A Woman on a Roof Doris Lessingšs "A Woman on a Roof" is a story about reality and fantasy. Throughout the story Lessing uses certain colors such as white, scarlet, and black to illustrate actual and assumed characteristics. Color is very influential to how people perceive things because of the meanings associated with it. The significance of these colors is important to an understanding of the story. The images black and white are important to the meaning of the story because they symbolize the purity or impurity of the woman on the roof. The color white describes things that are pure, innocent, and fair.