ri as asad looking place, which for many years had not known the gentle presence of a mistress,may have been a hint at Armands evil nature being tied to having no maternal influenceduring most of his boyhood. Madame Valmonde noticed the babys mixed ancestryimmediately when she went for a visit, exclaiming out loud at first sight of him this is notthe baby, Desiree thought she was referring to how big the baby had grown. MadameValmonde looked closely at the baby and new that it was indeed of mixed ancestry but didnot mention it to her daughter, this I believe was her way of hoping for the best. MadameValmonde was wealthy but knew her influence would not be enough to help if anyone foundout the baby was black. This would also mean certain social destruction for Desiree havinggiven birth to a black child. The environment changed quickly on the L Abri and Desiree wasnot aware of the circumstances that had changed it. Her husband had recognized that thebaby was not white and had turned into his old malicious self and was ignoring his family invain. One of La Blanches boys was near the baby when Desiree noticed the resemblance ofthe skin color between the boy and her baby. Desiree confronted Armand and asked him toexplain what the babys color meant and how it happened, Armand immediately and harshlyaccuses Desiree of not being white like the baby. The boy is one quarter Negro ancestry andso his mother La Blanch is also of mixed ancestry. This is important to know becauseArmand compares Desiree with that of La Blanch when he tells her she is not white. Armandwas quoted as hearing the baby crying from as far away as La Blanchs cabin, the reasonhe was at the cabin could be he was using La Blanch sexually. The practice of raping a slaveor employee in those days was not uncommon. Desiree compares her skin color to that ofArmand who is much darker than she is but he is not bothered by this difference in hisreasoning. Desiree begged her mother Val...
