“She felt a small shudder of fear. Fear was always a part of life for the people. Because of fear, they made shelter and found food and grew things. For the same reason, weapons were stored, waiting. There was fear of cold, of sickness and hunger. There was fear of beasts. And fear propelled her now as she stood, leaning on her stick. She looked down a last time at the lifeless body that had once contained her mother, and considered where to go” 

This early passage establishes what motivates Kira’s society—fear. It makes sense that a society based on fear would be home to selfish and brutal people and that their government would exert such rigid control over them. If fear of what might happen is the guiding principle, one solution is to control as much as possible. That Kira is also starting from a place of fear, and that she has more reason than most to fear the future, makes her transformation by the end of the book all the more remarkable.

“Everywhere she heard arguing. The cadence of bickering was a constant sound in the village: the harsh remarks of men vying for power; the shrill bragging and taunting of women envious of one another and irritable with the tykes who whined and whimpered at their feet and were frequently kicked out of the way” 

This passage illustrates the tenor of daily life in the village and the casual cruelty of family relationships, particularly those between mothers and children. In this context, Kira’s relationship with her mother is remarkable for the love and care that exists between them and is presumably one reason why Kira is able to move past her own fear.

“Kira had always had a clever way with her hands. When she was still a tyke, her mother had taught her to use a needle, to pull it through woven fabric and create a pattern with colored threads. But suddenly, recently, the skill had become more than simple cleverness. 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. She did not understand how the knowledge had come to her. But it was there, in her fingertips, and now they trembled slightly with eagerness to start” 

This passage is the first mention of Kira’s gift as a “threader,” and it describes her ability as more than just a set of skills she has learned; instead, she possesses a kind of artistic genius. Also important is the focus on the way her hands feel the designs, rather than seeing them with her eyes.