There are several subtle images in Walter Mosley's crime novel The Devil in a Blue Dress that suggest an unusual ending. Throughout the novel, the main character, a black man named Easy Rawlins, sees people as black or white. He is especially aware of the white people around him and constantly comments on their color. This distinction is a common theme throughout the novel and places the novel in the context of post-World War II America and also helps complicate the ending by showing that the binary world of black and white is only a matter of perception. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The character of DeWitt Albright is introduced in the first paragraph of the novel. Upon seeing Albright for the first time, Rawlins considers, "It's not just that he was white, but he was wearing an off-white linen suit and shirt with a straw Panama hat and bone shoes over gaudy white silk socks." (45) Not only does he describe Albright as a Caucasian man, he is literally, in every respect, a white man. The word "white" is used three times in this sentence alone. As the novel continues and more characters are introduced, Mosley continues to describe them in terms of their skin color. In a scene where Easy visits Albright in his office, he is confronted by a "little white man wearing a suit that was also a uniform". (58) Although the encounter with the security guard is brief, Rawlins notices the color of his skin four times. The constant focus on skin color reminds the reader of the time period in which the novel is set. This repetition makes it clear to the reader that race will be an issue and play a role in the story. Rawlins' mission in the novel is to find a woman named Daphne Monet, and she is often referred to throughout the story as "the white girl." The reader only discovers at the end of the novel that Daphne Monet is half black and passes for white. In every scene involving Daphne there are subtle clues to her true identity that may not be easily deduced without knowing the ending. For example, Daphne lives in a duplex, which involves being split in half. The choice of color is also indicative of this. When he first meets Daphne, Easy describes it as "half a living room. It had brown carpets, a brown sofa with a matching chair, and brown walls. There was a thick potted fern next to the brown curtains." (135) The repetition of the word “brown” and the idea that it is used in relation to the middle of the duplex suggests that the author is attempting to give the reader a subconscious clue. In the same scene, Rawlins comments on "the soap she used, Ivory." (135) The ivory image is obviously white and in this case appears to be used to contrast the surroundings of Daphne's apartment. In the next scene involving Dafne there is another clue to her secret duality. Easy later describes her as "like the chameleon lizard". (230) This metaphor is appropriate because although Easy uses it regarding her actions towards men, it is also a reference to her changing skin color. Although her skin does not literally change color, the idea that color is not a static quality can be seen through Easy's observation of Daphne's eyes. Easy constantly comments on other characters' eyes, so it's no surprise that he mentions Daphne's multiple times. He walks up to her and “His eyes were green at that time.” (222) However, later in their encounter while she was bathing him, Easy describes how he "looked into my face, his eyes having turned blue on the water." (229) Then, later, "her eyes glowed green for the first time.