Cloth
Kira carries in her pocket a piece of cloth woven by her and when Kira feels uncertain or unsure of herself, she reaches for the cloth and holds it in her hands. The cloth here is a symbol used to make reference to Kira’s talent as a weaver and for her artistic abilities. It is something Kira can touch and feel so it is a tangible proof that she is not as useless as others make her be. Because of this, the cloth’s presence makes Kira feel comfortable and surer of her capability and her worth as a person.
No age
A motif found in the novel is the idea that characters have no age. There is no clear age given to any of the character but what they have instead is a way of measuring a person’s age by counting how many syllables a person’s name has. The youngest children would be given only a one name syllable while a respectable and older person would have a five or maybe even six name syllable.
Symbol for wealth
The society in which Kira lives is focused on being as productive as possible. The food, clothes and shelter used by the people are all extremely functional but lack an esthetic quality. It is however mentioned that there are people inside the community who have an artistic ability and create items for the ones who can afford to spend their money on things that have no practical value. Such ornament usually point out towards the idea that a person is rich and has a high social status. One such person is the man who is chose by the Elders to speak for Kira in the third chapter.
The importance of one’s physical appearance
Kira is detail oriented and she knows how important it is to act in the proper manner at the right time or to look in a certain way when the situation asks for it. Because of this, she takes great care in washing herself and making herself look presentable before going to the Elders and it is also because of this that Kira stops herself from overeating when she is in front if the Elders. Kira’s attention to detail and her efforts to try herself be more likable by those around her is a common motif in the novel.
Facing the moon
After Kira spends a day in the Edifice, she meets with Thomas the Carver and they spend a little time together, talking about their past and about their talents. Kira notices that Thomas’s room is oriented towards the village while hers is oriented towards the moon. This detain is not insignificant since it has a symbolical value. Thomas’s room symbolizes the idea that he is comfortable with the society he lives in and with his role in it. Kira instead, she is more attracted by nature and she wishes for something more, she earns to be near nature and to get away from the oppressive society she was raised in. All these are suggested and symbolized by the fact that Kira’s window is facing the moon and not civilization.
