Plot

On this page, we will outline the plot of the short story "Désirée's Baby" by Kate Chopin.

Plot refers to the sequence of events in a story. The plot in most short stories has five elements: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution. Nevertheless, there are also other types of plot that do not necessarily follow this structure. “Désirée’s Baby” follows the classical structure, but also includes a plot twist at the end, when readers discover that Armand was the one with creole origins.

Here is how the elements of the plot unfold in “Désirée’s Baby”:

Exposition. We are introduced to the main characters: Désirée, Armand and Madame Valmondé: “As the day was pleasant, Madame Valmondé drove over to L'Abri to see Désirée and the baby”. (p. 22, l. 1)

Notice the story opens with a backstory, Madame Valmondé’s recollection of Désirée’s past. Furthermore, L’Abri is presented from Madame Valmondé’s perspective and includes foreshadowing elements.

Rising action. The baby’s change ...