miscegenation:nounthe interbreeding of people considered to be of different racial types.

Colonies of the World, 1800

Colonies of the World, 1914

“The cross between a white man and an Indian is an Indian; the cross between a white man and a Negro is a Negro; the cross between a white

man and a Hindu is a Hindu, and a cross between any of the three European races and a

Jew is a Jew.”

- Madison Grant, The Passing of the Great Race

“Two races as materially divergent as the White and Negro in morals, mental powers, and cultural fitness cannot live in close contact without

injury to the higher.”

-Plecker, 1924

Mixed Race•Quadroon - a person

with three white grandparents and one black grandparent. (3/4 white, 1/4 black.)

•Octoroon - a person with seven white great-grandparents and one black great-grandparent. (7/8 white, 1/8 black.)

One Drop Rule:

Because so many people of mixed race in the United States could pass as white, many states passed laws that if you had even one drop of

Negro blood in you, you were considered Negro no matter how white you looked. This showed a widespread fear of miscegenation in America at

the time.

Foreshadowing

When the author gives clues about the ending of a story.

How does Kate Chopin’s use of characterization foreshadow the ironic

ending in the story? Give some specific examples.

Corbeille: a luxurious and expensive gift from the bridegroom to the bride. It

usually consisted of jewelry, furs, hand-painted fans, and valuable family

heirlooms.

Cochon de lait

“Pig in milk” - barbecued pork commonly enjoyed in French-speaking North America.

Characterization Supporting Irony

Desirée:She is always described as white and in white:“The young mother was recovering slowly, and

lay full length, in her soft white muslins and lace, upon a couch.”

“It is a lie; it is not true, I am white!”These quotes show from the beginning that Desirée is white, even though her husband

accuses her of being black.