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Symbols are objects, characters, figures, and colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.
Kira’s Scrap of Cloth/Thomas’s Bit of Wood
The small scrap of embroidered cloth that Kira carries around and Thomas’s corresponding bit of carved wood represent the deep personal connection between an artist and their art. Both Kira and Thomas have small works of art that they created themselves and that seem to act as talismans for them. Almost like magic, the scrap of cloth and bit of wood communicate comfort, reassurance, and even warning, serving as physical connections between Kira and Thomas’s emotional states and the world around them. The scrap of cloth and the bit of wood can only communicate with the person who created them, which shows not just how connected an artist is to their art, but how enigmatic that connection can be.
Blue
The color blue represents a state of peace, calm, and tranquility, both in the embroidered threads of the Singer’s robe and in Kira’s world. It also represents the promise of an almost mythical world beyond the village. At first, the calm of blue seems unattainable, just as blue is the one color of dye that Katrina and Annabella have never been able to create. The first character to find blue thread is Matt, whose love of adventure and friendship with Kira set him on a journey through the woods. Not only does he find woad, the plant that makes blue dye, but he also finds another society that is not governed by the rules and cruelty of the Council of Guardians. Despite the fact that Matt is the first person to find blue, Kira seems to be the first to recognize its potential to shape the village’s future in a positive way. Matt’s gift of blue also comes with news of Christopher’s village, where people do in fact live peacefully, confirming this color’s status as a symbol of peace and harmony.
The Singer’s Shackles
The Singer’s shackles are a particularly rich and layered source of symbolism in Gathering Blue because they touch on deceit and the pain of stifled creativity. Before she ever sees the Singer’s shackles, Kira realizes she is not free because she isn’t permitted to create her own art, and when she does see the shackles, they serve as literal and symbolic confirmation of her plight. The fact that the shackles are hidden under the Singer’s robe also represents the larger structure of deception that keeps the village under control. Just as the villagers don’t see the Singer’s shackled feet because they don’t look for them, the truth about the village is also hidden in plain sight.
