Christopher Character Analysis in Gathering Blue

Katrina’s husband and Kira’s father. Kira believes Christopher to be dead until the last chapters of the book. In the village, Christopher was an excellent hunter and a charismatic leader, and he was supposed to join the Council of Guardians before Jamison stabbed him in the back and left him to die. Instead of succumbing to his wounds, Christopher found himself among a community of kind, compassionate people, all of whom had injuries or deformities of some kind—Christopher himself lost his eyesight after he was stabbed. Christopher cares deeply for his wife and daughter. Nevertheless, he understands when Kira explains that she must stay behind in the village instead of going with him to his new community.

Christopher Quotes in Gathering Blue

The Gathering Blue quotes below are all either spoken by Christopher or refer to Christopher. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

The fabric gave a kind of answer but it was no more than a flutter, like a breeze across her that she would not remember when she woke at dawn. The scrap told her something of her father — something important, something that mattered — but the knowledge entered her sleep, trembling through like a dream, and in the morning she did not know that it was there at all.

Related Characters: Kira, Christopher

Related Symbols: Kira’s Cloth / Thomas’s Carving

Page Number and Citation: 127

Explanation and Analysis:

"Kira," he said, but he did not need to tell her now, because she knew, "my name is Christopher. I'm your father."
In shock, she stared at him. She watched his ruined eyes, and saw that they were able, still, to weep.

Related Characters: Kira, Christopher

Page Number and Citation: 221

Explanation and Analysis:

“We have gardens. Houses. Families. But it is much quieter than this village. There is no arguing. People share what they have, and help each other. Babies rarely cry. Children are cherished."
Kira looked at the stone pendant that rested against his blue shirt. She touched her own matching one.
"Do you have a family there?" she asked hesitantly.
"The whole village is like a family to me, Kira," he replied.

Related Characters: Kira (speaker), Christopher (speaker)

Related Symbols: Blue

Page Number and Citation: 228-229

Explanation and Analysis:

Christopher Character Timeline in Gathering Blue

The timeline below shows where the character Christopher appears in Gathering Blue. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Self-Interest versus Compassion Theme Icon

...a four-syllable name, and was the chief guardian: the leader of the village. Kira’s father, Christopher, was also meant to become a guardian before animals killed him. Thus, Katrina was able... (full context)

...that Kira was born deformed and fatherless. The chief guardian notes that Kira’s father was Christopher, and Jamison reveals that he was hunting with Christopher on the day that Christopher was... (full context)

...mother gave her. The man addresses Kira by name, and tells her that he is Christopher, her father. As he says this, he begins to cry. (full context)

Christopher goes with Matt to find a place where he can sleep safely. Before he goes,... (full context)

Christopher continues with his story. On the day he was “killed,” he was hunting in the... (full context)

Christopher explains that as the strangers nursed him back to health, they carried him through the... (full context)

Kira, still weeping, asks Christopher why he’s never come back to the village until now. Christopher responds that for years,... (full context)

When Matt arrived in Christopher’s new home, Christopher says, Matt said that he was looking for blue for his friend,... (full context)

Kira tells him that he’s no longer in danger. Christopher responds that he and Kira will leave the village tomorrow. Kira protests; she tells Christopher... (full context)

It is almost dawn, after the night when Christopher reunited with Kira. Kira walks down to the dyer’s garden at the foot of the... (full context)

Kira thinks ahead to the journey she and Christopher have agreed to make: they will leave the village. Kira reflects that she will not... (full context)

Kira decides that Matt must lead Christopher back to his home. Later that same night, Kira meets Matt, Branch, Christopher, and Thomas... (full context)

As Christopher prepares to leave with Matt, he tells Kira that she will come to his community... (full context)

Before he departs, Christopher gives Kira a gift: in the darkness she can see that he’s holding threads. Christopher... (full context)