The Symbolism Of White In Creative Writing

Aug 17, 2025

Color is one of the most evocative tools in a writer's arsenal. It can foreshadow, reflect character psychology, deepen atmosphere, and infuse imagery with symbolic resonance.

Of all the colors, white might seem the most straightforward: purity, innocence, light. But in creative writing, white can carry far more complexity, contradiction, and nuance than it first appears.

The Traditional Symbolism of White

Before you can subvert it, you should know the default expectations readers might bring to the color white. Traditionally, white symbolizes:

Innocence – Think of white dresses, childhood, untouched snow.
Purity & virtue – Brides, angels, saints, holy light.
Peace – White flags, doves, surrender.
Cleanliness – Sterility, hygiene, freshness.
Truth & clarity – “Seeing things in black and white,” the “white light of truth.”
Spirituality & transcendence – Heaven, the afterlife, enlightenment.
New beginnings – A blank page, fresh snow, rebirth.

These associations are deeply embedded in many Western literary and cultural traditions, but they’re far from universal.

Cultural and Historical Variations

In other cultures, white can take on different (and sometimes opposite) meanings.

In many East Asian cultures, white is the color of death and mourning. It’s worn at funerals and associated with the afterlife or ancestral spirits.
In ancient Egypt, white represented purity and sacredness, but also coldness and sterility.
In medieval Europe, white animals (especially white deer or white horses) were often mystical or otherworldly.
In alchemy, white represents the stage of albedo, or purification, which comes after the black stage of decomposition (nigredo) and before the red stage of enlightenment (rubedo).

Understanding these differences can add depth, especially if you’re writing historical fiction, fantasy, or stories that draw from diverse cultures.

Layers of Meaning: White as Symbol in Writing

Let’s look into the many dimensions white can take on in creative writing. You can choose to emphasize, contrast, or subvert any of these meanings to serve your story.

1. White as Innocence and Naivety

This is the most common and surface-level meaning. Characters in white are often associated with youth, virginity, or moral purity.

Example Uses:

A young bride in a white dress who has no idea of the chaos she’s marrying into.
A child surrounded by white flowers, symbolizing their untouched nature.
A protagonist dressed in white who resists the corrupt world around them.

But innocence can also be a liability or illusion.

Twist it: A character appears innocent but is actually complicit in terrible acts. Their white clothes become a metaphor for their carefully curated image.

2. White as Emptiness or Void

White can symbolize nothingness: a lack of color, personality, or meaning.

Example Uses:

A sterile, white hospital room that feels more like a tomb than a place of healing.
A winter landscape so white and endless it becomes disorienting and surreal.
A character's blank memory or dissociation described as a "white haze."

Tone it down or ramp it up depending on how oppressive or peaceful you want this emptiness to feel.

3. White as Death or the Afterlife

Especially in Eastern symbolism and Gothic literature, white can signal the presence of spirits, mourning, or the supernatural.

Example Uses:

A woman in a white kimono who appears each night at the same riverbank.
A ghost described as “pale as snow,” drifting silently through a white corridor.
A funeral where mourners wear white instead of black, signaling cultural difference.

Tip: Don’t be afraid to use white in horror or fantasy writing: its stillness and silence can be terrifying.

4. White as Power and Superiority

In some contexts, white can symbolize authority, perfection, or distance from the common.

Example Uses:

A totalitarian leader dressed in pristine white to show their “purity” and “vision.”
A corporate executive in a gleaming white office high above the smoggy city.
A godlike figure bathed in white light, evoking awe or fear.

This can be used to show the danger of idealizing perfection or the inhuman standards people are held to.

5. White as Repression or Sterility

White can also be cold, clinical, and devoid of emotion. Think of mental hospitals, labs, or hyper-minimalist spaces.

Example Uses:

A character stuck in a white room where nothing ever changes.
A laboratory where everything is so clean, it feels hostile.
A white dress that makes the wearer feel exposed or objectified, not pure.

Use white to build discomfort when everything is “too clean,” “too quiet,” or “too perfect.”

6. White as Transformation or Revelation

White often represents the moment of clarity or transition, especially when used with light imagery.

Example Uses:

A character walks into a white void and emerges changed.
White feathers fall from the sky after a spiritual event.
A near-death experience includes a tunnel of white light.

This symbolism pairs well with themes of redemption, truth, or inner peace.

7. White as Camouflage or Concealment

White can hide things in plain sight. It’s the color of snow blindness, fog, and the blank page.

Example Uses:

A murderer disappears into a snowstorm, the whiteness swallowing all trace.
A lie written in “harmless” white words hides dark intentions.
A white mask or veil that obscures true identity.

This usage plays well in thrillers, mysteries, and psychological fiction.

8. White as a Canvas

White doesn’t always have to mean something on its own, it can be the absence of meaning, waiting to be filled.

Example Uses:

A painter stares at a white canvas, unsure of what to create.
A writer’s blank page represents fear, hope, or potential.
A child drawing on a white wall as a form of rebellion or self-expression.

Use white to explore themes of creativity, rebirth, or reinvention.

Practical Tips for Using White Symbolism in Fiction

Context matters most. A white dress means one thing at a wedding, another in a blizzard.
Contrast white with other colors to enhance its effect: white and red, for instance, can signal purity disrupted by violence.
Use repetition for thematic power. If white objects keep appearing in your story, the reader will start to assign meaning.
Don’t over-explain. Let the symbolism be felt rather than forced. Trust your imagery.