You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty

The motif of color is an important one, particularly since Feyi is an artist. When she meets people, she notices the colors of their clothing, accessories, and skin. Aside from her artistic eye, however, color is a gesture of self-expression and rebellion for Feyi. She notes that when she was young, she was told not to wear color in her hair or against her skin, something that she now enjoys doing. She intentionally chooses bright colors for her clothing and hair. The color of her braids reflects her character’s emotions and growth: They begin the novel pink, then turquoise, then grey, and then finally become a shining gold as Feyi reaches personal and romantic fulfillment. When Feyi sees a photo of Marisol, Alim’s wife, she is wearing a yellow dress. This foreshadows Feyi’s successful matching with Alim as Feyi’s dress on her first day in his house, as well as her braids, are the same hue.

An indication that Alim is Feyi’s love match comes from his personal use of color. Much like Feyi, he uses it to decorate his body in a rebellious way, using makeup to color his lips and cheeks and his white clothing to contrast against his dark skin.