Wrapping up

So for this last post I've decided to come "out of character" and just speak to Mr. Forke normally. The book was... well to me not going to lie it was a little boring haha, but that doesn't take away from the meaning of the book. These kids all had amazing talent, and amazing potential for their talent, except they were oppressed and weren't allowed to use it. It's cruel really. Kira mentions many times in the book how her hands just want to make their own things, and be free, but they couldn't because of their "duty" to the council. It wasn't a heaven like Niggle's, it was an imprisonment, like Kira's disease. Her leg hindered her from doing what she wanted, just like the council is now stopping her from doing what she wants to. Her full potential cannot come out this way. It's hindering like Rose's disease in Silver Water, her true beauty that her sister believes in can't come out. We never got to see Kira stand up for herself in this story, although I am confident that in the sequel (yes there is one) there will be some form of uprising, even if it's just Kira and the other kids running away. I would say the biggest theme in this story is that while being suppressed, nobody's true potential can come out. Who knows what kind of future these children could create if not being controlled by someone else! Who knows what kind of person Rose would be without her disease hindering her and holding her true beauty back. I also like the theme that I mentioned earlier, with the patterns on the robe. How you build your life, then somebody or something comes and just knocks it down. So you learn to build it better so that it won't be so easily shaken, but something new comes. This is a theme we can all relate to in our own lives. That's something that a reader looks for in a story.

Chapter 23

Well, finding out that Kira's guardian wasn't who she thought he was was pretty traumatizing. So that night Matt found a safe place for Kira's father to sleep and Kira started thinking things over. Then she thought back to the clanking she heard at the gathering, while the singer was singing. We found out something new, that we didn't know before. Kira saw, on the singer's feet, shackles. His feet were completely deformed and bloody and shackled. Here is when Kira puts things together. All of the young artists parents were killed by the council. They were killed so that the council could have the children all to themselves. She also realized that the kids have the power to change the future, they create what happens in the future. The story ends with Matt about to lead her dad back home, and Kira holding her dad's shirt, now completely unraveled and in blue thread.

Chapter 22

Well Kira's father told his story. It was no beast that attacked him, it was someone jealous of him. He was about to receive a place in the council, but was attacked on a hunting trip by somebody who wanted his position, Jamison. Kira's father also told about their village, how the cripples from many different villages have banded together and formed their own place. While Kira's father was laid out in the fields to die they came for him. The people in the village have grown in number, and families have started, and healthy people have grown up there. There is always somebody there for you. If you can't walk you are carried. If you can't see you are led. Kira's father also invited her to come home with him, but she refused. Until she found out who Jamison really was. Im also curious... Could all of the specially talented three parents' been killed? So that the council could have the talents all to themselves? This is where the final chapter begins.

Chapter 21

The big gift arrived- It's Kira's father!! His eyes are ruined though. He came from the place Matt went. He has a blue shirt on as well. Obviously no beast killed him, I'm now confident that beasts never existed. I'm sure we'll be hearing his story in the next chapter.

Chapter 19 & 20

The gathering has begun! For the first time the three special children are introduced to the village. Even Jo, the young singer. The song begins in an odd sort of way. It starts with "In the beginning..." and goes on to explain an almost creation-like beginning. It isn't very specific though. During the lunchbreak Kira finds that Matt has returned, with a portion of blue cloth. He says the place he went was nearly all cripples, it makes me wonder.... Is that place the field that they bring cripples to? Instead of killing them do they have a special place? Is Annabella there? I'm sure we will find out. Matt also said that there is a much larger gift for Kira that isn't there yet, but will be soon. Kira heard a large, heavy scraping noise a couple times during the song.... Could this be the gift? What could it possibly be?

Chapters 17 & 18

At the beginning of chapter 17 Kira and Thomas go to look for Matt. They haven't seen him in a couple of days and are worried. Now Matt lives on the bad side of town, where everybody is poor and lives nearly homeless and hungry. They eventually find Matt's house, but only his brother is home. His brother informs Kira and Thomas that Matt went on a journey to find "blue" for "a friend of his". Now obviously the kid has no idea the significance of this to Kira. I'm starting to see that blue is more of a symbol in this story.... What of? I'm not exactly sure yet. I have an idea though. Later on Kira talks with Jamison and he tells her that that the yearly gathering where the song is to be sung is very soon, and whatever last minute changes need to be made should be made so soon. She is also informed that after the gathering she will begin making new pictures on the robe. She is surprised because she though that would come when her skills were better.

Chapters 15 & 16

Well the two are finally starting to piece things together now. They have realized that they're there for a very special purpose, and that nobody else can do their jobs. Thomas called the three of them (Jo, Thomas, and Kira) artists, a term foreign to Kira and most of the village. They decided that artists are people who make beautiful things. The two went down to Jo's room that night to talk to her and make her believe they were her friend. They showed her a way to contact them (which is tapping in the ceiling because Thomas's room is right above Jo's) and said only do it in emergencies. Afterwards Kira went back to her room and thought about things, realizing this wasn't exactly the heaven she thought it was. This wasn't her master work of art like Niggle's, because she was being forced to do it. Art cannot be forced. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.... Will they run away? Rebel? We shall see.