1. “DESIREE’S BABY” By Kate Chopin

2.  Began writing at the suggestion of her family doctor who was concerned about her emotional health after the death of her mother and husband  Writing captured the local color of and essence of life in Louisiana  Her themes of writing challenged social boundaries and were often considered controversial: nature of marriage, racial prejudice and women’s desire for equality (p. 632)

3. IRONY  Irony- contrast between what is stated and what is meant  Verbal Irony- use of words to suggest the opposite of their meaning; sarcasm Ex: You get an F on a reading quiz, and your buddy leans over to say, “Hey, nice work. You have must have read a lot last night.”  Dramatic Irony- occurs when readers are aware of something that a character is not Ex: You know the killer is hiding in the pantry, but the characters in the slasher movie are not aware of what you know  Situational Irony- occurs when the outcome of an action or situation is very different from what one expects Ex. Finding out that the helpful child psychiatrist is actually a ghost at the end of The Sixth Sense! Totally unexpected!

4. SIMILE  Simile- comparing two things using like or as  Ex. The passion that awoke in 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 obstacles. What is being compared in this simile?

5. REGIONALISM  Regionalism depicts and analyzes the unique qualities of a geographical area and its people  Local color- captures the attitudes or customs of a geographical area

6. PLOT DIAGRAM

7. ACTIVITY 1( PREREADING)  Decide whether each statement is true or false.  1. Men’s thoughts and decisions are more valid than women’s.  2. Mothers love their children more than fathers do.  3. It is okay to judge people by their outward actions.  4. It is okay to judge people by their physical appearance and/or skin color.  5. People of biracial or multiracial heritage must choose which race to be a part of.

8. ACTIVITY 2 ( WHILE READING)  Complete the Thinking Plot Diagram as you read this story  Next to each piece of the diagram, copy one simile from the story  What was the situational irony in this story?

9. ACTIVITY 3 (POST READING)  Write a short sequel to this story on your own paper. What do you think happened after the author’s ending?