L'Abri
The cowl surrounding Armand's house is a representation of Armand’s style of rule as well: it encircles, limits, possibly chokes, and has significant control over what it encompasses: slaves, women, material property, and quasi-draconian, extremely racialized mannerisms and bearings more generally. The physical appearance of the house and plantation, in other words, reflects the ethos of its owner. The imagery induces an ominous mood, and preemptively places Madame Valmondé in a skeptical and uneasy mindset. Her suspicions become all the more real as she notices something amiss about Desiree’s baby’s skin color. The language in its description of the house is verbose and vivid – quite possibly hinting at the narrator’s fascination with it. On the other hand, it could also be to describe the grandness (as described through words such as “wide galleries”) in contrast to the humble origins of Desiree, and the challenges she may be facing.
Desiree
When Desiree first (somewhat slowly) comes to the realization that there is something amiss about the child's appearance. She looks from the child to the quadroon boy who was fanning him repeatedly. She uttered a cry that she was not consciously in control of. She feels as if the blood in her veins has turned into ice. A "clammy moisture" gathers upon her face. She tries to speak to the quadroon boy and sends him out of the room. Chopin's description of Desiree's dreaded state of realization communicates urgency and worry. Desiree is uncertain about what the color of the baby means. The purpose of this vivid language is to do precisely that: introduce a premonitory semblance in the atmosphere and provoke Desiree to inquire more into why Armand's behavior has changed (after reacting rather passively to his change in attitude).
