Mulattoes Identity Crisis in Pre-American Civil War Slavery Based on Kate Chopin’s Desiree’s Baby

A mulatto is a term to refer to a person that born form parents with different race background, either one is white or black. A mulatto also refers to a person that born from mulatto parent or parents. Because of they have mixed ancestry, it is possible to a mulatto offspring to have the quality of both parents (ex: having natural curly blonde hair and white skin).

            In slavery pre-American civil war, master of slaves had rights “to do whatever they want” to their slaves. It was because of laws that abode, one example is Lousiana law, 1724:

“Louisiana, 1724 – "The slave who, having struck his master, his mistress, or the husband of his mistress, or their children, shall have produced a bruise, or the shedding of blood in the face, shall suffer capital punishment”

            So, according to that law, a slave did not have power to resist any order from their master. Even in Virginia, a slave could have been killed only by resisting their masters’ order. Because of those reason, a slave had to abide everything their master ordered, even for intercourse (for woman slaves). If a woman slave had a child from their master, the offspring was listed as slave as their mother was, also considered a “property” of their master. Because of this, a child slave could also be traded or sold (so as losing their name).

            A free slave often stood with family or person who freed them, either had no place to heading to or have to pay “debt”. A free slave also bear the name of person that free them (ex: Solomon Northup). A free slave also considered as family member.

            Desiree’s Baby is a short story by Kate Chopin that took place in pre-American Civil War slavery. Desiree’s baby was a mulatto, although at the first time she did not aware of her anchestry as she shocked when she pleaded of her physical appearance which was different with the newborn.

"It is a lie; it is not true, I am white! Look at my hair, it is brown; and my eyes are gray, Armand, you know they are gray. And my skin is fair,”

-          Desiree’s Child p. 6

Desiree’s anchestry was never revealed (because her detailed appearance was not written), but Armand, her husband insisted that she was slave-born according to the physical appearance of their child. A mulatto in that time was considered a black child, so basicly, they were also slaves. Armand saw the child as a slave, so this is the reason why he did not want Desiree present in the front of his eyes.

"Do you want me to go?"

"Yes, I want you to go."

-          Desiree’s Child p. 6

In the Southern Region, blacks were regarded different with the whites, as they race were known as slaves. Even if a person had single drop of black blood in their body, that person was still regarded a slave even their skin color was white. So, if a white skinned mulatto was still a black, how about black skinned mulatto?

In the end of story it was revealed that the one who was a mulatto was Armand’s mother. So it was possible for Armand to carry black gene. Then, why Armand’s mother was a mullato was still a mystery.

A mullato-born to a white woman was often abandoned or sold secretly. If a mullato-born to a slave woman, they will be treated as same as slave. In American slavery, a slave job was picked from their color. Brighter the color, the higher chance of getting a more “humanist” job. Darker color of slave often works in the field rather than brighter ones who often work in the house as maid or servant. A mulatto also considered to work in the house, moreover, if she/he was attractive, it could be an extra quality.

An attractive woman mulatto was more desired by whites. They were sold because of their attractiveness, and often used as concubines. It was because of their mixed appearance that made them “unique”. It was also assumption of Armand’s mother.

Armand’s mother was a mullato as she stated in her letter.

"But above all," she wrote, "night and day, I thank the good God for having so arranged our lives that our dear Armand will never know that his mother, who adores him, belongs to the race that is cursed with the brand of slavery."

-          Desiree’s Baby, p. 8

According to her statement, she was a mixed-race. She has black genes although it was unseen. Her reason why were she lived in fortune was never revealed. But there is also a chance that she was sold as concubine, or to be married.

Mulattoes in pre-American Civil War has tragic life, as they lost their idenity. They could not be called either white or black. Also, white society saw them as blacks, as slave race, and blacks did not see them as blacks because of they were not as black as they were. If we move to the present, mulattoes identity crisis is still an unsettled problem, no matter what race their ancestry is. Conflict is everywhere. It is our job to at least settle this problem not from what race we are from, but as mankind.

by Prama rusdiansyah