Who is the outsider in "Desiree' s Baby"?

Determining the outsider in "Desiree's Baby" depends on
ones point-of-view. We will look at a few different possibilities depending on different
personal interpretations of the question.

Desiree: Desiree
could be considered an outsider in the story. First of all, she is adopted. She does not
have a true name until she is given one by Armand. Second, she is ostracized by Armand
at the end of the story. She is told by Armand that she is not white and that she is no
longer a part of his family- basically, she has disgraced his name and can no longer be
a part of his life.

Armand: Armand can be considered an
outsider given his family history. His mother admits in a letter to his father that he
is part black. Given this information, Armand would be ostracized by white society
because of his mixed background. He is not completely white and, therefore, cannot be
considered as a part of high society.

Desiree's baby: The
child of Armand and Desiree can be considered an outsider given it has the blood of both
white and black parents. Children, during this period, needed to be "pure" to be given
the rights of white society. This child had blood from a white mother and a partially
black father. Given it was born into a "white family", discovery of its mixed heritage
would ostracize the child.