Why did Madame Valmonde look at the child in the best light available?
4) Can you explain the changes in Armand Aubigny’s behavior as the story unfolds?
5) Why had Armand’s mother never left France?
6) What was Madame Valmonde’s reply to Desiree’s letter?
7) What happened to Desiree? Why did she choose to do so?
8) What did Armand find out at the end?
9) What kind of person is Desiree? Is she a strong or a weak character?
10) What does this story say about racism? Women?
2. Tell whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F).
1) As a child, Desiree was probably abandoned by a French family. ( )
2) Desiree is the adopted daughter of Monsieur and Madame Valmonde, who are wealthy Creoles in Louisiana. ( )
3) As the baby grew older, Armand stayed away from home for long periods because he was busy with his plantation. ( )
4) Old Armand had been a cruel slave owner until he met Young Armand’s mother.( )
5) Armand was attracted to Desiree out of true love. ( )
6) Desiree must have committed suicide at the end of the story. ( )
7) Madame Valmonde also doubted about Desiree’s ancestry. ( )
8) It was Armand who was of African-American ancestry. ( )
3. Pair Work: Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the following words in the box and check the answers with your partner.
Desiree is the 1) daughter of the Valmonde family. Madame and Monsieur Valmonde have 2) Desiree since she was a toddler when they 3) her by the plantation’s front gate. Despite the fact that her ancestry is unknown, Desiree has 4) to be the “idol of Valmonde”. She is a sweet, kind, affectionate girl. Her mildmannered character, however, 5) her to 6) too much on Armand’s love and approval. As his wife, her whole being seems 7) around how her husband 8) her, their child, and their life together. When Armand 9) her, Desiree chooses to end her own life rather than start a new one at home with her loving parents. In doing so, she also chooses to end the life of her child, who has 10) unconsciously with her to bring shame to Armand’s name.