1. Pair Work: Identify figures of speech in the following sentences.
In the story, there are many figures of speech used for different purposes. Please match the following figures of speech with the given sentences. Talk with your partner about the purpose of using them and try to find more examples of each figure of speech.
a. irony b. alliteration c. metaphor
d. simile e. comparison f. symbolism
1) _____ “Armand,” she called to him, in a voice which must have stabbed him.
2) _____ She was like a stone image: silent, white, motionless after she placed it there.
3) _____ Young Aubigny’s rule was a strict one, too and under it is his negroes had forgotten how to be gay, as they had been during the old master’s easy going and indulgent lifetime.
4) _____ “It means,” he answers lightly, “that the child is not white; it means that you are not white.”
5) _____ And the very spirit of Satan seemed suddenly to take hold of him.
6) _____ It was October afternoon; the sun was just sinking... She disappeared among the reeds... and she did not come back again.
2. Group Work: Focus on the literary device of foreshadowing.
Authors often use foreshadowing, or leave hints in their novels about what might happen next. Foreshadowing increases suspense and makes you anxious to read on to find out what might happen. In groups of three or four, try to find examples of foreshadowing in this story and explain what events they might foretell. One example is given to you.
3. Solo Work: Create a new ending.
Write two to four paragraphs that extend the conclusion of Desiree’s Baby. In these paragraphs, answer at least one of the following questions:
1) Will Armand keep quiet about his mixed racial heritage?
2) Will he have a change of heart and try to reconcile with Desiree?
3) Will his attitude to slavery and blacks change?
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