They Never Learn

In They Never Learn, the color red symbolizes danger—specifically, the pervasive culture of gender-based violence on campuses. Red is the color of blood, and within various literary traditions, has longstanding associations not only with violence and death, but sexuality and passion. The novel frequently mentions red, and because Gorman University has a culture of sexual harassment and assault, the color can be read as indicative of how widespread this culture is. Crimson is Gorman’s school color, and one of Carly’s first observations about the university is “everything here is red” (20). This statement conveys the danger that is in store for women on school grounds. Red marks the makeup, clothing, and hair of female characters: When Carly arrives at her dorm, she is greeted by an RA wearing a “red Gorman tank top” (9); she herself owns a red Gorman sweatshirt; and Allison applies a “ripe-apple red” lipstick (122) to her for Halloween. These young women are literally marked by the color and thus, symbolically tied to gender-based violence of no volition of their own. Scarlett’s name is a shade of red, and Mina’s “berry red” lips (95) and “red lines” of data (45) mark her as both a love interest and danger—as she is charged with investigating Scarlett’s kills. This danger comes to pass when Mina identifies Viola Vance’s diary in Scarlett’s house, a red text stolen from Kinnear, her ex-husband.