I did some research on paint colors and I read that red doors traditionally had various meanings such as warmth, prosperity and hospitality. Also, in the United States a red door used to be a symbol that a house was part of the Underground Railroad and would hide escaped slaves. I wonder how much of this symbolism GRRM was aware of in making the red door a motif for Daenerys.
Ooh, that’s interesting. I never really looked into the meaning of “the red door”. I just took it as a symbolic representation of dany’s childhood, her innocence and the unattainable idealistic dreams that she has. (“All that Daenerys wanted back was the big house with the red door, the lemon tree outside her window, the childhood she had never known.”)
However, now that you mention it, I checked and this is what I found:
America - In early American tradition, a front door that was read meant “welcome”. This meant that travelers that were passing by knew which homes they could turn to for a night’s rest and some meal. Red doors were also used to mark homes of the Underground Railroad so that any runaway slaves knew which homes were safe.
China - Red is a very important color in Chinese culture. It’s the color of luck! Chinese also believe in Feng Shui philosophy, where red doors play a big role. In Feng Shui, the front door is considered the mouth of the home. A red door is said to create welcoming energy.
Ireland - Did you ever notice that Ireland is full of brightly colored doors? The reason stems from folklore and rebellion. Doors are painted red to ward off ghosts and evil spirits. But the tradition of bright colors doors came during the Victorian era. Irish civilians were ordered to paint their front doors black in honor of Queen Victoria passing. Instead, in an act of rebellion, they paint them bright colors like red!
Biblical - Did you know red also has biblical roots? During biblical times a red door was symbolic protection against the Angel of Death. Some people link the red doors to the smears of lambs blood the Jews put across their doors for protection from the plagues. Even today, many Churches have red doors to signify this first Passover.
For me, the last option, the biblical one seems to be most apt interpretation.
This is a direct quote from AGOT:
The red door was so far ahead of her, and she could feel the icy breath behind, sweeping up on her. If it caught her she would die a death that was more than death, howling forever alone in the darkness.
The red door seems to signify the end of her path, the completion of her dreams, a safe haven from all the horrors of the world - including the Others.
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