[OB] Stormlight Reread & Shallan Character Analysis

[Alderant she/her]

Hey everyone!

After some much needed distance from the books and world of Roshar, I am diving back in from the very beginning and reading through to the end of Oathbringer. Unlike the 7 or 8 times I’ve read the first two books, where I did so for the pure pleasure of it, this time I am rereading with a specific purpose in mind: an in-depth analysis of one of the most confusing and unreliable characters in Stormlight, also known as Shallan Davar.

Before I get started, I want to thank those of you who have welcomed me onto the Shard and liked my posts up until now. I have really come to enjoy the Shard, and it's nice to talk about the Cosmere with those who care about it as much as, or more, than I do. Special thanks go to @SLNC, who frequently is able to phrase things I am trying to say in a more concise and direct way, especially when my posts are nearly half a page (on here) long. I'd also like to thank @Fifth of Daybreak, who helped me immensely in developing my "forum voice" and was willing to carry on a rather lengthy debate and call me out when I was getting too heated, without ever making me feel like my thoughts were insignificant. @maxal has also frequently been a rational and contrary voice that explains the opposite side of the fence from me in coherent and well-thought out replies, which is crucial in any effective discussion.

Let me preface this analysis by saying that this is a project I have wanted to tackle for a long time. Originally, I intended to do this as a set-up for Oathbringer, but with the birth of my second daughter and complications after, I ran out of time. Then, I planned on doing this immediately after my first read-through of Oathbringer, but other things in life and my own mental state after reading the book forced it to be put on hold until I could be at a place where I could approach this from a more neutral ground.

As a little bit of background, when I first read through The Way of Kings, I fell in love with the character of Shallan almost instantly. As an artist myself who has often lived on the side of the fence where I never seem to fit in, no matter how I changed myself or what I did, she resonated with me and spoke to me in a way that almost no other character in any fiction has ever done. Her sense of humor is right up my alley, and having been raised in a somewhat sheltered environment, I see a lot of myself in this character, and the more I read The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance, the more I grew fascinated with her story and how she came to be. Then I read Oathbringer, and her story was hard for me to read, but not because it was tedious or boring, but rather because in a small way, it mirrored something I went through in high school. I love the character--in fact, I believe I actually love her more now than before--but with the chaotic mess that was Shallan in Oathbringer, I believe this is now the right time for this analysis to occur.

In some part, this analysis was inspired by @maxal, whose analysis of Adolin pre-Oathbringer was one of the motivating factors in my joining the Shard in the first place. I’ve also observed, as I’ve seen many people comment on the character, that a large majority of readers have a difficult time liking or understanding the character, and some skip her chapters entirely. As Shallan is by far my most favorite character in the entire Cosmere, my hope is that through this analysis I can bring some of what I find intriguing and fun about this character to everyone else. The inconsistency and unreliability of the narrator are only part of the fun.

As I progress through this read-through, I will be making a bunch of notes privately, that will probably be completely incomprehensible to anyone else. If you really want to see them, ask and I will post them; however, I will revise those notes into a coherent document that will be updated as I read. During my analysis, I will focus on a few things about the character. Yes, there will be a little bit of analysis of the shipping involved (be warned), but I will strive my hardest to approach it from a neutral ground and point out the good and the bad, as I see it, on both sides.

Other aspects of Shallan’s character that I will focus on and try to analyze and explain are:

• How her past (as it is mentioned in the text) has influenced the narrator we’re reading.
• Modern influences on the character of Shallan and how that affects the narrator we're reading.
• Mental jiggery-pokery, or in other words, her mental side-stepping habits, and the immediate and long-lasting ramifications of it.
• Contradictions in the narrator’s voice, and why those contradictions are occurring.
• Comparisons between Shallan and Kaladin, with respects to interests, mannerisms, interactions, and mental states
• Comparisons between Shallan and Adolin, with respects to interests, mannerisms, interactions, and mental states
  • I should note that comparisons between Shallan and the two boys will occur primarily from Shallan's standing. My reasons for the view I have comes entirely from the standpoint of Shallan as a character, not from whether or not I think Kaladin is a better match or Adolin is. As I said, I will try hard to be impartial in my analysis here, and will try to stay away from my opinions on Kaladin or Adolin, generally.
    SIDE NOTE: I like both of them and I like both of them for her, and for different reasons. I just happen to think one is better than the other, but that is neither here nor there.
• Comparisons between Shallan and Wayne (from Mistborn Era 2)
  • There are some similarities between what Wayne and Shallan do, and also some stark differences on how those actions affect their mental states.

And I’m sure there are other topics that will come up as I read. If there’s something about the character that you feel I haven’t mentioned that you would like included in the analysis, please let me know and I will do my best to incorporate it. If you have thoughts on something I've written, tell me. Discussion is encouraged--I merely am hoping that this will help to make Shallan a more enjoyable character for everyone. One thing I do ask, however, is to stay away from flippant and antagonistic comments--to disagree with me is okay, and it doesn't matter to me if we never agree.

On that note…here we go. Let's start The Way of Kings again.

EDIT: At @Jofwu's suggestion, I'm including the text from the document below the chapters for ease of discussion (also for indexing, as @Vissy recommended), but I will also have a comprehensive document that keeps track of changes to Shallan over the course of the books.

The big document: WayofKings Shallan Character Analysis.docx

Chapter 3 - City of Bells:

Spoiler

Chapter 3 – City of Bells

 

Foreshadowing

 There are three pieces of foreshadowing in Chapter 3 that are interesting to me. The first is this, in the first paragraph:

“Though she had often dreamed of travelling, she’d expected to spend her early life sequestered in her family’s manor, only escaping through the books in her father’s library. She’d expected to marry one of her father’s allies, then spend the rest of her life sequestered in his manor, but expectations were like fine pottery—the harder you held them, the more likely they were to crack.”

When I first read this book, I thought simply that this was just one of the many ways Brandon indicated Shallan’s artistic personality. Having read as much as I have now, however, this single sentence is a foreboding foreshadow of her character’s arc thus far.

The second piece of foreshadowing is a little bit later, as Shallan is about to disembark The Wind’s Pleasure:

“Words aren’t meant to be kept inside, you see; they’re free creatures, and if locked away will unsettle the stomach.” –Tozbek, to Shallan

Again, this is an interesting piece of foreshadowing, since her main problems later on stem from the fact that she refuses to talk about her problems.

I will tell you the third later in this document.

What this chapter teaches us about Shallan:

·         Expectations are absolutely crucial and central to her character

Throughout her first chapter, she continually uses language to reinforce the idea that she does what is expected of her. For example, she tells the captain Tozbek after their repartee about her beauty that “Young women should not act in such an irritable way.” As she leaves the ship, walking down the gangplank, she tells us of the Vorin tradition of a safehand, and what’s interesting is the wording she uses:

“Like all Vorin women, she kept her left hand—her safehand—covered, exposing only her freehand. Common dark-eyed women could wear a glove, but a woman of her rank was expected to show more modesty than that.”

Furthermore, she frequently associates Vorin beliefs and traditions with the idea of propriety, as when she witnesses many light-eyed women entering and exiting the Conclave of Kharbranth and remarking that they all have their safehands “properly cuffed”.

This tells us that Shallan is incredibly concerned with not just how she is expected to behave, but with propriety in general.

·         Her Vorin beliefs have led her to be critical of non-Vorin ideas, and this is likely the result of a sheltered upbringing.

 This is only minorly hinted at in her first chapter, and I imagine this is more of a source of her upbringing (inherited prejudice) rather than an actual disdain for alternative ideas. That is not to say that she is antagonistic to those not of her faith—she calls Tozbek kind and admires Jasnah, but in her internalogue she remarks that Tozbek is pagan, and every time she mentions Jasnah she associates the woman with the word “heretic”.

To further this claim, she is made uncomfortable when she witnesses Tozbek holding books, as reading is considered by Vorin culture to be a “feminine” art, and views men reading as unnatural (unless those men are ardents). Her remarks about the light-eyed women being “properly cuffed” and wondering if Jasnah would require her to renounce her faith, doubting she could do so in the process, as a requisite for wardship all lend to this idea that Shallan is, while not openly critical and hostile, at least lives with some prejudice against those of Non-Vorin ideologies.

Even at this early stage, there is grounds for attributing this to her sheltered upbringing. Raised in rural Jah Keved, far away from the political centers of the world, we have numerous examples within Chapter 3 that she has lived a sheltered life:

·         She remarks on how other races and clothing styles are exotic

·         She describes Kharbranth as “intoxicatingly rich, with strange people, sights, and ringing bells”

·         She  describes herself as quiet, timid, sheltered, and protected

·         Shallan is conscientious of her place in society and aware of her own importance, though demonstrates a habit of belittling herself in the presence of others.

This is a twofold point. Upon her arrival in Kharbranth, we learn that she has been chasing Jasnah Kholin for several months by this point, each time arriving where Jasnah had been, just after the woman had left. I think most people would be frustrated by this and choose to give up; Shallan, on the other hand, understands that she is far less important than a king’s sister, and instead of frustration or anger at Jasnah she states that Jasnah’s departures were because she “wasn’t important enough” for Jasnah to wait.

On the flip side, however, as a light-eyed young woman of rank, when Yalb brings a porter to take her to the conclave, she’s surprised, noting that she expected a palanquin—a method, we learn later from the Alethi warcamps, that many highborn lighteyed women use to travel, rather than walk.

Unfortunately, Shallan’s awareness of her importance does not carry over to self-confidence about herself. Rather than fixing a price with the porter, as many more confident nobles would have done, she asks Yalb what she should pay. When conversing with Tozbek, her exchange of dialogue with him indicates that she doesn’t find herself desirable, stating that young men her age stay away from her, that her presence is prone to making men irritable, and that Tozbek’s (and by extension the sailors’) “gentle flirtations” were “a kind, if overstated, mark of affection.” She then goes on to describe herself thusly:

“She was pale-skinned, in an era where Alethi tan was seen as the mark of true beauty, and though she had light blue eyes, her impure family line was manifest in her auburn-red hair: not a single lock of proper black. Her freckles had faded as she reached young womanhood, Heralds be blessed, but there were still some visible dusting her cheeks and nose.”

Adding further to this idea that she lacks self-confidence is the knowledge and dialogue that she holds back her thoughts because they are improper or things that a young woman “shouldn’t” say, blushing when she acts with what she perceives to be impropriety, such as in her repartee with Tozbek or in treating Yalb as though he had been a master servant. Even her posture indicates a lack of self-confidence and a reservation or closing off to others in the way she carries her portfolio/sketchbook: she carries it pressed to her chest by her safehand, rather than carrying it in the crook of her arm or at her side as a more open or outgoing person might do.

·         Though Shallan has lived a sheltered and sequestered life, as she expected to do, she finds a sense of freedom and liberation in being on her own.

However, just because she lacks self-confidence does not mean that she is not audacious and adventurous in spirit. In just the first paragraph, she states: “Though she had often dreamed of travelling,” and later on in the chapter she finds being on her own to be “liberating,” “daunting, yet wonderful,” and that her worries about her family’s situation are balanced by the “sheer delight of experience.”

Further, rather than being afraid of the new environment, as most who have spent a majority of their life sequestered or sheltered usually are, she is fascinated by the new sights and sounds, filling her descriptions with internalogue about the design, color, and detail of what she witnesses.

Other aspects of her personality:

“She hated being duplicitous”

When she gets going, she gets very sarcastic and witty, not leaving much room for the other person to speak

Motivations

As of this point in time, the only motivation we have been given about Shallan is that her house’s financial state is bad:

“They either needed a spectacular infusion of wealth or some other edge in local Veden house politics, otherwise they wouldn’t last the year.”

Evidence of Mental Jiggery-Pokery

Shallan puts on a mask when about in society. It’s a subtle mask, but one that is concerned with propriety because of expectation. However, the biggest and most glaring reference is this seemingly innocent sentence near the end of the chapter:

“Their father was dead, and it was vital that remain a secret. She didn’t like to think of that day; she all but blocked it from her mind and trained herself to think of other things, but the effect of his loss could not be ignored.”

Right here, at the end, we are told that Shallan has grown adept at ignoring problems from her past, though in a first reading this sentence is easily overlooked—who doesn’t do this, after losing a loved one? With knowledge of Shallan from farther down the road, however, we learn that is this is a very clever piece of foreshadowing.

Art and Science

At this stage of her development, we learn that Shallan loves art. She filled three whole sketchbooks with the drawings of the people and creatures she had seen since leaving Vedenar, and that her likeness of Tozbek’s wife is considered high-quality enough to be mounted in the captain’s room. We also know that a part of her, the artist within her, wanted to linger at the entrance to the Conclave and study the decorative carvings. She even used to admire spheres for their beauty, rather than their monetary value, and “couldn’t resist” opening her portfolio to sketch a pouncing skyeel while waiting for Yalb to return with the porter.

We also learn, however, that Shallan doesn’t do art for the sake of art, but rather out of an intense desire to study and observe. She tells us that she chose “Natural History” as her calling rather than art, because it was the study and questions raised through observation that truly interested her and drove her to draw. Of note to this also is that the bulk of her three sketchbooks are of people and creatures, rather than of structures or interpretations of religious and/or cultural events.

Shipping

There are very little comparisons to draw as of yet, and we probably won’t encounter the bulk of them until Words of Radiance and Oathbringer.

Chapter 5 - Heretic:

Spoiler

Chapter 5 – Heretic

 

Foreshadowing

I didn’t notice any explicit examples of foreshadowing in this chapter, character-wise, but there is an interesting note I want to point out here, as we know it has lasting ramifications on Shallan:

Chapter 5 is when we learn that both Shallan’s mother and stepmother have both died prior to this point. In two chapters, we’ve been informed that three presumably important authority figures in her life, her father, her mother, and her stepmother, are all dead. So while it may not exactly be foreshadowing, it does indicate that Shallan’s story is not as light-hearted as her internalogue would lead us to believe.

What this chapter teaches us about Shallan:

·         When around people of authority, or those of a perceived higher status than hereself, Shallan uses a markedly different manner of speaking than when she is amongst those of lower rank.

It’s interesting to contrast the way Shallan speaks to Jasnah or the king with the way she speaks to Yalb or Tozbek in chapter 3. Upon meeting Jasnah Kholin, Shallan uses extremely polite, almost discoursal language. For example:

“Brightness,” Shallan said, “I am Shallan Davar, whom you asked to meet you. I deeply regret not being able to get to you in Dumadari.” (Speaking to Jasnah)

“This is for you,” Shallan said… “It’s partially out of thanks, but is also to pay you to stay here and wait for a few hours, in case I return.” (Speaking to Yalb outside the Conclave)

I suspect the further along in the book we go, the more we’ll see this kind of contrast appear in her language and in greater magnitude, but I could be wrong. Granted, part of this change in language could be due to the fact that she is extremely anxious upon meeting Jasnah for the first time, as her internalogue indicates the anxiety recedes some when she learns Jasnah is not angry for her inability to join Jasnah in Dumadari.

·         Shallan has a difficult time maintaining a level head when she is put off balance or when someone is abrasive toward her.

She has difficulty switching from singing to language because she is trying to remember the next line.

She also gets a bit snippy when Jasnah condemns Shallan’s educational background:

“Reasonable? Your demands are about as reasonable as the ones made of the ten Heralds on Proving Day! With all due respect, Brightness, you seem to want potential wards to be master scholars already. I may be able to find a pair of eighty-year-old ardents in the city who might meet your requirements. They could interview for the position, though they may have trouble hearing enough to answer your questions.”

                (Bolded for emphasis)

However, this sharp wit does not appear to be out of insult or desire to cut down an opponent, as another might have reacted. Instead, this appears to be more of a razored extension of her humor. This is further indicated when Jasnah rebukes her, and she realizes her faults and admits and apologizes for them, and then returns to her earlier, more polite discourse.

·         Although Shallan believes herself to be timid, she’s actually quite bold.

I know this point will be further reinforced in later chapters, but quotes like:

“[She would] not give up until Jasnah was forced to truss her up in chains and have the authorities drag her away.”

Or

“Six months ago, she had explained a desperate plan to her brothers: she would apprentice herself to Jasnah Kholin, scholar, heretic. Not for the education, not for the prestige, but in order to learn where she kept her soulcaster, and then Shallan would steal it.”

These quotes, nor the fact that she tries to assert to Jasnah that she hasn’t finished her assessment of Shallan, do not indicate the timid, frightful girl she believes herself to be. She might lack self-confidence, but she appears to have no problems with being audacious, which is an interesting dichotomy to have in a character. I believe this will have an even greater impact later on, as she doesn’t seem to realize the truth about who she truly is even here.

·         On Shallan and expectations:

We have another example of Shallan’s thoughts on the expectations demanded of a lighteyed woman of rank when she says

                “Tantrums, Brightness? From a lighteyed woman?”

·         On Shallan’s judgemental nature:

Shallan is openly surprised that Jasnah Kholin, a heretic, is attractive:

“Shallan had not expected Jasnah Kholin to be so beautiful. It was a stately, mature beauty, as one might find in the portrait of some historical scholar. Shallan realized that she’d naively been expecting Jasnah to be an ugly spinster, like the stern matrons who had tutored her years ago. How else could one picture a heretic well into her mid-thirties and still unmarried?”

Shallan is shocked by the revelation that Jasnah has been petitioned 12 times, and states that she had assumed Jasnah wouldn’t have had that many due to her “antagonism toward the devotaries.” Also, she remarks this little gem:

“How it must grate on the ardents that such a powerful, holy relic was in the hands of someone outside the ardentia, and a heretic no less.”

·         Finally, on Shallan’s lack of self-confidence:

Shallan exhibits a marked amount of awareness with respect to her own appearance versus Jasnah. Upon seeing Jasnah the first time, she describes Jasnah in very elegant terms, praising the areas where Shallan deems herself deficient, such as in Jasnah having a fuller chest than Shallan.

Other aspects of her personality:

(Chapter 5 additions are bolded)

·         “She hated being duplicitous”

·         When she gets going, she gets very sarcastic and witty, not leaving much room for the other person to speak

·         Expectations are absolutely crucial and central to her character

·         Her Vorin beliefs have led her to be critical of non-Vorin ideas, and this is likely the result of a sheltered upbringing.

·         Shallan is conscientious of her place in society and aware of her own importance, though demonstrates a habit of belittling herself in the presence of others.

·         Though Shallan has lived a sheltered and sequestered life, as she expected to do, she finds a sense of freedom and liberation in being on her own.

·         She feels the urge to cry when frustrated

·         She views herself from six months ago as a child, stating that “things had changed. She had changed” since then.

Motivations

We have an expansion on the knowledge of what is motivating her to act: her family’s financial state, due to her father’s demise, has prompted her to attempt to ward herself to Jasnah Kholin in an attempt to steal Jasnah’s soulcaster.

The moment Jasnah’s soulcaster is revealed, Shallan takes an intense interest in it, and at the sight of it her “heart began to beat a little faster,” and she reveals that they had discovered on in her father’s coat, presumably following her demise, and when Jasnah dismisses her from potential wardship, Shallan states that if she fails, her house will fall.

Evidence of Mental Jiggery-Pokery

One could argue that Shallan puts on a mask for Jasnah, due to the change in language, though evidence supporting that idea is limited to there. Personally, I think this is more of an aspect to her personality, rather than evidence of her mental jiggery-pokery.

Art and Science

Continuing in the same vein as in Chapter 3, Shallan’s descriptions are vivid. We also learn that she takes pride in her artistic ability, stating to Jasnah that those who know her consider her glyphwords  to be “quite impressive,” that she is most accomplished in drawing and painting, and tells Jasnah:

“Many consider the visual arts the most refined of them all. I brought my portfolio—I would show you what I can do.”

Shipping

Still no comparisons to draw as of yet.

 

Edited February 24, 2018 by Alderant

[GarrethGrey]

Very much looking forward to this! I am also someone who fell in love with Shallan in the first two books, and think BS has done a fantastic job crafting such a complex character. Although I did struggle with her in OB (still love her, but she was tough to read in this one at times) and I haven't been able to jump into a reread myself (OB kind of put a damper on the series for me at the moment), it will be fantastic to get your perspective on her character after a Shallan focused reread of the series. Good luck! And can't wait to see your thoughts and analysis 

Edited February 22, 2018 by GarrethGrey
Edit

[Bort he/him]

Congratulations @Alderant you've actually managed to convince me to subscribe to a thread. That doesn't normally happen, but I am really interested in seeing your analysis.

[BraidedRose]

I’m looking forward to this as well! My feelings on Shallan pretty much echo @GarrethGrey as expressed above. Very interested in your analysis.

[Alderant she/her]

Okay! Shallan's first chapter, Chapter 3, is up!

[BraidedRose]

Great start! I like the organization and your discussion definitely brought the chapter back to my mind well.

Interesting that so far all of Shallan’s lack of confidence seems to be of the kind that could be directly attributed to her isolated Vorin upbringing. From some of the examples you pointed out: not setting a price with a porter would probably be because she has no idea what is appropriate (or at least in Karbranth), disliking her own looks because they don’t fit the Alethi (dominant Vorin culture) ideal. We know later that she has far more traumatic reasons to have a lack of self confidence but none of that seems apparent yet, indicating that she is already very skilled at burying anything she doesn’t want to think about.

The line about her hating to be duplicitous is curious. Nothing else you discussed in the chapter seems to support that statement. By the end of OB this statement does not fit her at all. I wonder if it truly is an accurate statement at this point but changes over time or if even then she in fact loves being duplicitous so much that she doesn’t even realize it.

[Alderant she/her]

1 hour ago, BraidedRose said:

Great start! I like the organization and your discussion definitely brought the chapter back to my mind well.

Interesting that so far all of Shallan’s lack of confidence seems to be of the kind that could be directly attributed to her isolated Vorin upbringing. From some of the examples you pointed out: not setting a price with a porter would probably be because she has no idea what is appropriate (or at least in Karbranth), disliking her own looks because they don’t fit the Alethi (dominant Vorin culture) ideal. We know later that she has far more traumatic reasons to have a lack of self confidence but none of that seems apparent yet, indicating that she is already very skilled at burying anything she doesn’t want to think about.

The line about her hating to be duplicitous is curious. Nothing else you discussed in the chapter seems to support that statement. By the end of OB this statement does not fit her at all. I wonder if it truly is an accurate statement at this point but changes over time or if even then she in fact loves being duplicitous so much that she doesn’t even realize it.

Yeah, I thought that was curious as well. I'm sticking that one on my "keeping this under observation" board, for the exact reasons you pointed out. Doing this in-depth analysis really kind of brings things to the forefront I'd never really thought about before.

As to the organization, thanks! I try really hard to make my thoughts coherent. Would it be easier in your opinion to have a separate document for each chapter, or to continue on in the same document and note any changes that appear in a different color or font or something?

[Dreamstorm]

@Alderant Loved the first chapter.  I especially loved the foreshadowing about cracked pottery; absolutely brilliant how that gets picked up 2.5 books later!  I'll be curious to see how you tie later things in as you get to them. 

20 minutes ago, Alderant said:

Would it be easier in your opinion to have a separate document for each chapter, or to continue on in the same document and note any changes that appear in a different color or font or something?

On this, because I think some of your thoughts on later chapters may influence how you think about items in earlier chapters, maybe easier to put in one document and highlight what is new in an earlier chapter?  But honestly whatever is easiest for you.  This is a big project, and thank you for sharing with all of us.  Can't wait to read!

[Vissy]

Ahh, love the analysis so far. Nice formatting too.

[BraidedRose]

1 hour ago, Alderant said:

Would it be easier in your opinion to have a separate document for each chapter, or to continue on in the same document and note any changes that appear in a different color or font or something?

One point in favor of keeping it in one document (especially for you) is that it would make it easier to search, which may become helpful once it inevitably gets long. But I agree with what others said, if you find it easier another way, no complaints here!

[Vissy]

Would prefer separate documents with a table of contents to unify them all in the OP. Clear and simple.

[Jofwu he/him]

Really good stuff Alderant!

Would you also mind posting in the forum each time? Would be easier to quote that way, for discussion. Maybe behind spoiler tag so the length is removed.

[Alderant she/her]

2 minutes ago, Jofwu said:

Really good stuff Alderant!

Would you also mind posting in the forum each time? Would be easier to quote that way, for discussion. Maybe behind spoiler tag so the length is removed.

Uhh sure! Maybe I'll do both. That way I can have a document that tracks changes to her personality, as well as the ability to nest the chapters by book.

[Calderis he/him]

@Alderant thank you for structuring this in the way you have. I'll admit I was wary at first, but the fact that you have a detailed breakdown of the character and her motivations and foreshadowing, and have a section at the end specifically for the shipping aspects of your detail make me actually want to continue reading this. 

I'm so used to the focus being on ships here that it's very nice to see an actual character analysis in which the ship is only one of many facets. 

 

Edited February 24, 2018 by Calderis

[Alderant she/her]

1 hour ago, Calderis said:

@Alderant thank you for structuring this in the way you have. I'll admit I was wary at first, but the fact that you have a detailed breakdown of the character and her motivations and foreshadowing, and have a section at the end specifically for the shipping aspects of your detail make me actually want to continue reading this. 

I'm so used to the focus being on ships here that it's very nice to see an actual character analysis in which the ship is only one of many facets. 

 

Thanks. I think she’s a really complex character, and deserves the time and effort, but I also think that any analysis of her without at least mentioning the shipping would be to leave something out. As I said in the OP though, I’ll try to keep it as uncontentious as possible on my part. I appreciate having you on here for the discussion!

Edited February 24, 2018 by Alderant

[Calderis he/him]

16 minutes ago, Alderant said:

Thanks. I think she’s a really complex character, and deserves the time and effort, but I also think that any analysis of her without at least mentioning the shipping would be to leave something out. As I said in the OP though, I’ll try to keep it as uncontentious as possible on my part. I appreciate having you on here for the discussion!

I don't disagree with that statement at all. It existing doesn't bother me. It overshadowing the character is what does. Which is why I said thank you. 

[Fifth of Daybreak he/him]

Can't wait to read more!!

 

Edited February 24, 2018 by Fifth of Daybreak

[Alderant she/her]

Chapter 5 is up!

[Calderis he/him]

10 minutes ago, Alderant said:

Chapter 5 is up!

I agree, no direct foreshadowing in this chapter, but more mounting evidence of the mental schism she places on herself. Denial of her past is both overtly mentioned in chapter three, and with knowledge of future events to see these things in context, the lies she tells herself are already apparent. She's not the timid creature she tells herself she is, but she believes she should be. 

Mmm, lies. 

[Vissy]

20 minutes ago, Alderant said:

Chapter 5 is up!

Good read. It's really useful to read your analysis, as I can refine my image of Shallan as a character and let it evolve. It also gives me a chance to re-read Shallan's parts in WoK and WoR! I admit I wasn't a fan of her chapters when I initially read the trilogy, so this is a good opportunity to fix that.

Edited February 24, 2018 by Vissy

[+Hoiditthroughthegrapevine he/him]

@Alderant I thought your analysis was really good, I'm excited to see the categorical analysis of later chapters (I really like the categories you are analysing this by, by the way). I especially like (as others have already mentioned) the broken pottery bit. Makes me wonder if Brandon has a similar view of pottery as an extended metaphor for Spiritual Being like Philip K. Dick does. Works on a lot of levels, but really nicely put together. Excited to read the next installment!

[Fifth of Daybreak he/him]

I'm not sure I entirely agree with the analysis of her code switching in her attitude between Yalb and Jasnah/King T. At the risk of jumping ahead of you, in Chapter 8, Nearer the Flame, she starts out with a polite tone with the book Merchant, and only becomes bitingly sarcastic when the merchant sets her on edge from his assumptions. While I don't disagree that your reasoning is entirely plausible, her deference could also be due to familiarity with the crew of the Wind's Pleasure and the need to impress Jasnah as she asks for a wardship. I'll be interested to follow this thread especially to see what you dig up to really get to the bottom of her rational between the differences in her mannerisms, especially to see if those attitudes have a marked change when she needs something from the person she interacts with or not.

"Dress poor when asking for small favors, dress rich when asking for large ones." Sort of along that rationale.

[WhiteLeeopard she/her]

Considering I generally have minimal interest in Shallan I expected to skim this post and never return to it. Imagine my surprise when I ended up reading it all . Nice analysis, maybe I will end up viewing Shallan differently. 

[Alderant she/her]

4 hours ago, Fifth of Daybreak said:

I'm not sure I entirely agree with the analysis of her code switching in her attitude between Yalb and Jasnah/King T. At the risk of jumping ahead of you, in Chapter 8, Nearer the Flame, she starts out with a polite tone with the book Merchant, and only becomes bitingly sarcastic when the merchant sets her on edge from his assumptions. While I don't disagree that your reasoning is entirely plausible, her deference could also be due to familiarity with the crew of the Wind's Pleasure and the need to impress Jasnah as she asks for a wardship. I'll be interested to follow this thread especially to see what you dig up to really get to the bottom of her rational between the differences in her mannerisms, especially to see if those attitudes have a marked change when she needs something from the person she interacts with or not.

"Dress poor when asking for small favors, dress rich when asking for large ones." Sort of along that rationale.

Your argument is perfectly valid. It was something I noticed and wanted to mark down, but you might have a point. Ill have to see where the analysis takes me—I think 8 is the next Shallan chapter. 

 

3 hours ago, WhiteLeeopard said:

Considering I generally have minimal interest in Shallan I expected to skim this post and never return to it. Imagine my surprise when I ended up reading it all . Nice analysis, maybe I will end up viewing Shallan differently. 

I’m glad you’re enjoying it so far! Helping more people enjoy the character like I do and understand her better was the point of the analysis, after all.

[Vissy]

Keep in mind that a book merchant is a part of the "middle class" - a part of the merchant caste, if you will. They would naturally be of a higher nahn, perhaps even being lighteyed, compared to Yalb who is, well, clearly quite low in the social ranking. I think her disparate treatment of Yalb and the book merchant is only further proof of her deep-seated classism.