The Colors of Random Magic - RED
Red is easily one of my favorite colors. So powerful and consuming, like fire, but there's also a warmth and peacefulness to it... so lets read how it ties into Random Magic! But don't forget to enter to win a signed copy of the book!
Everyone who’s read the book says that the world of Random Magic is so colorful and vivid that they can actually almost see the world right in front of them, as if it were a movie.
It was definitely written that way, since that world actually is a lot more magical and overwhelming than our own world. Everything would be more powerful and startling, including something as basic as the colors surrounding Henry and Winnie as they search for Alice.
But a lot of the colors in Random Magic aren’t just there for decoration, but actually have some particular significance.
Here are some quick reader notes about the more symbolic uses of color in Random Magic. This post is about the use of the color red:
Red is the color of fire and blood, and it’s associated with passion, vitality, strength, courage and love. But it’s also the color of rage, violence, power and war.
Red is an intense color that’s generally detected very quickly by the human eye, which is why stop signs, stoplights, and other warning signs or signals feature red. All three characters are associated with the color red, but in very different ways.
Winnie:
The color red is associated very strongly with Winnie. She even wears a red tunic. In her case, it symbolizes bravery, feistiness, a strong will and a passionate and undauntable nature, because she possesses all of these traits.
Winnie’s inner fire is the fire of a strong character, of someone who thinks and moves with decision, and shows defiant courage in the face of overwhelming odds.
Callie:
Callie, the First Muse, has startling, bright red hair. It’s not just a vibrant and attractive shade of hair, but symbolizes the power of creative vision and the dark side of being blessed – or cursed – with the ability to see things that no one else can see.
Callie’s hair isn’t just a reflection of her sunny spirit, it’s also a warning that incurring the wrath of a Muse could be dangerous.
Callie’s inner fire is the fire of creativity, fueling artists, musicians and writers with feverish inspiration. Her promise is that, though they might be consumed by the inner fire that drives them, they’ll also rise from the ashes again and again.
The Red Queen:
In the case of the Red Queen, we see, not a bonfire or an invigorating hearth fire on a cold day, but a forest fire raging out of control, insensible to anything it destroys.
The Red Queen’s fire is the reflection of hell, and the apotheosis of war and chaos.
Spoiler ahead... these waters be teeming with revelations about a character you might wish to discover on your own! Well... don't say I didn't warn you!
On a more obscure note, a flash of red is also seen in connection with Lady Witherspoon, who wears a deep red choker. Lady Witherspoon is French by birth. Red ribbons were worn by the relatives of French aristocrats who’d been guillotined during the Reign of Terror.
In morbidly romantic fashion, ‘Bals des victims,’ or victims’ balls were allegedly held, where red ribbons were worn around the neck, signifying the wearer’s connection to a victim of the Reign of Terror.
The implication, in the book, is that Lady Witherspoon is undeniably of aristocratic or even royal extraction. The further implication, though, is that she might very possibly not be altogether human. Because, of course, if the Bals des victims occurred in 1795, she’d be several centuries old in our time.
Of course, she might just be paying a very extended tribute to her lost relations on her scandalous family tree. Perhaps.
