I have to write an essay on Gathering Blue. The question is how do the strong treat those who are weak or seen as flawed?

Kira's society literally leaves those with debilitating injuries or birth defects in the Field of Leaving to die. Those with disabilities are viewed as worthless, and the dialogue, with its casual callousness, supports this notion. When Vandara leads the pack of women against Kira in an effort to steal Kira's land, it appears to be a case of the strong abusing the weak, but Kira, by using the fear of legal reprisal, manages to win the confrontation.

Kira is born with a deformed leg, and despite her infirmity, she is eventually appointed to one of the most honored positions in her village. She can barely walk, but her skills enable her to help carry the history and future of her people in the work that she does on the robe. Ironically, Jamison, the person arguably responsible for hurting Kira more than anyone, recognizes her worth and saves her from being discarded.

Christopher's village, a society principally comprised of people with disabilities, also takes up this theme. By banding together and helping one another, the villagers have been able to build a functional society based on compassion. One can argue that these people, who have existed peacefully while battling their own physical limitations, are stronger than those in Kira's village, who exist in relative tension, even though they are all in good health. At the end of the story, Kira decides to make it her mission to create a bridge betwee