The Greatest Showman is the 2017 musical film inspired by the life of PT Barnum, inventor of the modern circus. It features a cast of diverse characters, a soundtrack of good songs, and costumes of every colour.
One character’s costumes in particular caught my attention. Not the rags-to-riches of Barnum’s wardrobe, not the glamorous gowns of singer Jenny Lind, not even any of the outlandish outfits of the circus troupe.
The character in question is Charity Barnum, wife of PT Barnum. Why? Her costumes aren’t anything bold, dramatic, or particularly eye-catching, so why did her outfits actually catch my eye? Because she wears almost exclusively pink and blue… and I think there may be a method to the madness.
Full disclosure: this is a theory. I have no evidence to back this up, but it intrigued me so much, I just wanted to share it.
Before I dive into Charity’s dual-toned wardrobe, though, I think I can say that, even subconsciously, we all recognize that costumes speak volumes, from colour to design, from how they’re worn to what function they perform. Jack Frost’s hood in Rise of the Guardians (above) is an instant indicator of the times this otherwise carefree spirit feels lost and sad. Belle’s blue dress in the live-
action Beauty and the Beast (left) takes on a more practical look than the animated one by providing Belle with pockets and practical walking shoes. BBC’s Sherlock (below) contrasts the personalities of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson 
by making use of a dressy and sophisticated style (plus the self-proclaimed distinction of a popped coat collar) for the former and every-man threads for the latter.
So if costumes are as important as all that, what’s the deal with Charity Barnum’s excessive pink and blue?
My theory: the pink and blue serve as a sort of “mood ring”. But unlike Jack Frost’s hoodie (and probably most other cases of “mood-ring” costuming), I don’t think Charity’s clothes correspond to her own moods all the time, but rather the tones of her husband’s story. Note: his story, not his mood. This is important. Pink shows up during the good times, blue during the troubled times.
Let me explain. (Um, spoiler warning, I guess. It’s been on DVD a while already, but in case you haven’t seen it yet and plan to….)
A Million Dreams – blue
When we meet Charity, it’s when she and PT are kids. She’s from a wealthy family, he’s not. She’s taking etiquette lessons, he’s assisting his tailor dad. She is scolded for spilling on her dress, he receives a slap (from her dad) for having made her laugh in the first place.
His life gets worse with losing Charity (to finishing school), his dad (to illness), and his home. Charity wears pink at one point in this montage, which doesn’t seem to make sense… unless it’s supposed to speak of how their letter-writing is a bright spot in PT’s unhappy circumstances.
However Big, However Small – blue
Finally together, but Charity’s still wearing blue? Well, it’s not without a splash of pink. This comes after PT has worked on the railroad and earned enough money to dare to ask for Charity’s hand in marriage, promising a life as luxurious as the home she’s leaving. Her dad warns that Charity will tire of PT’s way of life and come running home, but he lets her go anyway.
As the two of them begin their life together, PT’s still not well-off. He wishes he could treat his wife to a fancy restaurant dinner, but can’t. The home they make is in a little apartment (later shown to be in need of some repair). He may not be a homeless boy anymore, but he’s not got a whole lot either.
The World We’re Gonna Make – pink
Charity transitions the mood by unfurling a picnic blanket of white and faded red (read: pink) before she and PT express their matrimonial felicity with a dance on the roof, where she wears pink. Despite the troubles outlined above, PT finds himself in the happy circumstance of being with the woman he loves and starting a family with her.
A few years later, their situation is much the same, but now with the addition of two sweet daughters and the difficulty of a (deadbeat) job recently lost. Though things are looking downhill, PT’s family is his pride and joy. Charity’s continued use of pink, her reaction to the lost job, and her wish for her family’s happiness all speak of the support and hope PT has at this time. Besides, he just might have an idea….
I Know How It Looks – blue
… and it’s a doozy.
PT takes a huge loan from the bank to start a risky business venture: a museum of wax figures and stuffed animals (of the taxidermied variety, not the plushie sort). While PT is optimistic about this, Charity and reality are… not so sure. The loan has to be paid. That means customers have to come. That means folks have to be interested.
But they’re not. “Rubbish” is all the populace thinks PT has to offer, so they take his pamphlets and litter the streets with them. And ticket sales are even less hopeful: all of three tickets have been purchased… by none other than Charity.
Oddly enough, that same night, we see Charity in pink again. But isn’t PT’s arc on the downturn? Even the list of expenses in Charity’s hand speaks to a slice of the trouble they’re in. Maybe there’s something good coming soon, ’cause PT’s daughters make a suggestion and he’s got another idea….
Dreaming with Eyes Wide Open – pink
… and this idea is even crazier.
Now armed with a troupe of “oddities” — trapeze artists, albinos, a bearded lady, a giant, and an exceptionally hairy fellow, to name a few — PT is out to collect money from folks who would be horrified to meet these strange-looking people on the street. Indeed, there is plenty of shock to go around, but people keep coming. And a constant stream of people means a constant stream of income. Income that means that PT can finally fulfill his promise of a luxurious life for Charity and their girls, from the top of their new mansion home to the tips of his daughter’s ballet slippers.
There are new struggles to deal with in the midst of success. The circus is criticized by the press, high society, and a number of folks who would much rather have the “freaks” swept back under the rug. Opinions of the circus (and of the man running the show) even affect PT’s daughter, who is bullied by her peers at ballet school. But even with the trouble, PT is still flying high. People are still coming to the show, members of the troupe are thriving in their new way of life, and the Barnum family is doing well. And yes, Charity is still wearing pink.
Never Enough – pink
Charity’s pink streak continues as PT rises even higher. Having recruited a PR manager from among the upper class, PT is able to meet Queen Victoria herself and convince the famous singer Jenny Lind to expand her audience to America. Even while the circus continues to face criticism, the Barnums are climbing the social ladder. The concerts are packed with members of high society who are beginning to warm up to PT taking his place among them. Even his father-in-law admits that PT has done well from himself, not that that heals any hard feelings on either side. But as Jenny Lind declares, “A man’s station is limited only by his imagination.”
So Barnum does some more imagining.
Tightrope – blue
PT’s imagining leads him to go with Jenny Lind on a country-wide tour. He shrugs off the risks. He blows off the people he used to care about. He insists that what he’s doing is for his family’s sake, even though they’re content. Charity sees the problem before he does. “When will it ever be enough for you?”
Though the change in Charity’s wardrobe signals the downfall of PT’s arc, it is in this sequence that her clothes correspond perfectly with her own moods as well. When she’s alone, she wears blue. She wears white when she’s with her daughters, a neutral colour that pits her joy in her daughters against the sorrow over the change in PT; this also sits between the high status of the family and the deterioration of PT’s character. She wears white again when he comes home from the tour early to be with his family, this time pitting the sweetness of his return against bitterness of what he’s returning from.
From Now On – blue
Pride comes before a fall, and PT falls down hard. The press is raving over the scandal of the kiss Jenny Lind gave him. The bank is taking his house. The circus building has been burned down. The troupe is shaken and injured from the attack. Charity and the girls leave him. It’s a crushing blow and PT is at an all-new low.
At least it doesn’t last too long. The circus troupe helps him see that, despite everything, there are people who still care and people that still need — and want — him in their lives. He asks forgiveness for what he’s become and promises to be what they all need him to be. And while Charity still wears a blue scarf when he does so, her coat is white: PT is on the mend.
Everything You Ever Want – pink
And finally, ending on a good note. The circus is thriving, the Barnums are happy, and PT has made good on his promises. I don’t think I need to say any more on that. 😀
So that’s my theory on the reasons behind Charity Barnum’s two-toned wardrobe. Do you think it holds water or do you think I’m overthinking all this? Either way, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!
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