Importance of black

Black is not frequently used in the novel, because when it does appear, it serves as a symbol of death. Most of the novel’s illustrations are set in tones of sepia, so when black is used in place of those color tones, it is obvious that the change is meant to indicate a negative mood. The color black is only used during two primary moments, which is during the grocer’s flashback and during the elderly factory worker’s flashback. One character faces a genocide while the other faces a devastating war, as Tan utilizes the color black to symbolize the death that is brought upon by both of these destructive forces.