In literary works, "charcoal" is often invoked as a color that conveys a muted, somber darkness—a hue that is both rich and profound. Authors employ it to evoke a visual texture or mood; for example, one passage describes how a character “blackened all the bright colors with charcoal” to counteract vibrancy and introduce a shadowy intensity [1]. In another instance, a character’s hair is depicted as “well saturated with charcoal paste,” suggesting an almost mystical, altered hue that hints at inner depth and melancholy [2]. Meanwhile, the image of “fingers soiled like charcoal” reinforces a visual metaphor for imperfection and the lingering traces of hardship [3]. Even as a descriptor in character epithets—as in the term “sooty charcoal woman”—the color is employed to evoke an appearance marked by ashen, enigmatic beauty [4]. Together, these examples illustrate how the color “charcoal” enriches literary imagery by lending a layered, dark aesthetic to both scenes and characters.