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How did Vin Snap


spiegel

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'What made him choose this girl? Was it because she was a Mistborn? Was it because she had Snapped so early in life, coming to her powers even as she went through the pains of the unusually difficult labor her mother went through to bear her?'

 

Here's the exact quote, that indeed says she Snapped at her birth. (It's also in the epigraph of the epilogue, ironically)

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I assume that any number of things can go wrong with a birth. Perhaps Vin was born with her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck? That could have come close to killing her.

Indeed that's probably most likely to have happened. But like you said, any number of things could have happened. Perhaps because noblemen are supposed to kill their Skaa mistresses to prevent half-breeds and such, maybe her mother was beaten near death (and was assumed dead) following the conception, and she didn't fully recover and thus didn't have sufficient strength or had some sort of impediment preventing her from a smooth labour 

 

EDIT: It's often mentioned that unstable people are easier for Ruin to influence, perhaps a severe beating would have left her less mentally stable and helped Ruin influence her into killing Vin's sister.

Edited by Shadowspren
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Random question:

 

Has Vin's sister ever been named? I can't remember what age she was when their mother killed her, so maybe their mom didn't bother to name her... I'm just curious if Brandon has ever answered this. Minor point, and pretty sure it won't yield any massive cosmere revelations, but still... something I'm curious about.

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The first time it's described, Vin says, "She killed my sister. Messily." and for a while I thought that meant "Messily" was her sister's name; somehow I didn't actually realize it was a word, not just a collection of sounds. A fridge revelation, there.

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I don't know much about childbirth, can the baby be killed by the delivery itself due to complications?

It usually takes near-death for people of noble blood to snap.

Indeed, it can and does happen, though fortunately far less often in our modern world now.  It used to be more common for mother or child (or both) to not survive childbirth.

 

That said, I don't think it actually does take near-death for snapping.  I think it takes a fear of death, which even a newborn (or in this case, partially-born) child can feel even if they don't understand any of the reason, but that the nobles always took it that far because they never knew whether the child would snap, and they didn't want to leave any chance that they simply didn't do enough.

 

jW

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I'm fairly sure, but not positive, that Snapping was caused by any extreme emotion, but doesn't necessarily have to be fear or pain (Those are just the easiest).

It is in fact such as Kelsier was snapped by the emotional pain of the death of his wife.

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I'm fairly sure, but not positive, that Snapping was caused by any extreme emotion, but doesn't necessarily have to be fear or pain (Those are just the easiest).

True, fear of death was the alternative in that particular approach, but it does seem to be emotional extremes.  I wonder, though, is there something more specific, perhaps tied to Preservation's Intent, that might be part of that, beyond just being extreme emotions?

 

jW

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True, fear of death was the alternative in that particular approach, but it does seem to be emotional extremes.  I wonder, though, is there something more specific, perhaps tied to Preservation's Intent, that might be part of that, beyond just being extreme emotions?

 

jW

Maybe it's more an extreme desire to save someone or something. Your own life, Kelsier's wife, that sort of thing. Something you desperately want to protect, or preserve.

Edited by 02ranger
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I am not sure of the exact words.

 

But Brandon (or Sazed) says that the Snapping is quite "choosing Preservation". So probably is a psychic outcome in front of a huge stress, to give up or resist (ruin or Preservation).

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Kay... wording might be important. Was it something he said in the first book, when he was just a guy in the world, musing philosophically, not necessarily right?

Sure, but I don't think that come from the first or second book, because Preservation isn't know to anyone except Lord Ruler, Kandra, Ruin and (maybe) Inquisitor.

But I couldn't remember if this words came from a in-book characters or Brandon :(

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  • 3 weeks later...

The first time it's described, Vin says, "She killed my sister. Messily." and for a while I thought that meant "Messily" was her sister's name; somehow I didn't actually realize it was a word, not just a collection of sounds. A fridge revelation, there.

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Not related to the original question, but I am pretty sure that Vin's sister was a misting seeker and her 'messy' death was the result of the mother's creating a hemalurgic spike (aka Vin's earing)...

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