A question of color

  • This message board permanently closed on June 30th, 2020 at 4PM EDT and is no longer accepting new members.

celticfeline

New Member
Oct 1, 2015
4
60
37
I have a question about a pattern I have noticed in Mr. King's writings. Why does he consistently use the color yellow to represent psychological horror? In IT for example, when the children enter the abandoned and unused section of the derry sewers the scent changes from human and gassy to something ancient and yellow, which was worse. In 1408 the story closes with the narrator unable to stand the sickly yellow-orange color of the sunset because it is a similar shade to 1408. These are only two examples. It got my curiosity up and research has not brought me any closer to an answer. Can you give one? Thank you for reading this. I hope to hear back from you whether you are a moderator or Mr. King himself. Once again my thanks.
 

celticfeline

New Member
Oct 1, 2015
4
60
37
Perhaps so. It could be just his particular writing style. But his perspective, his descriptions, are almost...primally visceral. You get a clear sense of horror and disgust for the pigment. Again, it could ve what you say but such a reaction makes
Me wonder if there is more to it.
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
Maybe yellow symbolizes age and or illness? Like when paper yellows with age or skin yellows when sick?
...I agree, along the same lines I was cogitating on....he's not the only author to use that particular color to describe something sickly or abhorrent....here are a couple of more thoughts:
- It is claimed that Judas wore yellow at the communion and the color of his robe is used to symbolize scam or unreliability. It has become a symbol of falsehood and cowardice.
-The plague banner is yellow and thus yellow has come to be synonymous with infection. Yellow also represents the deadly sin of greed in Christianity.
-(dingy) yellow represents caution, decay, sickness, and jealousy.
- In Egypt yellow was worn to signify the dead.
-Depending on shade, yellow can mean joy and warmth or jaundice and illness...duality, they name is yellow....
 

skimom2

Just moseyin' through...
Oct 9, 2013
15,683
92,168
USA
This is part of what keeps me coming back--the fact that Mr. King cares enough not only to finance this shindig, but is occasionally available for questions. So few writers do that. The only person I can think of off the top of my head is Michael Grant, on Twitter. A few others will occasionally interact, but this gives me happy sighs :) Thank you, Ms. Mod and Mr. King.
 

mjs9153

Peripherally known member..
Nov 21, 2014
3,494
22,165
Here's the answer I got from him. :smile2:

I think because I was terrified by “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the classic horror story by proto-feminist Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Also…I hate yellow.​
me too..except..great omelets..
3092398_f520.jpg