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The Fever Tree: World of Color
In her twentieth century short story "The Fever Tree", British writer Ruth Rendell uses an assortment of colors to help tell her tale. The story revolves around a married couple that travels to Africa on a second honeymoon to help repair their damaged relationship. Rendell's usage of color assists the storytelling by building intensity, foreshadowing and revealing character traits.
First, Rendell uses color (specifically red) to build intensity. Red first appears very early on in the story in reference to Tricia ["and the fair downy skin was glowing red" (124).]. Shortly after, Ford reveals a glimpse of his true feelings towards his wife as she kisses him and his uncomfort causes "him [to] shiver a little" (125). Red emerges again after Tricia, upset from the argument, leaves their chalet in the middle of the night and neglects to close the windows, causing dozens of mosquitoes to bite Ford, leaving twenty-four red bites on his body. Ford becomes even more agitated with Tricia after this occurrence. Throughout the rest of the day red becomes increasingly apparent. Tricia even wears a red skirt when Ford attempts to abandon her.
Second, Rendell's application of color, in this case yellow, foreshadows the events to come. Upon Tricia and Ford's first arrival at Ntsukunyane, various shades of yellow appear, including the yellow-barked fever tree and the light khaki pants of the Africans. Tricia even wears "a pale yellow sundress with frills" (124). When the couple reaches the yellow fever trees outside their room, tension begins to grow between them, and Ford becomes annoyed by Tricia's antics. The presence of yellow continues to appear before major plot points, such as the fever tree that they are looking for a leopard (a yellow animal) in before Ford attempts to leave Tricia behind. The fever tree and yellow-brown lionesses are present on Tricia and Ford's final trip outside of Ntsukunyane. After Tricia abandons Ford the sky appears a "clear orange with sunset" (138), thus mixing the yellow of foreshadowing and red of intensity.
Third, character traits are revealed by the use of color. Soft colors like pink, pale blue and pale yellow often surround Tricia. These gentle and childlike colors show how strongly she wants to be an innocent little girl. White, the presence of all color, can also be connected to Tricia which reveals there is more to her than meets the eye. Tricia has many strong qualities within herself that remain hidden until an opportune moment, like her strength and boldness as she abandons Ford. Unlike his wife, no colors are directly connected to Ford. Color often appears near him through Tricia but it never becomes part of him himself. The lack of color reveals Ford lacks any positive traits and therefore he is an empty individual.
To conclude, as the use of color creates a feeling of intensity, foreshadows and reveals traits, it almost becomes a story on its own. Ruth Rendell's imagery in "The Fever Tree" creates a vivid world of emotion as well as scenery and leaves the [next page]