When I think of red, I think of rebellion, of revolution. I see posters from the Cultural Revolution with their black and red ink. I see fists raised in the air. I think Kidd made the thread that Handful steals red because, in a way, it was how Handful rebelled. However, it wasn’t a loud, fiery rebellion like we usually see in history, but it was there in the stolen thread. Handful knew she shouldn’t take it but she did anyway, because she could without being caught. It wasn’t a large revolt, but she was pushing the boundaries she was placed in by taking from the people who enslaved her without her noticing. I see small rebellions in school all the time—people “altering” the uniform in a way that isn’t entire in line with the dress code, but still tends to go unnoticed by teachers. I think it’s human nature for people to test the rules set on them. How many coming of age books are written about teenagers who sneak out or drink or steal because they can? It’s almost intrinsic of people to want to rebel, to take those ten dollars when you’re mom’s not looking or to steal some red thread. It’s how we silently rebel.