refractions.

          In terms of plot, the last page of the first chapter both summarizes what has already happened and foreshadows what will occur in the rest of the book. We3 have managed to escape from the government and have embarked into nature for the first time. They only have so long to run away before the military catches up to them, yet they have a temporary sense of safety for now. On this page, they continue their journey into a forest, towards home, while helicopters approach overhead.

            Much can be said about the visual design, symbolism, and foreshadowing in this scene . The helicopters seem to move out of the page, towards the reader, while We3 move into the page, away from the reader. The dual movement reinforces the opposite views between We3 and the military forces going after them. We3 are trying to survive, while the government wants to decommission them. This opposite movement also foreshadows the inevitable fighting in the next chapter. If they continue moving towards each other, they will eventually clash.

           Also, the outlines of the trees, leaves, and grass frame the page. It places the reader in the scene, as if the reader could be hiding and watching this page unfold, like an animal in the forest. The picture seems divided where the trees end and the water/sky begin; this division seems to also emphasize the duality between the two forces in the scene. Also, although all the vegetation around the bird is outlined in black, the dead bird is bright red, and almost blood-like. This may also foreshadow more destruction and bloodshed.

          Lastly, note that the birds fly above the helicopters, rather than below them. These birds also contribute to the ‘frame’ of the page. Also note that the largest objects in this scene are all natural: the trees, the sky, and the water. Even if all of the mechanical elements were condensed, they would only contribute a small fraction to the rest of the picture. The birds flying above the helicopters and the size of the natural elements in this scene suggest a superiority of the natural over the mechanical.