55 pages • 1 hour read
V. E. SchwabA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Color symbolism plays a key role in Schwab’s worldbuilding and enhances the novel’s setting, stakes, and character development. Each of the four interconnected cities is represented by a color that gives insight into its true nature. Kell Maresh calls his home Red London after the color of healthy, balanced magic. His thriving world is illuminated by the Isle, a crimson river that “glitter[s] like a jewel, lit from within, a ribbon of constant light unraveling through Red London. A source. A vein of power. An artery” (44). Schwab associates the color red with vitality, life, and power. Red London’s color symbolism marks it as a safe and prosperous place filled with magic, a stark contrast to the other worlds Kell visits. Grey London is a grim place suffused with the smell of smoke; people there must rely on industry because they “had forgotten magic long ago” (22). Grey London is a representation of real-world 1800s London, a crowded, realistic metropolis concerned with industrial developments like steam and gas power. Color symbolism helps the reader understand the privileged life Kell enjoys in Red London and the struggles
Plus, gain access to 8,500+ more expert-written Study Guides.
Including features:
By V. E. Schwab