True Colors: A Novel

Horses are important recurring symbols with multiple levels of significance. Clem was once the Grey sisters’ mother’s horse, and Henry’s gift of her to Vivi Ann marks the beginning of Winona’s resentment of her younger sister. She marks the moment when Henry hands over Clem’s reins as the moment when bitterness crept into the foundation of their relationship; this bitterness significantly influences a number of events that follow.

To Vivi Ann, however, Clem is a reminder of her mother and her childhood. She forms a special bond with the horse that mirrors the special place she holds within the family and in Henry’s eyes. Clem also represents the hopeful and optimistic spirit that characterizes Vivi Ann as a girl and young woman. She seeks comfort in Clem during tough times, like after her mother’s passing and when Dallas goes to prison. Clem’s death occurs amid one of the hardest experiences of Vivi Ann’s life and symbolizes the loss of all comfort, marking the figurative death of Vivi Ann’s spirit and hope.

Horses are a point of connection between Vivi Ann and Dallas, and Renegade is particularly special to their relationship. Vivi Ann and Dallas rescue Renegade together, and they begin a relationship the same night that Vivi Ann sees Dallas riding Renegade bareback. The word “renegade” evokes Dallas’s outsider status and dangerous reputation. It also hints at betrayal, which occurs throughout the book (though not, ironically, in Vivi Ann and Dallas’s relationship, which stands the test of time despite all the hardships they experience).

Renegade is to Dallas what Clem is to Vivi Ann. When Dallas goes to prison, Renegade loses his spirit and becomes sad and disengaged. When Dallas returns, Renegade returns to his former self. Although Clem is no longer with Vivi Ann, Renegade’s revitalization symbolizes the return of hope and joy to her life with Dallas’s homecoming.