Outline

1

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Student Name

Professor Dybala

Engl 1302: CRN #####

13 September 2021

Formal Outline for Essay One: Classical Scheme of Argumentation

Follow this outline sentence by sentence when you write Essay One. Be sure to lead up to your argumentative thesis in the introduction and begin each body paragraph (Section III-VI) with a topic sentence that refers back to a subtopic stated or suggested in the thesis.

Essay One must include all parts of this outline. Note that each Roman numeral (I.-VIII.) represents one paragraph, and each capital letter (A.-G.) represents one sentence in each paragraph. So the structure includes a minimum of 46 sentences: I. 3 sentences, II. 5 sentences, III. 7 sentences, IV. 7 sentences, V. 7 sentences, VI. 7 sentences, VII. 7 sentences, VIII. 3 sentences.

The outline form is required for the first draft; in the final essay, the Roman numerals and capital letters will be removed and each sentence will follow paragraph form, with each paragraph indented one tab or five spaces. The outline is single-spaced and the final essay is double-spaced.

I. Introduction (3-4 sentences)

A. Introduce topic: State the author and title of the short story (in quotation marks)

and topic to capture the readers’ attention.

Kate Chopin’s short story “Desiree’s Baby” set in antebellum times in Louisiana,

exhibits race and racism throughout the entire text.

B. Add more information about the topic to suggest the significance of the work.

The plot centers revolves around race and racism where Desiree’s husband Armand displays cruelty to her and other slaves basing on entrenched ideas of race and ironically Armand himself turned out to have a black descent.

C. State thesis: Narrow topic more specifically and state your claim and suggest four

subtopics (Organizing principle of your essay—most important sentence) The text exposes racial segregation as experienced by slaves and the protagonist Desiree and his son through various scenes as depicted by the author. It is evident on how the slaves were mistreated, how Armand reacted after the birth of his son, How Armand ended the relationship with his wife due to her heritage and also how Madame reacted when he first saw the baby.

II. Expository paragraph: This paragraph demonstrates your expertise on

this author and short story and identifies terms or explains pertinent background information. (Ethical appeal) (5-7 Sentences) Refer to the links to websites on the authors posted in Module Two on the Readings and Resources page. Use MLA style to cite any information from a source that you include.

A. State the topic: What kind of background information will you describe

It is true to ascertain that the background of Kate Chopin informed her writing of the text and she intended to showcase the slaves were treated in the plantation including the perception of the people of color.

B. Select relevant details from the website to enhance your argument and prepare

the reader for your defense.

Kate Chopin grew up in the era of civil war and this triggered her to get separated from her friend just like Desiree got separated from her husband. Kate Chopin’s family were slave holders who supported the South. St. Louis was a pro-North city, and the Gareshe’s were forced to move. The experience made her to develop Desiree’s Baby plot and share the experiences with the readers.

C. Kate Chopin experiences triggered her to write Desiree’s Baby to depict the damaging effects of racism and express how such hatred can destroy love and poison relationships so deeply just like Desiree’s experience with her baby of color.

D. Kate Chopin decides to involve slaves(Most of them were blacks) in the plot as a result of first-hand experience from her family to relate to the readers on how slaves were perceived including the relationship with whites which was considered illicit and the children resulted from the relationship were viewed as outcasts and they were discriminated.

E. Relate this information to your thesis.

Desiree’s marriage showcase the extent Armand will go to deny his true identity so that he can maintain hegemony and dominate all that he encounters as indicated by his sudden love of Desiree, his treatment of the slaves on his plantation, his rejection of Desiree and their child, and his destruction of all remnants of her life. All display the intended purpose of Kate Chopin when developing the plot that revolves around racism, gender and hypocrisy linked to the slaves and people of color.

III.--VI. Confirmation Section: Four body paragraphs developing the evidence to

support your thesis. You may include either one or two quotes in each paragraph of

the confirmation section as long as you develop the paragraph with 7 or more

sentences. The outline for two quotes is displayed in paragraph III and IV and the

outline for one quote is illustrated in paragraph V and VI. You may choose either

option that you think will be more effective as you develop your outline.

III. Subtopic One: See alternate arrangement with only one quote in paragraph V

and VI.

A. Topic Sentence: State the topic of this paragraph and your claim about it

Kate Chopin’s utilization of the character Armand relationship with Desiree was to depict the extend of his commitment that would later be the destruction of Desiree’s entire life.

B. Elaborate on the significance of the topic.

Armand married Desiree who was adopted and they have a son together who later became the root cause for Desiree’s nightmare to gain happiness from her husband and the society at large. Armand marriage to Desiree showcase his love and commitment to the woman and the tragic end of Desiree’s birth of their son and the response she got depicts her tragic fate.

C. Introduce a quote and state it. Use quotation marks and punctuate in MLA style!

“Good-by, Armand,” she moaned. He did not answer her. That was his last blow at fate.”(Chopin, 181).

D. Explain your interpretation of the quote. Analyze its significance to your thesis!

From the quote it is evident that the love Armand had for his wife ha turned sour due to the colored-baby making Desiree’s want to leave. Desiree experiences her tragic fate at this moment. Armand’s arrogance is evident although he also seems vulnerable at this point since Desiree was making her final plea.

E. Introduce next quote and state it.

“When she frowned she trembled, but loved him. When he smiled, she asked no greater blessing of God.” (Chopin, 179).

F. Discuss the quote. Do not simply paraphrase or restate it: analyze it. Do not use the

words of the quote to discuss it. Do not open the sentence with “This quote”;

instead, refer to an aspect of the passage that you will analyze.

Desiree is depicted as a slave in two grounds and firstly as a woman and secondly as a lover to Armand. Armand is slave to his passions and Desiree is also a slave to her love for the slave owner. Desiree cannot comprehend why Armand could end their love on such grounds of her racial heritage. She cannot understand also why Armand does not do much on uncovering the claims he made concerning her wife. At this point Desiree questions the love his husband had for me like was it that shallow to allow such challenges to end it? Or was he hateful due to her heritage, does he really black people that much? The questions made Desiree to remain in denial as she left the house and obeys Armand’s request of her leaving.

G. Transition to the next paragraph: close this paragraph and introduce the next.

The author portrays the deep emotions that Armand goes through when he first sees Desiree as the story commences. We are able to ascertain Armand’s inability to control his feelings through the emphasis made by the author’s imagery. Throughout the plot, we realize that Armand’s emotions informed his convictions and decisions.

IV. Confirmation Section: Subtopic Two

A. Topic Sentence: State the topic of this paragraph and your claim about it.

Armand’s Emotions controlled his decisions including how he treated the slaves, his wife Desiree and their son.

B. Elaborate on the topic

Armand was so aggressive when his wife gave birth and within three months Armand’s attitude changes when he realized the baby was of strange complexion. It angers him for permitting the colored people to his bloodline. He takes his anger on the slaves by punishing them so severely and for Desiree, Armand ignores her and the baby and finally tells them to leave the house. We can tell that all the actions were informed by his deep emotions and convictions that also informed his decisions that affected people around him.

C. Introduce a quote and state it. Use quotation marks and punctuate in MLA style!

“The passion that awoke him that day, when he saw her at the gate, swept along like an avalanche, or like a prairie fire, or like anything that drives headlong over all the obstacle.”(Chopin,177).

D. Explain your interpretation of the quote. Do not refer to the selected quote as “this

quote. Instead, refer to the issue in the quote that you want to discuss.

The quote describes the emotions Armand displayed when he saw Desiree. At first in the introduction of the story, the author emphasizes what Armand had in mind when he first saw Desiree and it was also clear that he could not manage his emotions. And incredible management that he had over his convictions and decisions.

D. Introduce next quote and state it.

“When the baby was about three months old, Desiree awoke one day to the conviction that there was something in the air menacing her peace. It was at first too subtle to grasp. It had only been a disquieting suggestion.” (Chopin, 179).

F. Discuss the quote by explaining how it supports the claim stated in your topic

sentence.

The expressions from the quote exhibit one of the few times of foreshadowing in the plot, and set the change in tone of Armand’s conduct towards Desiree. There is an threatening overcast in the atmosphere, and from this scene, the one’s that follows involves tragic scene for the characters for instance Armand and his fight with God and his fate. Desiree on the other hand gradually realizes the man she fell in love with and married was nothing but a hurtless person who found pleasure in disowning her and the baby due to their descent.

G. Transition to the next paragraph

Kate Chopin’s exhibits to the readers the racial under stones through Desiree including the Irony of Armand’s Heritage which is evident through the child they shared who happened to have strong genes for African descent as compared to both of them who were fair in complexion.

V. Confirmation Section: Subtopic Three

A. Topic Sentence: Introduce the topic of this paragraph and your claim about it.

The Hatred of Colored people is evident through Armand’s actions such as the slaves, Desiree and his son; he was strict with the employees than the rule of his father.

B. Elaborate on the topic

The slaves were the colored people that Armand mistreated at all times mainly because they were different. The hatred extend to his family when he realized their descent and the color of the child annoyed him so much that he could not stand living in the same roof with Desiree and the baby. Therefore asking them to leave. Mixed colored people make him to view the race of his slaves as an abomination even if that includes the same race as Desiree and the baby.

C. Introduce a quote and its context in the story and state it.

“Young Aubigny’s rule was a strict one, too, and under it his negroes had forgotten how to be gay, as they had been during the old master’s easy-going and indulgent lifetime.”(Chopin, 177)

E. Explain your interpretation of the quote.

The quote demonstrates the feelings of the slaves through comparing him with his father who was less strict than him. The slaves confirms of his cruelty which distincts from the kind rule of father informs Armand’s damnation later in the text.

E. Continue to discuss the quote by analyzing a particular word choice in the

passage.

From the quote, we can concentrate on the expression from the slaves referring to Armand as strict. It is evident especially how he treated the slaves and punished them severely since they were of mixed color; which was resulted from his realization that the baby had a strange complexion and that his wife had African heritage. His strictness resulted to him chasing his wife and the baby for he could not contain them.

F. Discuss the symbolic aspect of the passage or another element of fiction in the

quote.

The symbolic aspect of the passage involves his treatment of the slaves depicts his psychology which was dominating and impulsive. He was guided by his emotions and that is why he displayed so much hate to the people around him. It was hypocritical of him to despise the people of color when in deed he was one of them by heritage.

F. Transition to the next paragraph

Despite Armand’s brevity, the plot of the story expresses a clear picture of how racial discrimination was evident in the Antebellum South.

VI. Confirmation Section: Subtopic Four

A. Topic Sentence: Introduce the topic of this paragraph and your claim about it.

Racial discrimination as a major concern as depicted by Kate Chopin through the characters like Madame Valmonde and Armand.

B. Elaborate on the topic

The actions done by Armand, the reactions from Desiree due to her baby’s color all concur the theme of racial discrimination. The people of color were devalued and seen as an abomination resulted from an illicit sex. So when Desiree gives birth to a mixed-colored child it infuriates Armand. When Madame sees the baby for the first time, her reactions are not good displaying her disappointments.

C. Introduce a quote and its context in the story and state it.

“This is not the baby!” (Chopin, 188).

D. Explain its significance to your interpretation.

When Madame see the baby for the first time she denies the child even though Desiree has different interpretations over the statement. It was obvious that Madame was disappointed with the physical appearance of the baby and especially his color.

E. Continue to discuss the quote by analyzing a particular word choice or

punctuation mark or the sentence structure in the passage.

“This is not a baby” has numerous interpretations by the readers. It could mean the colored offspring were not perceived as humans for they had been denied the full right to be called complete humans and that is why majority of them were salves. It therefore means, since the child was mixed, he was not fit to be called a child and that s why he was nameless.

E. Discuss the ramifications of the passage.

Madame denies the baby his identity which also foreshadows Armand’s explicit rejection of the child at the end of the text. According to Armand’s the baby was an abomination to his bloodline that is why he was never convinced that the boy was his.

F. Transition to the next paragraph

The baby whose identity was denied, was a clear indication of the society’s perception concerning the people from the other race.

VII. Concession and Refutation

Demonstrate your critical thinking skills and develop your ethical appeal to your audience by recognizing an alternative interpretation of this story and its merits; then, refute it by explaining how it is flawed and reasserting your interpretation over the alternate..

A. Topic sentence: Acknowledge a strong opposing view to your thesis (Another critic

might argue that . . . )

It is true to ascertain that the baby was the true depiction of racial discrimination in the text.

B. Explain the appeal of this position and introduce a quote to support it.

The claim has some merit since Armand , Madame and the society had a great relationship with Desiree but things took a different turn when the baby was born and provoked different reactions from people like in the quote “the child is not white…you are not white.”(Chopin, 84).

C. Discuss the quote.

The quote demonstrates the emotions Armand had concerning the baby race which came as a shock to him something he never imagined knowing the hatred he hold for the colored individuals.

D. Juxtapose this position to your interpretation of the story.

The reactions are valid according to Armand concerning the child since his both social and economic status would never permit him to have a blood relation with colored people.

E. Reemphasize why your interpretation is more appealing than your opponent’s.

Kate Chopin wrote the story relating to her experiences when growing up; it therefore means the initial purpose of the story was to stress the subjugation of slaves in the plantations exhibiting the basic purpose which was to condemn racial supremacy as a form of injustice to the people of color.

G. Your appeal continued.

His actions are cruel beyond measure especially with the salves, how he treated his beloved wife after giving birth and their only child just to secure his reputation and prestige.

G. You may discuss another opposing argument or close with more explanation in

defense of your thesis.

Through a series of ironic incidents the actual misfortune of Desiree’s marriage reveals the extent Armand will go to deny his true identity so that he can maintain hegemony and dominate all that he encounters as indicated by his sudden love of Desiree, his treatment of the slaves on his plantation, his rejection of Desiree and their child, and his destruction of all remnants of her life. Which was evident through his reaction to the birth of their child the action that made him save ties with Desiree wand the baby just to save his reputation. It shows the extend of his will power to protect his status at the expense of losing his family and love.

VIII. Conclusion

A. Restate (do not simply repeat) your thesis with a bolder claim.

B.-C. Clarify any questions your analysis may have posed. Add a final assertion to provoke the reader to reconsider their interpretation or to apply your points to their own lives (Avoid condescending or commanding tone).

It is evident through the discussions above it is clear that Armand was adamant about maintaining his reputation and could do absolutely anything to protect his prestige. He was also a strict boss apart from being a bad husband and father to the little boy. The slaves preferred his father’s reign than his. The text explores slavery as a form of manipulation during the 19th century in which the white supremacy dominated the other races through slavery.