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Wayne's Questionable Literacy


Silva

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So I try my best to most something somewhat serious or reasonable at every 100 post mark, but this time I've missed it by one. Oops.

Anyways, what bothered me for a long while (and it still does) is Wayne's literacy.

In Alloy of Law, don't ask for page numbers since I don't have them, Wayne remarks that he probably should take some notes himself on the case at hand. To this Wax responds that first Wayne would have to learn to write. Wayne tells him that he knows a whole four letters - some of which aren't even in his name.

Then, in Bands of Mourning, maybe even Shadows of Self, Wayne is seen reading multiple books and Wax tells Marasi (?) that Wayne really is the bigger reader than him.

This is the closest I have yet to find to a continuity error in Sanderson, but even this can be explained.

My theories:

1. Wayne learned how to read in between the books. Unlikely, but possible

2. Wayne can read, but not write.It's plausible, though unclear why he would have learned one and not the other.

Any thoughts or other explanations?

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Interesting catch!

Perhaps Wayne has some issue with fine motor skills... He cannot shoot a gun, and perhaps this has to do more with a struggle to persisely control his hand more than trama of those he has killed?

Perhaps he is physically capeable of writing but finds it too difficult.

Another idea, and this is kind of frustrating, but I always take everything Wax and Wayne say with a grain of salt.  For instance,we all know Wax is the "smart" one between the two.  They both have their skills, but wax does the thinking.  Perhaps Wax was jokingly insulting Waynes intelligence, Wayne then responds with a self-deprecating reply.

I think, though less interesting, this sort of joking sarcasm seems a likely culprit...

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I think Wax was just making fun of him in Alloy. Wayne's response seems like a joke, not anything actually serious.

Waynes vocabulary in general is a bit... Nuanced for someone completely illiterate, especially when you take his disguises into account. 

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The fact that Wayne can read is enough to explain his vocabulary. Also, why would Wax so blatantly make a joke about a false statement? It makes sense when there's reason behind it, but when it has no truth to it? That doesn't feel like Wax...but maybe it is just penmanship...but it also isn't very Wayne either to respond how he did if that were the case...

I'll try to find the scene, but that may take a while.

EDIT: Found it. I had the wrong book in mind. It's in Shadows of Self, page 84.

“Rusts. I should really write these things down.” (Wayne)
“I believe that is another thing you often say.” Wax made a notation. “Unfortunately, you’d first have to learn how to write.”
“Now, that’s unfair,” Wayne said, walking over to Wax’s desk and poking around in its drawers. “I can write— I know four whole letters, and one’s not even in my name!”

It feels like sarcasm with some truth in it, but it could just be me.

 

Edited by Silva
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It's not in Alloy actually, it's on SoS just before Wayne goes for his... Uncomfortable visit with Allriandre, and in the greater context of the scene, I definitely think it's just a joke.

Quote

“It’s the first of the month,” Wayne said.
“Ah. I had forgotten. You don’t need to go every month.”
“I do.”
Wax studied him, as if waiting for a further comment or wisecrack. Wayne said nothing. This was actually serious. Slowly, Wax nodded. “I see. Then why haven’t you left yet?”
“Well, you know,” Wayne said. “It’s like I often say…”
“Greet every morning with a smile. That way it won’t know what you’re planning to do to it?”
“No, not that one.”
“Until you know it ain’t true, treat every woman like she has an older brother what is stronger than you are?”
“No, not … Wait, I said that?”
“Yes,” Wax said, turning back to his notes. “It was a very chivalrous moment for you.”
“Rusts. I should really write these things down.”
“I believe that is another thing you often say.” Wax made a notation. “Unfortunately, you’d first have to learn how to write.”
“Now, that’s unfair,” Wayne said, walking over to Wax’s desk and poking around in its drawers. “I can write—I know four whole letters, and one’s not even in my name!”
Wax smiled. “Are you going to tell me what you always say?”
Wayne found a bottle in the bottom drawer and lifted it up, dropping in the lace he’d taken from outside as a replacement. “If you’re going to have to do something awful, stop by Wax’s room and trade for some of his rum first.”
“I don’t believe you’ve ever said that.”
“I just did.” Wayne took a gulp of the rum.
“I…” Wax frowned. “I have no response to that."

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just rereading Bands of Morning, and after the fight in the train, Wax tells Steris that Wayne actually likes reading... Though admittedly mostly books with pictures.

This is then confirmed with the next sentance saying that it is amusing to listen to Wayne make voices when he reads out loud.  And he says that Wayne usually reads out loud.  With Wayne around Steris and Wax so much in the 6 months between books 2 and 3, if Wayne learned to read during that time, and Wax knew enough about Wayne's habit to read out loud, I think Steris also should have known.  Which she didn't, as she acts surprised when she is told.  So this is probably information that Wax has had since before Steris and he were involved.

This was in a completely serious conversation, so I doubt it was a joke.

Edited by Furamirionind
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To add to what @Calderis et al. have said regarding it being being a joke and Wayne in fact being able to write; In addition to the above mentioned bandit hideout address (@Silva), he also writes a short note to Ranette in the notebook he gives her when he is "breaking up" with her.

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When I read the 3 books serially a few months ago this situation also bothered me. However, it does fit quite well with their rhetoric and partnership.

Obviously he knows 'how' to write but it seems he either doesn't like to or isn't very good at it. I take the conversation now to be Wayne teasing Wax and Wax coming back at Wayne.

It's similar to how they portray their roles as Wax being the planner/investigator with Wayne being the foolhardy thug. They are both more than capable of each others' jobs, but they just gravitate towards and present the roles they prefer.

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I think it's pure sarcasm and that Wayne has no problems with writing or reading.  I've had conversations like this with people.  Between friends, making offhanded jokes about their intelligence, or lack thereof, never has any "Truth" to it.  If one of my friends who were as close to me as Wayne and Wax are had an actual physical problem, I would never make light of it like that.  But I would if it had no basis in truth and I was just teasing him.  

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  • 10 months later...

It’s actually quite possible for him to read but not write. I was reading for years before I could write - because I wasn’t taught to form letters until Kindergarten/Pre 1-A, but had been reading since age two. (Interestingly, this means I learned to read using the Whole Language method, as I didn’t learn phonetics until much later.)

Historically, quite a few people could read, but not write. They are different skills. Reading is about memorizing patterns (tehre is a roasen we don’t need to snuod out eervy wrod, and why you cluod pbrolaby flolow tihs esaliy.) https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.iflscience.com/brain/our-brain-sees-known-words-pictures/

Writing requires repetition and fine motor skills - and the steel alphabet isn’t the easiest to write! Furthermore, writing requires breaking words down into their component letters AND forming words in sequential order. (The brain reads from outside in.) It’s the reverse of reading, in many ways.

It’s likely that Wayne is a self taught reader, who learned later in life. Like many skills learned in adulthood, it is harder for him than for someone who learned as a child. He simply hasn’t had enough practice and, likely, doesn’t enjoy it enough to go out of his way to do so.

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