| This is the fifth in a series about the use of color in writing. The first, "It's not Easy Bein' Green" was in the October 18, 1998 issue. The second, "Blue Christmas" was in the December 20 issue. The third, "When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple" may be found in the March 15 issue The fourth, "Follow the Yellow Brick Road" was published May 18. You can use color to add authenticity to your writing in at least two ways: by using more precise wording when you refer to a color, and by being aware of the connotations attached to various colors. |
"You can use color to add authenticity to your writing... " |
| Orange in the Crayon Box | As always, starting with the crayon box, there are a mere nine colors of orange. Towards the red side of orange are orange-red, red-orange, and burnt orange. Towards the yellow side are yellow-orange, orange-yellow, peach, and apricot. We also have the color called simply orange, and the pinkish orange, melon. Outside the crayon box we have the metallic colors such as gold, bronze, and copper, which all have a strong orange component, and also rust, the color formed when iron reacts with oxygen. |
| Orange is most often associated with autumn, the time of harvest and completion, and colored leaves. The year has fulfilled the promises of spring and summer. In some ways, orange is the color of farewell, for after this comes the bleakness of winter. In other ways it is a beginning: the start of the school year, and the time one gets back into the swing of so-called normal life. At least in the United States, orange is one of the colors associated with Thanksgiving, when you stop and give thanks for the bounty of the land. It is also one of the two colors associated with Halloween, hence the title of the article. |
Associations of Orange |
| Psychology of Orange, & Orange in Jokes | Orange of course, is one of the warm colors. Psychologically it is associated with energy, communication, rejoicing, and fulfillment. People who wear orange tend to be expressive and social and have a strong personality. Orange is seen as bright, luminous, glowing, jovial, forceful. A perfect example of this for those who know the British science fiction program Doctor Who is Colin Baker's Doctor, who wore a coat of conflicting patterns and colors, which was mainly orange. He was definitely the most expressive, forceful and dramatic Doctor! It is also beloved of those who create knock-knock jokes. "Knock, knock." "Who's there?" "Orange." "Orange who?" "Orange [aren't] you going to let me in?" Or, "Orange you glad you answered the door?" Or any of dozens of variations. |
| Orange is also associated with health. Carrots contain Vitamin A which helps your eyes function properly in dim light. Oranges are a good source of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) for colds, and which helped keep scurvy away during long sea voyages in past years. Also some antibacterial products are orange, such as Dial soap, and antibacterial dish detergent. One object seldom associated with orange is the automobile. An informal, five minute survey of cars passing a particular point in Seattle WA, found ten green, nine silver or gray, sixteen white, eight black, ten red, seven tan or brown, five blue, and one orange Volkswagen Beetle (original style). |
Orange and health & Orange and Cars |
| Orange & Foods | Nor is orange often used for packaging, unless the item inside is definitely connected with the color. Orange juice comes in orange cans. Wheaties cereal is packaged in a box the color of a basketball. Boxes for cheese crackers or other cheesy snacks are orange. There are, however, many orange foods. American cheese is orange. Fruits include apricots, peaches, oranges, and cantaloupe (inside). Vegetables are carrots, sweet potatoes, squash (inside), gourds, and of course, pumpkins. It is interesting to note how many of the orange vegetables are associated with Thanksgiving dinner. |
| Orange animals include some butterflies, particularly the Monarch, varieties of tropical fish, tigers and leopards. Notice that with the exception of the butterflies, these are all found in warm climates with bright sun. | Orange Animals |
| Orange in Titles | Literarily speaking, orange is not a popular word for titles. There are a few, such as A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. I Feel Orange Today by Patricia Godwin, The Big Orange Splot by Daniel M. Pinkwater, and the well-known Orange Fairy Book edited by Andrew Lang. Note that the links are for currently available editions (as of 4/1/2000), not the original dates. |
| In your writing, you need to be conscious of your character's profession, to know how orange will affect him or her. If he is a construction worker, he will think of orange as a warning color because of traffic cones, and traffic barrels. If she is a psychiatrist, she may see orange as a calming color. Farmers will think of orange in terms of the harvest, and see it as a rich color. Teachers may see orange as a color of beginnings, as of the beginning of a new school year. And health care workers may think of it in terms of health because of the antibacterial products. Being aware of what colors mean to your characters--and to you--can make your stories richer and stronger. |
Different Professions see Orange Differently |
Quote of the Day Home Page