Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of child abuse.

Color variation proves to be an important motif that indicates key aspects of the characters and plot. For the sake of the narrative’s moralistic subtext, Koontz adopts the classic—if simplistic—interpretations of white and black as good and evil, respectively. For instance, Talmadge Clerkenwell, who epitomizes the kindness and compassion lauded in the story, wears an all-white suit, while the antagonistic Mrs. Baneberry-Smith demonstrates her transformation from demure headmaster’s wife to commanding evil scientist by abandoning sweet floral dresses and wearing black, revealing outfits that fit the stereotype of the “femme fatale” stock character. Similarly, Benny’s grandmother Cosima surrounds him in black clothing and bedroom furnishings, and these wardrobe and décor choices are meant to emphasize her cruelty and abusive behavior. In reaction to his traumatic childhood experiences, the adult Benny staunchly defends his decision to decorate his house in an all-white minimalist style, thereby emphasizing his own “niceness” in a very visible fashion.

However, although white-hued objects appear in the narrative to indicate goodness, the presence of white also suggests a lack of personality or warmth, as both

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