The Little Details

"The Foundations of the Earth" is just littered with so much imagery and details that could be looked at more closely in order to pick the story apart. However, one detail I found interesting, although possibly not terribly important, is the fact that difference in race, age, gender orientation etc. of the characters are not explicitly stated until later in the story. Based on contextual clues readers can pick up on the conversational patterns, actions, and even stereotypes in order to deduce the ethnicity of the characters. Of course, even though it is not explicitly stated until later that Maggie and her friends are African-American, it can be immediately understood by the description of Gabriel: "Gabriel, Mrs. Maggie William's young, white, special guest" (50, emphasis added). However, this description does not really tell us much about Gabriel. Readers are not told specifically till roughly half way through the story that Gabriel is gay and that he was Maggie's grandson's lover. 

I simply find it interesting that these facts were hinted at and implied so long in the story before they were explicitly stated. I know that good story telling must create something for the readers to latch on to in order to want to keep reading; but the fact that it is these particular characteristics of the characters, things that make the characters who they are, is interesting to me. 

What are your thoughts? Do you think there is a reason Kenan wrote these details in this way or do you think that it is simply good story telling on his part?