Autonomous Shallan

[seriodor]

I'm gonna say this is less a theory than my brain snagging on something. I've always thought Shallan had a bunch of weird stuff about her character that implies she's more than she seems, other than the stuff we already know. One of the things that has always stuck out to me is the way her disassociated identity disorder seems to be magical. Her personalities have too much life, and especially this book Veil acts in a way that really just doesn't seem like a mental illness alone. I was considering what the nature of her situation is when my mind remembered someone else in the Cosmere who does the same thing, Autonomy. Autonomy splits off entire personas that act independently as gods on whatever planet she invests. Autonomy is the Sand Lord, and Patji in a way that seems really similar to the way Shallan is Veil and Radiant. I was thinking that maybe Shallan is someone that Autonomy invested just a little to keep an eye on things on Roshar. It wouldn't even be that hard to do, because Autonomy can invest anywhere the light from the Taldain sun shines, even if it's only as a star. 

[Ixthos]

8 hours ago, seriodor said:

I'm gonna say this is less a theory than my brain snagging on something. I've always thought Shallan had a bunch of weird stuff about her character that implies she's more than she seems, other than the stuff we already know. One of the things that has always stuck out to me is the way her disassociated identity disorder seems to be magical. Her personalities have too much life, and especially this book Veil acts in a way that really just doesn't seem like a mental illness alone. I was considering what the nature of her situation is when my mind remembered someone else in the Cosmere who does the same thing, Autonomy. Autonomy splits off entire personas that act independently as gods on whatever planet she invests. Autonomy is the Sand Lord, and Patji in a way that seems really similar to the way Shallan is Veil and Radiant. I was thinking that maybe Shallan is someone that Autonomy invested just a little to keep an eye on things on Roshar. It wouldn't even be that hard to do, because Autonomy can invest anywhere the light from the Taldain sun shines, even if it's only as a star. 

I was thinking Shallan and Autonomy were similar, but for different reasons. I don't think Shallan is related to Autonomy in setting, but rather related to Autonomy storytelling wise - that is Shallan is a mirror to Bavadin. I think Bavadin was also a lightweaver of the Yolan type, and that they developed multiple personalities because of their lightweaving just like Shallan. Only now I think Shallan is showing someone who combined their different faces, while Bavadin embraced their distinctions.

If she does leave Roshar, I imagine Shallan would be interested in Autonomy, and Autonomy in her, but I don't think Autonomy directly had a hand in shaping her.