In the novel Breath, Eyes, Memory, the color red is symbolic of true power, creation, destruction, and woman purity. Danticat uses the color red to allude at small details in the story, such as the color of the inside of their house, Martine's favorite color, and the dress she was buried in. Even Sophie's last name "Caco" has a connection with the color. In the beginning of the novel, Sophie is suspended between childhood and womanhood, and between her mother's and aunt's ideal worlds. She was raised by her aunt but goes to live with her mother, Martine, whom she hasn't had the chance to grow close with. Sophie soon realizes she carries along the same characteristics as her mother- good and bad. The symbolism with blood and the color red is obvious when Martine's "testing" starts. Throughout the novel, the author plays with red as a symbol instead of just a color.
             Symbolizing the resemblance of authoritative power, the color red is associated with creation and destruction. Red is a color used to stop traffic and to make bulls enraged. It has effects on the mind that are subconscious. Martine was in an authoritative position being a mother, and her favorite color was red. She had many negative characteristics that could be connected with the color. She was raped when young, which brought along Sophie. Martine has an outlook on her daughter that only reminds her of the bad parts of her life. She even tells Sophie that she sees the raper's face in her daughter's eyes. Red also reflects fire and how it consumes and destroys but helps and warms. While blood resembles death and dying even as it marks birth. Also, Martine and Sophie's home was painted red, a foreshadowing of the potential hostile energy in the house. It echoes the physical suffering that Sophie endures while living with her mother and the "testing" she received every night. Sophi...