Part of Adolin's Arc WRECKED me.

[Serack he/him]

There is a portion of Adolin's Arc in Wind and Truth that speaks to my life in a way that had me put the book down and cry for several minutes.

For some context, let me quote some stuff wrote back in 2018 after Oathbringer in a reddit post

Quote

 

Teft, and to a lesser degree Dalinar’s arc are tough on me for a reason different than most.

I am the son of an alcoholic self described “black sheep.” My father wasn’t necessarily abusive, just irresponsible, immature, and kinda self absorbed. All the times he has let me down as a child and later as an adult leave me numb, but with an inner core that is strangely vulnerable when that numbness is breached.

I lack faith that my father will ever have enough self awareness to truly redeem himself, and a large portion of my identity is wrapped up in not falling into the addictive traps he did, and maintaining an apathy towards him to avoid the pain of future let downs or of examining the past.

So seeing a character like Teft’s pain and his struggle to contribute in a positive way despite the struggle rubs against a wound that runs deep.

Perhaps Sanderson can have an Al-Anon style character’s struggle speak to me in a way Teft’s arc speaks to others. Some of the expected POVs seem to possibly lean that way. The idea leaves me hopeful and a little bit scared.

 

In a response I wrote more specifically about myself and potential parallels to Adolin:

Quote

 

My mother, a very religious woman, instilled in me the doctrine that I was to respect my father. At the same time, growing up seeing the pain the marriage caused in the mother I loved so much is what branded into my soul the need to avoid alcohol.

The cracks weren't really visible, I had even hidden them from myself. Until I was 18 and was examining how to incorporate my religious upbringing with the rest of my life experiences. That's when my father had another spectacular failure. It caused me to finally examine how this man who had never been there for me and had caused so much pain to the family he was supposed to be a loving support to was actually not worthy of any of the respect I had been conditioned to give him. My world shattered.

20 years later, with kids of my own, my faith still smolders in a wreck. Occasionally I bring it out and poke it to see if I can get pieces to fit back together.

So I can see a part of how Adolin could be conditioned by his society, mother, and religion to revere his father anyways... I fear his own pain when trying to piece back together a smoldering wreck of self identity when he finally is forced by some circumstance to reconcile the image of the father he reveres and tries to emulate, with the reality of who his father was.

 

The parts of Adolin's arc that hit home for this lived experience are spread out over multiple chapters, 125, 128 which hit hardest, and a little in 133.  Reflecting on them would probably just end up being a quote fest, and I've already got enough of that from my own writings above... but I really, really felt seen and represented in this book.  

Edited December 19, 2024 by Serack