A River Enchanted

Plaids appear frequently throughout A River Enchanted. The first plaid to appear is Jack’s enchanted plaid from Mirin, which he uses to protect his harp from the water when he swims to Cadence. The next plaid to appear offers Jack himself protection: When Jack meets Torin at the clan line, Torin wraps his plaid around Jack to protect him from the cold and to illustrate that he is a Tamerlaine. However, beneath the plaid, his own clothes “were plain and hung from him like an ill-fated fortune” (28). His clothes from the mainland do not offer protection; instead they are associated with “ill fate,” or negative outcomes. When Jack puts on the clothes his mother Mirin made him, “[t]o his shock, they fit him perfectly. The wool was warm and soft against his skin, and the plaid came around him like an embrace” (68). The protective “embrace” of his mother’s magic stands in direct contrast to the “ill fate” promised by his mainland clothing. The plaid brings Jack comfort and a feeling of safety, and it symbolizes his enduring connection to the Tamerlaine clan.

The plaids, however, can also represent secrets. When Jack first sees Adaira, she is wearing her red plaid.