What we see in this story are two extremes of kinship: Monsieur and Madame Valmondé very willingly take in Desiree as a baby who they knew nothing about. There were theories among the townspeople that she was left by a party of traveling Texans, but that did not seem to make a difference for the Valmondés. They took in Desiree as she was, and it was only when Armand took a fancy to her as a grownup that Monsieur Valmondé cautioned Armand to at least consider the background of Desiree. When Desiree realized what Armand thought about their child and about her racial background, she writes a heartfelt and urgent letter to Madame Valmondé. The Madame sends back a brief reply: "My own Desiree: Come home to Valmondé; back to your mother who loves you. Come with your child." It is more than evident that regardless of all that has happened - and from the tone of Valmondé's letter it seems that she knew something like this was going to happen - Valmondé very enthusiastically tells Desiree to come home. Moreover, she tells her to bring the baby as well.

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3 years ago