Foreshadowing In Gathering Blue

Used in great magnitude throughout the novel, the inevitably important element of foreshadowing is used skillfully by the author to arouse a thought-provoking uncertainty within the reader. Foreshadowing, as presented in Gathering Blue, invigorates deep interest within the reader through ominous occurrences that only provide a slight hint of intimidating future events or betrayals that have potential to bring doom and misery. For only a slight hint is provided, the reader has considerable freedom to imagine what doom lays ahead, resulting in a gradual intensification of the novel’s suspense. The author writes, “Now she was all alone. Kira felt the aloneness, the uncertainty, and a great sadness.” (p.4), “Suddenly Kira realized with horror what the sound was. But now there was only silence.” (p.121), “He lowered the robe then, and she saw nothing more. Perhaps,

she thought, she had imagined it. But watching him as he moved, she heard the sound of the scraping chain against the floor, and she could see behind him smeared, darkened trail of his blood.” (p.134). As a counterbalance however, foreshadowing also reduces the intensity of the novel by suggesting success and a positive outcome. This is portrayed in the text as the author writes, “It told her there was danger still. But it told also that she was to be saved.” (p.30). Such occurrences as those presented in the example exerts above contribute toward stimulating a compelling desire to continue reading through the medium of a powerful writing tool, foreshadowing.
In order to enhance the novel and develop characterization naturally, dialect is conspicuously used as a key element. As characters are introduced to the reader throughout the novel, dialect contributes largely towards giving a visual sense of their character and personality. In addition, dialect, as used by Lois Lowry, helps the reader fully perceive and understand the hustle and bustle of daily life in the village. Ultimately, character and plot development is accomplished by the means of dialect, for it simply is a reflection of one’s personality, orderliness, education, and cadre. The following exerts demonstrate how the various functions of dialect stated earlier apply to Matt’s character development, “‘I’ve got me a sucker I filched from a shop,’ Matt said, pulling a dirt-encrusted candy from his pocket, ‘and Branch, him always loves a mammoth buggie to poke, like now.’” (p.38), “‘what this be called… Me and Branch, we just be waiting in this corridor then. Me and Branch, we don’t go in the room because of the wee buggies.’” (p.39). As the reader is introduced to Matt, he or she will perceive him to be an individual of naughty personality, low orderliness, little or no education, and poor cadre. All these perceptions of Matt can be calculated with just a few sentences skillfully written with dialect from two consecutive pages.
To allow the reader to fully perceive the emotion and striking descriptions, the author skillfully interweaves the element of imagery.

The plotline encircles and moves on the simple fact that Kira is an exceptionally talented weaver. In her futuristic community, being entitled the job of Robe-threader, Kira’s job, one with much significance in the community, is to refubish the intricate and strikingly vibrant Singer’s Robe. By using rich, vivid descriptions in the text, the author entirely conveys Kira’s feelings and the beauty in her work. Mentally, imagery permits the reader to feel all which is felt by the characters. The following exerts from the text demonstrate the preceding, “The deep blue was rich and even. The color of sky, of peace.” (p.119), “As the Singer moved toward the stage, the folds of the robe glistened in the torchlight; the colors of the threaded scenes glowed in their subtlety. Golds, light yellows deepening to vibrant orange, reds from the palest pink to the darkest crimson, greens, all shades, threaded in their intricate patterns, told the history of the world and its Ruin.”

(p.114).