Throughout Kate Chopin's Desiree's Baby, the time period and setting greatly affect the way each character acts and is treated. In the time period and setting depicted, racism and sexism makes it so that women, children, blacks, and the poor have no powers or social standing in comparison to the whites of the society.

Armand Aubigny, who stands as a white and wealthy man in society, marries Desiree, who is considered to be nameless since her birth father and mother are not known. Armand's attitude and treatment torwards the slaves is very harsh, unlike that of his father who had been gentle and kind torwards the slaves. Under the ownership of the late Mr. Aubigny, the slaves had been much happier than they are under their current master. Together Armand and Desiree have a baby boy, and Armand's attitude and treatments to the slaves becomes more like that...