Explore the meaning of colors in literature and how authors use them to symbolize emotions, themes, and characters.
Authors describe colors within their texts to make readers feel certain emotions, pick up on specific meanings, and develop characters, plots, and themes.
Colors can enhance the meaning and emotional impact by foreshadowing events, developing character traits, creating atmosphere, and more. Together, these things help the reader find a deeper appreciation for the story.
You’ll find warm colors in passages with themes of passion and danger, while cool colors, like blue, can signify melancholy.
Authors also use colors found within nature to reflect a change in time or a different stage of life. The changing leaves associated with autumn are a great example of this.
Even colored objects can even carry a symbolic meaning. For example, a red rose represents love and passion.
Finally, colors can be used to foreshadow events.
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne: Red symbolizes guilt, shame, and sin, and the scarlet-colored “A” Hester is forced to wear signifies her adultery.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Fitzgerald uses green to reflect wealth and desire.
The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkein: The One Ring, which is the crux of the plot, is made of gold and symbolizes power, greed, and evil.