Theme 2

   This is the final step in my evaluation of Gathering Blue.

   -The second theme is: Always accept people for who they are.
In Kira's world, the imperfect are cast away. They are left in a field to die because they are less capable of working than others. This makes them less deserving of food, water, and even life. Kira's mother, Katrina, combats this unfair and unjust perception by insisting upon keeping Kira even though she is crippled.

This is probably what Kira's leg looks like. This is a condition known as "clubfoot". Image courtesy of google.com

   This is an underlying theme throughout the story because this is the reason she was even brought to a trial in front of the Council of Guardians. Vandara and the other village women wanted her cott space to build a pen for their tykes. They figured that she was undeserving of that land because she could not work as much as the rest of them.

   Kira worked hard to be accepted by her fellow citizens, but was turned away by most, simply because of her disability. She could not even marry because, as Vandara so bluntly pointed it out, "Nobody wants a cripple". Thomas and Matt accepted her because they really got to know her, and realized that she had a wonderful, kind, giving personality, and had unwavering loyalty for those she could call friends Kira had a hard life, being plagued by ache and pain constantly. But she always looked for that light at the end of the tunnel, and she never gave up hope that someday, maybe someday soon, she would be accepted by her society.

Theme 1

  - The first theme is: Always stay strong.
Kira goes through really rough times in her life, but is constantly reminded to stay strong by her mother, Katrina. "'Take pride in your pain,' her mother had always told her. 'You are stronger than those who have none.'" These were her mother's words of wisdom. Kira was taught as a young girl to always be strong, and to never give up. Katrina was a very wise woman, and a loving mother. It's no wonder Kira always took her advice, and remembered little tidbits of important messages she was taught. Her mother was telling her that, though she was physically disabled, she was still strong willed, strong minded, and strong hearted.

This is an accurate description of Kira through her hard times. Image courtesy of google.com and quotehd.com

   Kira has a hard life after the death of her mother, but she still held fast and never gave up. She was determined to stay in the village, and her determination and skill kept her alive. She always stayed strong.

Change the Setting

   If the setting in Gathering Blue were to be changed to a desert instead of a forested area, much would change. The Field of Leaving would no longer be a field, Kira's father would most likely have died of thirst before he could be saved, and "the Ruin" song would have a different history.
   The Field of Leaving plays a key role in Gathering Blue. It is where Kira grieves for her mother in the beginning, where Annabella is taken after her suspicious death, and where Christopher, Kira's father, is left to die. If we changed the setting to a desert, the Field of Leaving would just be a dirt patch covered with dead, rotting bodies turned putrid by the heat.

This would be the new setting of Gathering Blue. Image courtesy of google.com

   There would be no river for Kira to have bathed in, and fewer plants to make dyes with. Woad, which creates a blue dye, doesn't grow well, if at all, in sandy soil, so the title might not have been realistic at all, had the setting been in a desert. 

   If "the Ruin" song were to accurately describe the history of their village in the desert, there might not have been any buildings that could fall and burn during, what I imagine, was an uprising or revolution. The history that was stitched on the robe and etched into the softened wood would be inaccurate, due to the completely  opposite climate that the new story would take place in. The change in weather and atmosphere would cause fewer plants to grow, water to evaporate at a faster pace, and buildings to shift and crumble in the unsteady dirt or sand.

   All these concepts put together spell tragedy for a desert village in Kira's world. The lack of food and water, combined with the hot climate, and lack of proper burial grounds spells out horrid smells, a lower life expectancy, and more deaths.

Relate to Character

   In this book, I can't really relate to one specific character. I relate to bits and pieces of each character.One character didn't really jump out at me. It was a combination of many different traits from several characters that truly related to me the best.

   From Kira, I feel like I can relate to her shy, kindhearted nature. She is very reserved, befriending very few who will tolerate her. I am the same way. I am very shy before you get to know me, but once you get to know me, you will barely tolerate how annoying and repetitive I am.

This is an example of relating to a character. Actors and actresses get the best opportunities to relate to characters because they get to literally be the character. Image courtesy of google.com and izquotes.com

   From Jamison, I relate to his secrecy. He kept a great many things from Kira, all for his own personal benefit (see Chapters 12-14 for examples). I keep secrets too, but mostly just for the good of other people. I'm not saying I won't keep a secret to hide something I did wrong, but most of the secrets I keep are the ones told to me by friends who trust me. And I will never break that trust.

   From Thomas I get protectiveness. He is very protective of Matt and Kira. He is not overprotective, but he cares for them like siblings. I'm the same way with my sisters, but don't tell them I said that. I care for them very much, and will hurt anyone who tries to harm them. I try my best to keep them out of dangerous situations, and do everything I to my ability to get them out of those situations as well.

   Like i said before, there is not one character I relate to individually. I am a patchwork quilt of character traits. But, of course, that simply makes me human.

Event 5

   The fifth and final event that stood out to me was when Kira, sensing danger, reached for her cloth. "She touched the fabric and felt tension, danger, and a warning from it." This was the moment when Matt went to join the hunting group that was soon to leave to hunt the beasts in the forest.

I would imagine these to be the types of weapons the hunters used, and the ones Matt tried to use. Image courtesy of google.com

   Kira was worried for Matt's safety, especially after her father was supposedly killed by beasts on a hunt. This was another moment that stood out to me only because it was again displaying the prophesying powers of her little scrap of cloth. In a moment of desperation, she reached for the cloth, and found a warning. Kira immediately enlisted Thomas's help in retrieving Matt. They rushed out to the gathered hunters and found Matt, plastered with swamp grass, among them, wielding a spear and boasting to his friends. Kira immediately brought him in, scolded him for being so ignorant, then gave him a bath to remove the smelly swamp grass.

   This moment was not one of importance, but showed us, as readers, again how important that little stitched cloth is to Kira, and the safety of people she knows.

   (Chapter 9-10)

Event 4

   The fourth event that really stood out to me was when Kira noticed the bloody, shackled ankles of the Singer. She listened in horror to the dragging metal sound of the shackles on the floor, and watched with horror as the Singer walked away, leaving behind him trails of blood.

These are probably similar to those that were worn by the Singer. Image courtesy of google.com

   Kira was disturbed by the reality of the shackles. The Singer had probably once been held captive, like Jo, locked in a room and forced to learn "the Ruin" song. Kira realized that she would probably soon end up the same way. Shackled at the ankles while the crowd acknowledged her presence unsuspectingly. Locked in her room for fear she would try to leave.

   This reality struck Kira in an instant, and left her with horrid images in her head of what her life could be like, should she choose to submit. She and Thomas talked about this tragedy, each remarking how horrible it truly was to do that to an innocent person. They spoke of the lies told by the Council of Guardians, how mindlessly the villagers believed it, and how willingly they submitted themselves to anything that was required. Kira was shocked by how cruel the Council was, and selfishly they took what they desired. 

   (Chapter 20-21)

Event 3

   The third event that stood out to me was when Kira was talking to Annabella about the beasts in the woods. She repeatedly told the dyer that she heard a beast growling as it followed her,and Annabella repeatedly told her that there were no beasts.

This is probably what Kira has been taught her whole life, minus the monobrow part. Image courtesy of google.com 

   Each time Kira brings up the beast that followed her in the woods, Annabella laughs and tells her that there are no beasts. This made Kira confused. Should she believe what she had been taught her whole life? Or should she believe this four syllable woman?(Four syllables are revered for their knowledge)

   When Kira mentioned what Annabella said, he became very firm and forceful, telling her that Annabella was just old and had a wandering mind. The next day, Annabella was "found" dead in her cott. I put quotations around found because even Kira became suspicious when Jamison told her that she died of natural causes.

   She and I began to wonder how they knew to look for Annabella when she lives alone and so far outside the village. I also began to wonder if it was coincidence that Annabella died the day after she told Kira the opposite of Kira had always been taught by the Guardians and her elders.

   To me this was one of the turning points of the story. Kira has been gaining more and more knowledge of the things the Council has been hiding. This comment caused Kira to question how her father died, if not at the hands of beasts.

   This series of events really got my brain fired up, putting things together, breaking things down, making educated guesses. It was at this moment that I really began to enjoy the story, and began to relate to the characters.

   (Chapter 11-12)

Event 2

   The second event that stood out to me was when Kira was saved by the Council of Guardians. Her stitching cloth told her that there was danger, but in the end, she would be safe. It foretold her future, and quite accurately.

 

What I imagine Kira's cloth looks like. Image courtesy of google.com and 123rf.com 

   She was in grave danger of being thrown out of the village, cast out because of her twisted leg, which made her unable to work. Vandara wanted her gone so she and the other village women could have her cott space to build a pen for their children and chickens. Vandara took her to a court so a decision on Kira's fate could be reached.

   This struck me as cruel and unfair. Why should Kira be tried for a nonexistent crime? Who was Vandara to take Kira from the only place she had ever known? Why should Vandara be more entitled to the land than Kira?

   These were some of the thoughts running through my head. Then the true purpose struck me. This situation was not the main problem. The true thing readers were supposed to notice was how accurately her strip of stitched cloth predicted her uncertain future. Throughout the entire book, future events can be foretold by Kira's strip of cloth, Thomas's wood carving, and Jo's made-up songs.

   The true point of her trial was to prove the purpose of Kira's cloth. That's why this moment stood out to me. It was one of the many times when the entire focus of the situation was Kira's cloth.
   (Chapter 4)

Event 1

   One event that stood out to me in the book was when Vandara and a group of others were prepared to stone Kira to death for the empty space where her cott once stood. This shows how truly harsh and cruel the people of Kira's community really are. Resources are so scarce they are willing to kill for a small amount of space.
   This moment spoke to me because it showed how desperate the villagers really are. Kira only survived because of her knowledge of the laws. Had she not known of that law, she would have been stoned, had she refused to surrender her cott. Vandara is a cruel woman, hardened by time and pain. She only backed down because of the law, "'Remember that if conflict is not taken to the Council of Guardians, and if there is a death, the causer-of-death must die.'"

I was surprised by how desperate and self-centered the villagers were. 

   Vandara's cruelty reflects her history. She shows no sympathy for children, and Kira was no exception to her reign of terror and pain.
   (Chapter 2)

Mood

   The mood throughout Gathering Blue is consistent with the tone. Lowry doesn't give everything away all at once, which gives me time to build up feelings and really connect with the characters. It makes me feel suspicious. Lowry gives the readers time to truly build a relationship with the characters, and make guesses based on suspicions surrounding certain characters.

These are examples of moods the reader can feel.

    "The scrap told her something of her father --- something important, something that mattered --- but the knowledge entered  her sleep, trembling through like a dream, and in the morning she did not know that it was there at all." This quote gave me suspicions that maybe there was something more to Kira's father's death than Lowry was letting on.
   "Jamison laid the section of robe he'd been examining back down on the table. 'She's very old,' he said firmly. 'It's dangerous for her to speak that way. Her mind is beginning to wander.' Kira looked at him dubiously.For weeks now she had worked with the dyer. The lists of plants, the many characteristics of each, the details of the dyeing procedures, so much complex knowledge; all of it was clear and complete. Kira had seen no sign, no hint of a wandering mind." This quote confirmed my suspicions. Jamison would not have been so firm and fierce if there were truly beasts in the woods.

Tone

   Throughout the book, a common tone is one of mystery. Lois Lowry uses mysterious words, phrases and situations to entice us to read on. She also uses tones of fear and sadness.
    "It came as no surprise. Nonetheless, Kira's heart sank.(pg 13)" This is the moment when Kira learns that Vandara is planning to have her cast out to the field so they can have her cott. Using words and phrases of sadness, Lowry causes us to feel as Kira, and herself, feel at the moment."She nodded goodbye to the weaving women and headed back along the path toward the place where she had lived with her mother, the place where her cott had long stood, the place of the only home she had ever known. She felt a need to say goodbye.(pg 62)" This is the moment when Kira returns to the scorched remains of the cott where she lived with her mother. Lowry uses soft, slow, gripping phrases to make us feel sorry for Kira's misfortune.
   "Is it true, that there be no beasts? Her thoughts framed the question, and her mind responded in a whisper to herself as the fabric lay curled warm in the palm of her hand. There be none. What of my father, then, him taken by beasts? Kira drifted into sleep,the words gliding slippery from her thoughts.(pg 127) This is the moment before Kira falls asleep, when she ponders what the dyer Annabella told her that day.

This is what tone is like. It is how the author discusses the subject. Image courtesy of google.com

 

Solution

   Kira's main conflict is with society, but the one that is resolved at the end of Gathering Blue is a conflict with herself. Should she stay and help her fellow villagers deal with the lies of the Council? Or should she steal away with her father and leave the lies behind?
   Kira is conflicted by these choices, but in the end, she knows she couldn't face leaving behind the only place she's ever known. She and her father arrange for them to visit each other, then eventually have Kira leave the village completely and set out for the "village of the healing".
   In the end, the solution is that Kira will gradually start to spend more time in her father's community until she stays permanently. The resolution of the entire series ends in the book Son, written by Lois Lowry.

             

                         Kira's emotions persuading with what to do. Leave? Or stay? Image courtesy of google.com and shutterstock.com

Conflict

   The main conflict in Gathering Blue is man vs society. It is Kira versus everyone else in her village. Everyone thinks she is a waste of space and resources, seeing as she should have been taken to the Field of Leaving due to her disability.
   Everything Kira was told as a child is challenged when she takes up residence in the Council Edifice. She was told that there were beasts in the woods, then told otherwise by Annabella, and her own father, Christopher. She was told that no one knew how to make blue, then told otherwise by Annabella and Christopher. She was told that there were no other societies, then told otherwise by Annabella, Matt, and Christopher. Then there were all the suspicious deaths, such as those of Kira's parents, Thomas's parents, and Jo's parents.

A definition of man vs society that describes Kira's situation. Image courtesy of google.com

   Kira was raised on truths told to her by her society. As she matures, she learns that everything is not always what it seems, and that the leadership is not always to be trusted. Some things are hidden from the public for good reasons. Others are hidden for personal gain.

Setting

  Gathering Blue takes place in a society where the imperfect are cast out and left to die. The dead are left in a field, the Field of Leaving, and mourned for 4 days by their loved ones before being covered by a layer of dirt and left to waste away into nothing.

This is what I think the Field of Leaving looks like. Image courtesy of google.com  

   The community is ruled by the Council of the Guardians, who reside in the Council Edifice. They are like Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court all rolled into one.They are in charge of all important decisions. They, essentially, are the judge, jury, and executioner for the guilty, and the savior of the innocent.     The poor district of Kira's community is called the Fen. The people who live there talk with a strange accent and lilt, and are very poor. They have little food, and no money.
   The other district is the one Kira lives in at the beginning of the story. They are not significantly richer, but the cotts are nicer, and they have more food. The Council Edifice is situated here, as is the sewing hut, where the seamstresses work. Kira used to dream of working them, and hearing the clatter of the machines.
   The setting plays a very important role in the story. It shows why things happen the way they do, and why people act the way they do.

Climax

   There were many different parts to this story that could be considered the climax, but my favorite was when Matt returned from his journey with Kira's father, Christopher, in Chapter 21. He had gone to find blue for Kira, from the place beyond Annabella's cott. He found a village many days beyond the cott.
   "'Them be all broken, them people. But there be plenty of food. And it's quiet-like, and nice.'" When Kira asks Matt what he means by broken, this is his response, " He gestured toward her twisted leg. 'Like you. Some don't walk good. Some be broken in other ways. Not all. But lots.'"(pg 210)
   Kira is confused by the answer she receives from Matt, until later, when she meets her father for the first time. He explains many things that Kira was dumbfounded by. He also explains what Matt meant by broken.
   "Her father smiled. 'Not only from here. There are other places. They had come from all over, those who had been wounded --- sometimes not just in body, but in other ways as well. Some traveled very long distances. It's astounding to hear of the difficult journeys. And those who had reached the place where I found myself? They had formed their own community --- my community now, too ---' Kira remembered what Matt had described, a place where broken people lived."(pg 227)
   I  consider this the climax because it is the revealing point of all the mystery and suspicion, built up inside of Kira. It gives us the answers to many of the questions we may have had, and confirms many suspicions we may have had as well.

The climax is the very top point of the plot mountain. It is the point of the most action, and reveals many things. Image courtesy of google.com

Character 5 :Jamison

   Jamison is Kira's defendant in court, and her overseer after the sentence. He is a member of the Council of the Guardians and he claims to have seen the fatal attack upon Kira's father.

My interpretation of the Council Edifice. Image courtesy of google.com

   He observes Kira's work each day, and kind of helps her adjust to her new life in the Council Edifice. Kira's new life in the Edifice brings to light things she never would have known otherwise. She learns the truth behind her parents suspicious deaths, the secret that lies in the cellar of the Edifice, and the pain behind the voice of the Singer.
   Jamison normally wears an indifferent mask. He listens infrequently to Kira's descriptions of her life in her new home, and lies to Kira's face about matters he believes are no concern of hers. It seems that he has deemed her incapable of making important decisions, seeing as he decides the many aspects of her life for her.
   He lied to Kira about her father's death, and Kira believes he also lied about the deaths of her mother, Thomas the Carver's parents, Jo(the future Singer)'s parents, and Annabella the dyer. He only puts up with her so that he and the other Guardians can keep Kira's, Thomas's, and Jo's talents locked within the dark corridors of the Council Edifice.
   Jamison is an excellent liar, and a cruel, selfish, loser who does what he is told by the other Guardians, no matter what sacrifices his victims have to make. He has no feelings for people other than himself, and willing submits to a higher human power because if he doesn't he will likely be killed, based upon how easily his society assigns the death penalty to innocent people.

Character 4 : Annabella

   Annabella is Kira's tutor. She teaches her the same things she taught Kira's mother, Katrina. Annabella is skilled in the art of dyeing, and making dyes.She teaches these skills to Kira, who shows more talent than even her own mother.
   The book describes Annabella as a, "bent and white-haired old woman". She talks with the same accent and lilt as Matt, her being from the Fen also. She is as skilled at making dyes as Kira is at threading. She is a four syllable woman, which makes her very old. I would say from 50 years and older.
   The title of the book only began to make sense to me after I met Annabella in Chapter 8. Kira has been taught by her mother since a young age. Her mother taught her how to thread, and had just begun to teach her how to dye before her untimely death. The blue threads on the Singer's robe were faded to almost white. When Kira would ask why they didn't replace the faded blue threads, she was told that no one knew how anymore.

What I imagine the faded blue threads on the Singer's robe look like. Image courtesy of google.com

   In one last burst of desperation, Kira asks Annabella if she knows how to "make blue". Annabella's response thickens the plot and makes it hard to put the book down. "'I ne'er could make it,'she was saying. 'But some have blue yonder.'"
   Through the entire book, the thought that there are no other villages is reinforced. Annabella's response strikes doubt in Kira's heart. Doubt that there are no other villages, doubt that there are monsters in the woods, doubt that her parents' deaths were simply accidents.
   Annabella plays an important role in Kira's life, and in the plot of the story. She is the one who shines light on all the holes in her society's explanation of things, from monsters in the woods, to deaths, and to the existence of other villages. She changes Kira's life.

Character 3 : Matt

   Matt is Kira's young companion in Gathering Blue. He is a one syllable boy, meaning that he is still young, I would say from birth to around 12. I would assume Matt to be around 6.
    Kira has known him ever since he was born.He is very friendly, and talks with a strange accent and lilt because he is from the Fen. The Fen is the poor section of Kira's village. Matt is always covered in a layer of grime, and refuses to wash it off. He is very sweet, and even saves some of Kira's things from her cott(house, probably short for cottage) before the Council of the Guardians allows it to be burned. Burning the cott is customary when the inhabitants die due to a disease or illness. The burning leaves Kira with nothing to her name but the basket-full of things Matt graciously saved for his friend.
   He has little understanding of many things, for example he thinks a gift is, " something to make a person like you best". He is very selfless, expressed by when he saved a crippled dog, that he named Branch, from death. Kira is delighted by his level of curiosity, which matches that of hers. They are always willing to spend time with each other, be it at the dyer Annabella's cott, or even just in the village.
   Matt is Kira's only other best friend, and is always ready to help her. He is very playful with her about her "gimpy leg", and loves hanging out with her and Thomas at the Council Edifice.

What I imagine the dog, Branch, that Matt saved looks like. Image courtesy of google.com

Character 2 : Thomas

   Thomas is Kira's friend and part-time tutor in Gathering Blue.When she is given housing in the Council Edifice, he teaches her how things work, who does what, and what things serve what purpose. He teaches her how to use her bathroom, how to ask for things, and where things can be found.
   "He seemed about her age, not long into two syllables, and was a good-looking boy with clear skin and bright eyes. His hair was thick and reddish-brown. A chip in one front tooth showed when he smiled."
   Thomas is the village's Carver, the wood-worker who carves the staff held by the Singer. He has lived in the Council Edifice since he was a young boy, when his parents were both struck by lightning during a storm.
He helps Kira with anything she needs help with, and is always there when she a has a suspicion, or just wants to talk. He keeps her secrets, and shares stories with her. He is one of her only friends.

Gathering Blue reader created logo. Image courtesy google.com

Character 1: Kira

   Kira is the main character and protagonist in Gathering Blue. According to the novel, she has a twisted leg, which makes it difficult for her to walk. This disability earns her ridicule, making her life all the harder.
   She is very resilient, strong willed, and even courageous. She lives in a village where the imperfect are cast away, left in a field to be devoured by wildlife in the dead of night. Her imperfection is the only one in the village, which is why she is made fun of, abused by the villagers, and almost killed by a antagonist in the story, Vandara.
   She is very skilled with a needle and thread, being taught by her mother, who repaired the Singer's robe after every annual retelling of their history. She cannot run, but she is strong. When she threads she can feel the way to do things, without even knowing it. Her hand follows a preconceived route. The book says,"In one astounding burst of creativity, her ability had gone far beyond her mother's teaching. Now, without instruction or practice, without hesitancy, her fingers felt the way to twist and weave and stitch the special threads together to create designs rich and explosive with color."
   Kira is a special girl, with a special talent. She is not one to cause trouble, and barely escapes with her life simply because she was not a physically able as any other member of the village.

Original book cover. Image courtesy of google.com
Quote courtesy of Gathering Blue, written by Lois Lowry.