It has already been made clear several times throughout the story how Desiree felt about all the changes that were occurring. He was unhappy and saw no point in living. Knowing this, it is easy to deduce that she chose to drown herself and her child, rather than return home to her mother. A few weeks after leaving, Armand holds a large bonfire in his backyard burning all of Desiree and the baby's things. Everything, from the clothes, to the crib in which the child slept, to the first letters that the two exchanged before the wedding. Among those letters was one from his mother to his father. The letter explains why she left, stating that she was happy to be away because it meant Armand would grow up not knowing that his mother was actually black. The fact that Armand had this letter in his possession means that he had long known the truth of his heritage. However, to avoid damaging his name, he led Desiree to believe that he was the black parent, which led to his untimely demise. In conclusion, Chopin's story explains how life in the late 1800s treated blacks, as well as the position of whites traditionally on the social ladder in comparison. Most wealthy whites owned slaves who were treated poorly, just like Armand's before the marriage and after the child grew up. He also explained that having black people in the family was shameful