Désirée’s Baby
by Sarah Mitre
BIO:
Sarah Mitre is a junior who enjoys dancing. She is on the Patriot Dancers team and in Dance Ensemble. She also enjoys drawing in her spare time, particularly digital drawing.
What is your main source of inspiration?
My main source of inspiration is the world around me. It can be anything. Scenes in books or movies that I can’t help but want to draw. I love to draw and love learning new styles, so sometimes I will draw something just to try out a new technique.
What motivated you to draw this piece?
The short story Désirée’s Baby inspired my movie poster. I read this story in my English class and I couldn’t get it out of my head. I hadn’t expected the twist coming and it inspired me to draw.
What message do you hope to convey to the reader through your piece?
The message I wanted to convey was how hurtful racism and hate can be. Désirée, the women in the poster, got her heart broken by her husband due to his racism and hate, which extended even to his son. Désirée and her son are never heard from again, this ambiguous ending was very impactful, especially when it’s found out that her husband, Armand, had black ancestry himself. Racism is pointless and only hurts others.